hand waving en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.
The sales pitch sounded good, but there was a lot of hand waving about the price.
Protesters who demand that this brilliantly humane enterprise be stopped should have their motives questioned. Their protest is nothing but the mindless hand waving of Luddites.
2000 August 21, “letter”, in Time:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hand wavings | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
hand-waving · handwaver · handwave · handwavy · wave of the hand · handwaving · handwavium
Translations (4)
ar تَلْوِيح بِالْيَد (argumentation involving approximation) · fi käsienheiluttelu (argumentation involving approximation) · he נפנופי־ידיים (argumentation involving approximation) · pl niejasna argumentacja (argumentation involving approximation)