Italians really DO talk with their hands: People from Italy use over 40 gestures a minute - twice as many as people from Northern Europe, study finds

From the classic fingers pinched against thumbs to indicate frustration, bewilderment or delight to airy waves and shrugs, the Italian obsession with gestures is legendary. Now, a study has confirmed that Italians really do talk with their hands. Passionate people from Italy use more than 40 hand gestures a minute while speaking, the study revealed. That's twice what an average Swede does, according to researchers from Lund University. And while other cultures use gestures to help illustrate parts of a story, Italians use them as a kind of running commentary on what they're saying.