The finger

In Western cultures, the finger (as in giving someone the finger) is a well-known obscene hand gesture made by extending the middle finger of the hand while bending the other fingers into the palm. A known variation includes extending the thumb as well. A variation of the gesture is also made by showing someone the back of the hand, with three fingers extended, and telling the recipient to "read between the lines". Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 435 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Finger (gesture) Wikipedia talk:Userboxes/New... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 435 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Finger (gesture) Wikipedia talk:Userboxes/New... Occident redirects here. ... Obscenity has several connotations. ... Hand gestures, are gestures performed by one or two hands. ...

The gesture is also known as the "bird", "flipping the birdie", the "highway salute", "The New York Hello", "concert C", "sticking your middle finger up", "Showing Off Your Monkey", "The One-fingered Salute", "The Canadian Turn Signal", and "flipping someone off". The gesture is mostly used as a non-verbal way of saying "fuck you". It also has a meaning of the phrase "go to Hell". When both hands are used, it is known as the "double-barrel salute", the "double deuce", or the "dirty double". A more comical approach is to wiggle all five fingers and query, "Do you see these?" retracting all but the middle finger state, "Its a whole flock of these." (A distinct reference to the aforementioned "bird") This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, the V sign (given with back of the hand towards the recipient) serves a similar purpose (primarily "fuck off"), whilst "the bird" is more often used for "up yours", "swivel on it", "sit and swivel on it" or "sit and spin". The V sign is a hand gesture in which the first and second fingers are raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched. ...

The Eastern equivalent of the finger

The Sri Lankan equivalent of the 'finger'

In eastern countries like Iran the "thumbs up" gesture means the same as "the finger" in western countries which can result in misunderstandings.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 421 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (758 × 1078 pixel, file size: 411 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 421 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (758 × 1078 pixel, file size: 411 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

In some African and Caribbean countries, the equivalent is extending all five digits, meaning "you have five fathers" (your mother is a prostitute). Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ...

In South Asian countries such as India and Sri Lanka, certain limited social circles use the middle finger gesture in the same context that it is used in western cultures, The same is true for most south asian countries.[1]. However, in Sri Lanka another version of the gesture exists, specially among the social circles not exposed to the western culture. In that version, the index finger is used in a similar manner to mean the same. Occident redirects here. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ...

Origin

The origin of this gesture is speculative, and quite possibly thousands of years old. It is identified as the digitus impudicus ("impudent finger") in Ancient Roman writings^[1] and reference is made to using the finger in the Ancient Greek comedy The Clouds by Aristophanes. It was defined there as a gesture intended to insult another. The widespread usage of the finger in many cultures is likely due to the geographical influence of the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman civilization. Another possible origin of this gesture can be found in the first-century Mediterranean world, where extending the digitus impudicus was one of many methods used to divert the ever present threat of the evil eye.^[2] History - Ancient history - Ancient Rome This is a List of Ancient Rome-related topics, that aims to include aspects of both the Ancient Roman Republic and Roman Empire. ... // This evolution is much simpler than that of its sister art, tragedy, mainly because there is little exact information regarding its origin and earlier development. ... The Clouds (Nephelae,Νεφέλαι) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes lampooning the sophists and the intellectual trends of late fifth-century Athens. ... This article is about the 5-4th century BC dramatist. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ... John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye The evil eye is a folklore belief that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate people may result in their misfortune, whether it...

There is a popular, but apocryphal^[3], story about English bowmen waving fingers at the French army during the Hundred Years' War. In Judeo-Christian theologies, apocrypha refers to religious Sacred text that have questionable authenticity or are otherwise disputed. ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ...

Another possible origin is the phallic imagery of the raised middle finger (the middle finger being the longest finger on the human hand), similar to the Italian version of the bent elbow insult. Also, there is a variation of the finger where it can be done by performing The Fangul, by sticking out the finger during the throwing motion. The phallus usually refers to the male penis, or sex organ. ... People often use gestures during heated or tense arguments, such as at this political demonstration. ... Hand gestures, are gestures performed by one or two hands. ...

Famous examples

In the media

• In the 1999 Paramount comedy, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, in the scene where the Americans talk to the Canadians, an American man says "FUCK CANADA!" while sticking the middle finger on his left hand.
• Charles Radbourn gave the finger in 1886.
• The band The Supersuckers perform the song "Born With A Tail" live, where the band tells every person in the audience to raise their middle finger.
• Wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin often uses this in his gimmick in WWE when about to deliver the Stone Cold Stunner.
• In the show South Park, Craig and his family have the habit of flipping people off, which often results in a visit to the school counselor's office.
• In the first Mr. Bean feature film, there is a scene where Mr Bean mistakenly thinks that giving the finger is a positive gesture, similar to a thumbs-up sign. Hilarity ensues as he drives around, giving the finger to a series of perplexed or angry townspeople. A similar situation appears on a California highway in the Hollywood adaptation of The Beverly Hillbillies.
• In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, when Kirk and Spock are on a bus in 1986 and a punk rocker is listening to loud music, Kirk asks him to turn it down and the punk flips him off. Spock then gives him the Vulcan nerve pinch causing him to pass out, his head turning off the music as he falls over.
• In the Animaniacs segment "This Pun For Hire", Minerva Mink demands Yakko, Wakko and Dot to "give [her] the bird" (referring to a statue of Squit), to which Dot replies "We can't; this is a family show."
• In the 2007 film Transformers, Decepticon Frenzy gives the Finger to guards from inside Barricade after sneaking out of Air Force One. Possibly the only instance of an alien or robot ever doing the gesture.
• In X-men 2, Mystique can been seen giving the finger to the guards at the damn in Alkali Lake as she slides on the ground escaping them.

Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 motion picture based on the cartoon television series of South Park. ... Charles Radbourn on a 1887-1890 Goodwin & Company baseball card (Old Judge (N172)). Charles Gardner Radbourn (December 11, 1854 - February 5, 1897), nicknamed Old Hoss, was a pitcher in Major League Baseball prior to the turn of the 20th century. ... The Supersuckers are an American rock band. ... Steven James Williams (born Steven Anderson on December 18, 1964)[2] better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. ... This article is about the TV series. ... This page is a list of students at the school South Park Elementary. ... For the animated television series of the same name, see Mr. ... For the 1993 film, see The Beverly Hillbillies (film) The Beverly Hillbillies was an American television program about a hillbilly family transplanted in Southern California. ... Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... This article is about the television series. ... Minerva Mink Minerva Mink is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. ... Animaniacs logo, featuring Yakko, Wakko, and Dot plus Pinky and the Brain. ... Transformer or Transformers may refer to: Transformer, an electrical device Transformer (album), Lou Reeds 1972 rock album Transformers (myth) of Pacific Northwest native myth The fictional Transformers Universe: Transformers (toyline), a line of toys Transformers category in Wikipedia Transformers Universes Transformers series, television series Transformers (original cartoon) (Aired from... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Frenzy (disambiguation). ... Closeup of a collection of blinker equipped barricades A barricade is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. ... For the current aircraft, see Boeing VC-25. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Mystique, as a name, can refer to: Mystique, a comic book character from the Marvel Comics universe. ...

In politics

• In 1968, captured crew members of the USS Pueblo (AGER-2) used a discreet version of the finger as a covert signal of "obscene derisiveness and contempt" (quoted from a newspaper caption) in propaganda photos taken by their North Korean captors.^[4] The gesture was explained to the North Koreans as 'the Hawaiian Good Luck sign'.
• In Canada, showing the middle finger is sometimes called the "Trudeau salute" (or "Salmon Arm salute") after Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was alleged to have given the finger to protesters in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Popular mythology holds that there is a photo of this incident, but none exists. He had also used the gesture in the Canadian House of Commons. Prior to becoming Premier of Alberta, the then-Environment minister Ralph Klein was caught on camera giving the finger to a protester during a 1990 meeting about a contentious pulp mill project.^[5]
• On July 9, 2003, Philip Wong Yu-hong (Chinese: 黃宜弘), a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in favor of the unpopular article 23, was seen giving democracy protesters the finger as he left the Legislative Council building.^[6][7]
• In 2003, the influential newsmagazine The Economist featured an illustration of a cactus tree shaped as if giving the finger on the cover of its September 20 issue. The illustration reflected the cover story, on the outcome of the Cancún ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization.^[8]
• In some subcultures in the United States, it is known as the "one-fingered victory salute", which gained popularity after this video appeared on the Internet in October 2004, showing George W. Bush, at the time of the film the Governor of Texas, using the gesture while engaging in horseplay before beginning the filming of a public address.

• On February 2, 2007, Mirek Topolánek, prime minister of the Czech republic, gave the finger to left-wing deputies in the Czech parliament ^[9] and later explained the gesture to the media and the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic as a friendly gesture towards Miroslav Kalousek, one of his cabinet ministers.
• In British military spoof marching, commands such as "Left burn" instruct the troops to give the finger to the person or people on their left.

USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on 23 January 1968 in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ... “Trudeau” redirects here. ... , Salmon Arm is a city in the interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia that has a population of 16,466 as reported in the BC Stats (2004). ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... Type Lower House Speaker Peter Milliken, Liberal since January 29, 2001 Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Peter Van Loan, Conservative since January 4, 2007 Opposition House Leader Ralph Goodale, Liberal since January 23, 2006 Members 308 Political groups Conservative Party Liberal Party Bloc Québécois... Categories: Canada-related stubs | Alberta premiers ... Ralph Phillip Klein (born November 1, 1942) was the premier of the Canadian province of Alberta and leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives from 1992 until his retirement in 2006. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: LìfÇŽ Huì; formerly 立法局, LìfÇŽ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 is the basis (parent statute) of a security law proposed by the Government of Hong Kong. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Giant Mexican flag in the Hotel Zone Cancún (pronounced as IPA: ) is a coastal city in Mexicos easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula. ... WTO redirects here. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Mirek Topolánek (pronounced ) (born May 15, 1956 in Vsetín, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is the current prime minister of Czech Republic, from Civic Democratic Party. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Motto: (Czech) Truth prevails Anthem:  Czech Republic() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() [] Capital (and largest city) Prague Official languages Czech Demonym Czech Government Parliamentary republic  -  President Václav Klaus  -  Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek Independence (formed 9th century)   -  October 28, 1918   -  January 1, 1993  EU accession May... The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (in Czech Poslanecká snÄ›movna Parlamentu ÄŒeské republiky, abbr. ... Miroslav Kalousek (b. ... The Prime Minister, Mirek Topolánek The Government of the Czech Republic since January 9, 2007 is formed by coalition of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak Peoples Party (KDU-ÄŒSL) and the Green Party (SZ). ...

References

The Straight Dope is a popular question and answer newspaper column published in the Chicago Reader (an alternative weekly), syndicated in thirty newspapers in the United States and Canada, and available online. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

See also

• SuperFinger, comedian Dane Cook's variant created due to a loss of potency of the original

Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ...

External links

• Excerpts from the book The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off
• Perception
• Truth about the Finger
• Free website where users can send "the finger" via ecard (called 'E-Birds'); contains gallery of random individuals giving "the finger"