It’s kind of funny how people who are unaccustomed to hand signs will miss the nuance of a thumb being tucked in vs. a thumb being out straight.
I can’t boast; I’ve made some egregious errors in signing to deaf friends. Fortunately, they’re patient. :-)
You’re right. Some people make knee jerk, arrogant statements without thinking.
My elderly mother-in-law, who had lost her hearing always signed the I Love You to her Grandchildren when saying goodbye. Sometimes, at the right angle, it looked like something else. LOL But we knew what she meant.