Final answer:
The act of 'flipping the bird' in traffic is an emblem, not an illustrator. Emblems are standalone gestures with specific meanings, while illustrators accompany speech to emphasize or clarify. These forms of nonverbal communication are essential in conveying meaning across different contexts in daily life.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you respond to being cut off in traffic by "flipping the bird," you are indeed using a type of gesture, but it is not called an illustrator. The term illustrator refers to gestures that accompany speech and are meant to clarify or emphasize the spoken word. In contrast, the gesture you're referring to is known as an emblem. Emblems are gestures that have a specific, generally understood meaning without the need for verbal communication, much like the universally recognized symbol for 'stop' or a nod for 'yes.' These gestures vary in meaning across cultures and are a part of the larger realm of nonverbal communication, which includes body language, facial expressions, and other forms of communicating without words.
An example of an emblem is when a person gives a thumbs-up to signify approval or agreement in many cultures, although this same gesture may have different or even offensive meanings in others. Unlike emblems, illustrators do not standalone as complete communications but are instead embedded within the context of speech to visually reinforce or illustrate the message.
Returning to your original scenario about traffic, it is evident in everyday life that we continuously rely on different forms of nonverbal communication. For instance, honking one's horn, like in the example of the cars at an intersection, can indicate impatience or serve as a warning. Similarly, artists often use gesture drawing to capture the essence of a scene, which can be seen as a physical manifestation of an emblem or illustrator, depending on the context. These interactions highlight the nuanced ways in which we convey meaning and react to one another within our social environment.