handwave
Gloss over details
Handwave refers to a gesture of dismissal, or the act of glossing over something without proper explanation.
In technical and academic contexts, to handwave is to skip past difficulties with vague reasoning: The professor handwaved through the proof's hardest step.
A handwave acknowledges a gap while declining to fill it: That's a bit of a handwave, but let's move on.
The term often carries light criticism—suggesting someone is being intellectually lazy or evasive.
Common spoken greeting
- hiInformal spoken salutation
- welcomeHospitable greeting offered
- acknowledgmentConfirmation of receipt
- saluteGestural sign of honor
beckon · signal · aloha · namaste · shalom · howdy · ciao · hola
Abrupt, curt rejection
- ignoreRefuse to notice
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- skipTo deliberately exclude
bypass · minimize · trivialize · downplay · simplify · deflect · evade · sidestep
Departing salutation
- partingAct of leaving another
- send-offFarewell gathering or party
- departureAct of going away
- adieuFormal leave-taking
bon voyage · au revoir · sayonara · adios · so long · cheerio · leave-taking · valediction
Summon by supernatural means
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- trickDeliberate deception
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
- flourishTo grow vigorously
abracadabra · sleight · misdirection · wand · sorcery · spell · enchant · vanish
hello
Common spoken greeting
- hiInformal spoken salutation
- welcomeHospitable greeting offered
- acknowledgmentConfirmation of receipt
salute · beckon · signal · aloha · namaste · shalom · howdy · ciao · hola · bonjour
brushoff
Abrupt, curt rejection
skip · bypass · minimize · trivialize · downplay · simplify · deflect · evade · sidestep · dodge
goodbye
Departing salutation
adieu · bon voyage · au revoir · sayonara · adios · so long · cheerio · leave-taking · valediction · farewell
conjure
Summon by supernatural means
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- trickDeliberate deception
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
flourish · abracadabra · sleight · misdirection · wand · sorcery · spell · enchant · vanish · transform
- greetingshi, hello, hey, hola, aloha
- estimatesestimate, estimation, ballpark, ballpark estimate, rough estimate
- oversimplificationsoversimplification, generalization, blanket statement, reductionism, dumbing-down
- plot holescontradiction, retcon, deus ex machina, continuity error, oversight
handwavedeep dive
Comprehensive examination of topic
close reading · elaborate · spell out · unpack · break down
handwaveconfront
Face squarely, address directly
reckon with · come to grips with · tackle · acknowledge · deal with
handwavearms folded