Solution strokes: Gestural component of speaking trouble solution

Downward stroke gestures which are produced in conjunction with the solution of speaking trouble, such as a word search, during English language discussions among Japanese university students, are described and labeled solution strokes. Similar gestures that involve striking something are labeled solution strikes. These gestures can be understood as the gestural component of the utterance which solves the trouble. They index the subjective experience of the trouble and its solution and possibly a positive affective stance toward the solution. Solution strokes are argued to be the gestural component of a solution and it is shown that understanding the meaning of a solution stroke requires attending to how it is situated in the local context.