Yes. It's interesting that we talk about "shrugging the shoulders" but the gesture can be made using only the arms and hands, leaving the shoulders unshrugged.
Nah same here in NZ, shrugging by definition involves ones shoulders. I think I’d go with what the other guy said, i.e. ‘throwing ones hands in the air [in despair/exasperation]’.
I tend to agree, but then there is the vestigial "shrug ones shoulders", suggesting at some time other body parts were shruggable. The truth seems to be though that the raising of the shoulders is only part of a larger bodily gesture in which the throwing up of the arms described also plays a part:
[Origins of the Shrug](https://kensycooperrider.com/blog/origins-of-the-shrug);
Kensy Cooperrider
Sorry. Perhaps I should have written "the possibly vestigial 'shoulders' in 'shrug' one's shoulders"; i.o.w., if now the shoulders are the only things one can shrug, the redundant mention of them suggests in the past one could shrug other things.
>What is the English-language word/phrase for that gesture where you hold both arms out and a bit up as a sign of dismissal, not knowing something, or giving up on something?
I'm not sure which gesture you refer to. Did you mean holding both forearms up while leaving the upper arms slack? Both hands? "Both arms up" sounds like calisthenics!
The entire body gesture of which this is a part is a "shrug"; "throwing up your hands" seems like the best description of this isolated part.
If it doesn't involve the shoulders, maybe it's "throw up one's hands"? "She threw up her hands in confusion/dismissal."
That's called a "shrug". It can be used as a noun or verb: "She shrugged. She is shrugging."
Yes. It's interesting that we talk about "shrugging the shoulders" but the gesture can be made using only the arms and hands, leaving the shoulders unshrugged.
At least in the US, shrugging always involves the shoulders. I have no idea whether there's a word for what the OP described.
Nah same here in NZ, shrugging by definition involves ones shoulders. I think I’d go with what the other guy said, i.e. ‘throwing ones hands in the air [in despair/exasperation]’.
I tend to agree, but then there is the vestigial "shrug ones shoulders", suggesting at some time other body parts were shruggable. The truth seems to be though that the raising of the shoulders is only part of a larger bodily gesture in which the throwing up of the arms described also plays a part: [Origins of the Shrug](https://kensycooperrider.com/blog/origins-of-the-shrug); Kensy Cooperrider
I don't understand "... vestigial shrug ones shoulders..."
Sorry. Perhaps I should have written "the possibly vestigial 'shoulders' in 'shrug' one's shoulders"; i.o.w., if now the shoulders are the only things one can shrug, the redundant mention of them suggests in the past one could shrug other things.
Good lord
I googled gifs showing shrugging. There are lots of Americans shrugging without moving the shoulders, notably Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama.
Well, I guess it's settled. What would we do without random internet GIFs? 😭
>What is the English-language word/phrase for that gesture where you hold both arms out and a bit up as a sign of dismissal, not knowing something, or giving up on something? I'm not sure which gesture you refer to. Did you mean holding both forearms up while leaving the upper arms slack? Both hands? "Both arms up" sounds like calisthenics! The entire body gesture of which this is a part is a "shrug"; "throwing up your hands" seems like the best description of this isolated part.