Have you been on TiKTok or Instagram and seen someone post a picture or video of them 'gesturing to their arms'? The gesture is almost everywhere now, and it's called 'arm thing' by some social media users. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this term.
Meaning
The gesture known as 'arm thing' is when a user on a social media platform (like Twitter or TikTok) records themselves gesturing with the fingers of their one arm to the other in a flex-position.
The whole point of the pointing arm gesture on social media is positive encouragement and it is meant to be used to serve as a motivator for posters and other users on the content where it is posted.
The meaning of the common 'arm gesture' on TikTok and other social media platforms is to indicate that things are good, or that someone feels positive about something they have done (or that they are about to do).
The TikTok expression pushing p has been likened to the arm gesture, and also has a positive meaning when it is used on most social media platforms as a comment or a tag.
Sometimes, the 'arm thing' expression is abbreviated by using emoji instead of writing out the full expression. The meaning is considered to be the same.
The 'arm thing' is used as a way for users to encourage themselves and others on social media.
The term is most often used as a gesture.
Example Usage
“We're going to grab some drinks and go work out tonight. You game to join us for an hour or two? #armthing #pushingp #goingtothegym #gymstuff”
“After three energy drinks, his grandfather could probably have bench-pressed pretty much all of us. #armthing #why”
“I wasn't sure how today was going to start, but I feel a whole lot better now that I won something with the scratch card. #armthing #ohyes”
“I'm sure today is going to be a great day, even though I don't know what we're yelling about. #armthing #yay”
Origin
The phrase 'arm thing' is a commonly searched term on the internet, and only became a common search tag in 2021 after the gesture itself made the rounds on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms.
Gesturing at one arm with another has been a common show of confidence for hundreds of years, and some examples of it can be found in classic arts and sculpture. However, the modern use of the arm gesture only became popular on TikTok in the 2020s.
Urban Dictionary (and most other online resources for the term) only listed definitions for the arm gesture's meaning from 2018. though it experienced the 2020s revival use on TikTok in part thanks to BNA Player D'Angelo Russell after his team won a game.
After Russell's use of the term after a game, other users on TikTok started to copy the gesture fast, and soon the gesture would spread to further coverage in mainstream media.
It's an example of a term that was popular and faded from use, until other users revived the term on TikTok.
Phrases Similar to Arm Thing
- Pushing P
Phrases Opposite to Arm Thing
- Fail
What is the Correct Saying?
- Gesturing (with one arm to the other)
Ways People May Say Arm Thing Incorrectly
There are several ways to use the 'arm thing gesture' in the wrong way on social media, or to interpret what it means with the wrong idea.
Anyone who does not understand the meaning might not use the arm thing in the right context.
The 'arm thing gesture' is meant to serve as encouragement for posters and other users.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Arm Thing
The correct way to use the 'arm thing gesture' is to physically gesture to one arm with the fingers of the other hand.
The term is often used to encourage other users, or to say that things are “all good”.