hand-waving
Vague explanatory gestures
Hand-waving is the use of vague, unsubstantiated arguments to gloss over gaps in reasoning or evidence.
The image is of someone gesturing expansively while saying nothing concrete: The proposal was mostly hand-waving about "synergies" and "disruption".
In technical fields, hand-waving dismisses a step as trivially obvious when it may not be: The professor hand-waved through the proof.
Also appears as the verb hand-wave and the adjective hand-wavy.
Deceptive reasoning
- blusterLoud, empty boasting
- obfuscationDeliberate concealment through confusion
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
- doublespeakDeliberately misleading language
fast-talking · spin · misdirection · buzzwords · jargon · technobabble · gobbledygook · platitudes
Performing magical illusions
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- abracadabraSpell-casting utterance
presto · wizardry · enchantment · spellcasting · hocus-pocus · showmanship · incantation · levitation
Abrupt, curt rejection
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
minimizing · downplaying · trivializing · dodging · avoidance · superficiality · oversimplification · ignoring
Lacking exactness or accuracy
- nebulousUnclear and formless
- unclearNot easily understood
- sketchyIncomplete or suspicious
- fuzzySoft and unclear
unspecified · nonspecific · loose · approximate · general · undetailed · inexact · woolly
sophistry
Deceptive reasoning
- blusterLoud, empty boasting
- obfuscationDeliberate concealment through confusion
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
doublespeak · fast-talking · spin · misdirection · buzzwords · jargon · technobabble · gobbledygook · platitudes · grandstanding
conjuring
Performing magical illusions
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
abracadabra · presto · wizardry · enchantment · spellcasting · hocus-pocus · showmanship · incantation · levitation
brushoff
Abrupt, curt rejection
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- deflectionChange in trajectory
sidestepping · minimizing · downplaying · trivializing · dodging · avoidance · superficiality · oversimplification · ignoring · discounting
imprecise
Lacking exactness or accuracy
fuzzy · unspecified · nonspecific · loose · approximate · general · undetailed · inexact · woolly · wishy-washy
greeting
Expression of welcome
flapping · gesticulate · salute · hailing · pantomime · semaphore · flourish · motion · windmilling
- blatherbabble, balderdash, baloney, blarney, blather
- downplayingminimizing, downplay, trivializing, belittling, soft-pedal
- nonsensenonsense, absurd, gibberish, gobbledegook, gobbledygook
hand-wavingspecificity
Exactness of detail
precision · close reading · deep dive · nuts and bolts · nitty-gritty
hand, wave, hands, waves, handed, handing, waved, waving, wavy