(...) Dunno about universal, but it's common here in Aus, too. I think you can (at least partly) blame the inventors of the game of "Charades", where one uses the insect impersonation to indicate one's phrase is a quotation. ROSCO (23 years ago, 20-Mar-02, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
(...) Billy Connolly did an excellent routine where he described people who do the <wiggle fingers> quote thing, and then went on to advocate the mimed addition of all punction to conversation. Cheers Richie (23 years ago, 21-Mar-02, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)