What does wagging fingers have to do with selecting random moves?

Question

In case you don't know, metronome (the move) is called "wag finger" in Japanese. In other words, I'm asking why metronome is called "wag finger". It doesn't seem very related to what it's supposed to do, other than the animation.

Comments

What does a metronome have to do with selecting a random move? Personally, I would have picked "Dice Roll" or "Gamble" as a move name.

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When you wag your finger like a metronome, it's almost impossible to repeat a frequency perfectly. So every time you do it randomly, you do it differently. Maybe that has something to do with the randomness of the move chosen.

But hey, that's just a theory. xD

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All three of these ideas make a little sense. I guess there will just not be a BA until somebody comes up with a really good theory.

Answer 1

Finger wagging:

the action of reprimanding or warning someone

Maybe by wagging their finger it is to warn the opponent of what is to come. To reprimand is to send a formal disapproval, which could tie into the move itself. I think the more likely explanation would be the former.

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Edit: Let's break out the Bulbapedia definitions, ooh yeah

(XYORAS) The user waggles a finger and stimulates its brain into randomly using nearly any move

This pretty clearly says your answer right thar. By wagging their finger, they simply "stimulate" their mind into using a random move. Maybe wagging the finger is a sort of meditation that allows the user to select any move. Most other definitions state this too, so it seems this is a pretty solid explanation.

TL;DR: Wagging the finger allows the user to stimulate their mind into using a random move.

Hope I helped

Comments

But it's random and almost always uses a useless move. Why would they need a warning?
Screw it, I'll just select your answer.

Answer 2

The move's Japanese name refers to the wagging finger associated with the move, implying the user is randomly deciding a move from a list.

source

Answer 3

I play a korean Pokemon game, and in the game it is also "wag fingers". In the description, wagging fingers somehow stimulates the brain, causing a random move to come out. It's not really logical, but that's how it works.

Comments

Anybody know enough about Japanese culture to be able to say, "That is/isn't a cultural thing"?
...Now that I think about it, the wagging finger reminds me of someone using their index finger to flip through a book or look through a list. As if they weren't sure which move they wanted to use and was looking for something interesting...