The phrase "a common gesture" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an action or behavior that is frequently observed or widely practiced in a particular context.
Example: "Nodding your head is a common gesture to indicate agreement in many cultures."
Alternatives: "a typical gesture" or "a familiar gesture".
Indeed, the BBC reported it is a common gesture in Italy, and has a double meaning.
Um, people: This is a common gesture, and its use is not limited to Democrats with unusual names.
The blast turned a common gesture of friendship by American forces into what for Afghans has become an all too common tragedy, setting off angry recriminations and protests.
What average viewer here would know that waggling a pinky finger in Japan (a common gesture in anime) is a surreptitious indication of a significant other?
This is a common gesture among brokers in a market where fixer-uppers are not the hot commodity they were a year ago.
For the five groups with Mr. Schegg, he brought in doughnuts, a common gesture of thanks from graduates of these meetings, and he told everyone how he landed the job.
And though it's not quite clear how right-clicking will be handled, a page on Synaptics' web site shows a few common gestures that work on the company's multitouch pads, such as: two-finger scrolling, two-finger rotate, two-finger pinch zoom, three-finger flick, three-finger down, linear scrolling, something called ChiralScroll, and a side-to-side flick called Momentum.
"Yah, yah," he said, giving a shrug, possibly the most common gesture in Marseille.
A skillful artist who left behind a limited oeuvre of refined, appealing works, Taneyev now occupies a status between historical footnote and that common gesture of polite approbation, "respected pedagogue".
More shocking is that the BBC has stopped buying the odd bottle of champagne for a job well done - a common practice gesture.
He said I would be undesirable for any serious relationship, a sentiment that would somehow be reinforced by almost all of my adult partners: "Nobody will ever accept you like I have" has been a common parting gesture.
