on page 115 of the wonderful undergraduate textbook cultural anthropology, 12th edition, by haviland, prins, walrath, and mcbride, which i read (cover to cover, i am proud to say), in chapter five titled “language and communication”, there is mention of this sign, which has been used by satanists and university of texas football team fans alike. the caption under a photo of president bush-41 and his daughter jenna, who is making the “hook 'em, horns” sign, reads: “learned gestures to which different cultures assign different meanings are known as conventional gestures. the 'hook ‘em horns’ salute flashed by us president bush and his family during his 2005 inauguration shocked many europeans who interpreted it as a salute to satan. known as the ‘devil’s hand’ in some parts of the world, in bush’s home state of texas the gesture is a sign of love for the university of texas longhorns, whose fans shout out 'hook ‘em, horns’ at sporting events. here, bush’s daughter jenna gives the sign.”
