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Suppose you are being interviewed for a job, and while you're making a presentation, you find yourself (in a fit) excessively hand gesturing to the obvious inconvenience of the interviewer. Now you would like to apologize for that:

I'm sorry for making too much gestures.

I'm sorry for being excessive with my hands.

Are the above OK? Is there a one-word adjective that can capture the meaning?

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  • I would probably use a verb rather than an adjective; something like "I'm so sorry, I tend to flail about when I get nervous." But in the US, I'd only apologize for this if I actually managed to knock something over or make someone dizzy or a similar really obvious effect.
    – 1006a
    Aug 25, 2016 at 0:18

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I think the word you want is gesticulations.

So you could say either "Sorry for all the gesticulations" or "I'm sorry about my gesticulating."

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    This word fits to a T, but I'm not convinced it's the word the O.P. "wants". (Learners ought to know that this could be regarded as a "50-cent word", meaning it's not all that commonly used.)
    – J.R. ♦
    Aug 24, 2016 at 15:24
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    I’d also suggest that this is a word that warrants some guidance as to its pronunciation, since it is not particularly intuitive (jest-ick-you-lay-shuns perhaps, using simpler English words).
    – KRyan
    Aug 24, 2016 at 17:42
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    @iRove - Really? I apologize for my excessive amount of gesticulation? At a job interview? I don't think it would make the O.P. a frontrunner. I think something like Lawrence's solution would sound more "normal": I'm sorry if I'm moving my hands too much.
    – J.R. ♦
    Aug 24, 2016 at 20:41
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    @user151841 - In single-word-request questions, yes. I think many of these are interesting words to consider and learn, and there's a time and place for them. However, I think we owe it to the learner to at least give them a clue if a suggested word is going to be immediately understood, or might raise some what-in-the-world-are-you-talking-about eyebrows instead.
    – J.R. ♦
    Aug 24, 2016 at 20:43
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    @talrnu I don't think the OP would consider, "I apologize for moving my hands so much; I have gesticular cancer."
    – Chowzen
    Aug 24, 2016 at 20:54
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I'd probably say something like the following:

"I'm sorry for being so animated"

Animated in this case being used to describe something full of movement and activity or very expressive.

It's commonly used for people who are very energetic with their movements and expressions. However, in my experience it can also carry a sense of enthusiasm, so if you're using your hands a lot but you're delivering a eulogy, this choice may not be appropriate :^)

That said: As was suggested, "I'm sorry for talking with my hands so much" is also perfectly acceptable.

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    It should be noted that you can be an "animated" talker/speaker without any hand gestures, e.g. if your face is highly expressive or your whole body moves energetically. If you're trying to convey the specific idea of hand movements, use of this word requires additional clarification.
    – talrnu
    Aug 24, 2016 at 16:44
  • That's a good point Talrnu
    – Kanga_Roo
    Aug 24, 2016 at 17:16
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    @talrnu - True, but in the situation described in the question – where the speaker is already in the process having very animated hands – that can be easily discerned.
    – J.R. ♦
    Aug 24, 2016 at 20:46
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Gesticular

characterized or accompanied by gesticulation

This fits pretty well, you're just a gesticular person.

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A way you could express your apology is to say "sorry for waving my hands so much"

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    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Aug 24, 2016 at 18:27
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I believe fidgeting may be used here:

fidget

make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience.
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    Someone who's talking with their hands typically isn't making small movements.
    – Mark
    Aug 24, 2016 at 21:14

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