This article is about the gesture. For the mammalian prehensile digits, see finger. Fingers of the human left hand The finger is any of the digits of the hand in humans and other species such as the great apes. ...

"The finger" is a very common offensive hand gesture.

In western cultures, the finger, as in giving someone the finger, is a popularly known, yet obscene, hand gesture made by extending the middle finger of the hand while bending the other fingers at the second knuckle, though the latter is optional. The finger is a silent way of saying "fuck you", using the finger as a phallic symbol. The reference to coitus may be strengthened by first wetting the finger or by sucking on it. The Middle Finger (possibly offensive) File links The following pages link to this file: User talk:Mark/Archive 1 Fuck The finger Categories: GFDL images ... The Middle Finger (possibly offensive) File links The following pages link to this file: User talk:Mark/Archive 1 Fuck The finger Categories: GFDL images ... Military signalmen use hand and body gestures to direct flight operations aboard aircraft carriers. ... This article is about the vulgar gesture. ... A human hand typically has four fingers and a thumb. ... Look up fuck in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is an external male sexual organ. ...

The gesture is also known as "the bird", "flipping the bird", "you're number one", "the one-finger salute", "the highway salute", "flipping (someone) off", "showing someone the middle finger", "digital signalling", "thumbs up plus 2", or "the Trudeau/Salmon Arm salute" (in Canada). Name Pierre Elliott Trudeau Number Fifteenth First term April 20, 1968–June 4,1979 Second term March 3, 1980–June 30, 1984 Predecessor Lester Bowles Pearson Successors Joe Clark John Napier Turner Date of birth October 18, 1919 Place of birth Montreal, Quebec Date of death September 28, 2000 Spouse... Salmon Arm is a community in the interior of British Columbia that has a population of around 16,000. ...

Origin

The origin of this gesture is highly speculative, but is quite possibly up to 2500 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. It has been noted that the gesture resembles an erect penis.^{[citation needed]} 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. ... Greek comedy is the name given to a wide genre of theatrical plays written, and performed, in Ancient Greece. ... The Clouds (Nephelai) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes lampooning the sophists and the intellectual trends of late fifth-century Athens. ... Bust of Aristophanes Aristophanes, in Greek ΄Αριστοφανης, (c. ... The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is an external male sexual organ. ...

Ancient Romans also considered an image of an erect phallus as a talisman against evil spells. As a consequence, displaying this gesture to another may not have been a pseudo-sexual insult but rather an insulting statement along the lines of—"I'm going to protect myself against your witchcraft, before you even start" but an even earlier reference is made to ancient farmers using this finger to test hens for coming eggs. Witchcraft, in various historical, religious and mythical contexts, is the use of certain kinds of alleged supernatural or magical powers. ...

Jean Froissart (circa 1337-circa 1404) was a historian and the author of the Chronicle, a document that is essential to an understanding of Europe in the fourteenth century and to the twists and turns taken by the Hundred Years' War. The story of the English waving their fingers at the French is told in the first person account by Jean Froissart. However, the description is not of an incident at the Battle of Agincourt, but rather at the siege of a castle nearby in the Hundred Years' War. Adding to the evidence is that by all accounts Jean Froissart died before the battle actually took place; it was therefore rather difficult for him to have written about it. Jean Froissart (~1337 - ~1405) was one of the most important of the chroniclers of medieval France. ... Generally a chronicle (Latin chronica) is historical account of facts and events in chronological order. ... Combatants England France The Hundred Years War is the name modern historians have given to what was a series of related conflicts, fought over a 116-year period, between England and France, and later Burgundy; beginning in 1337, and ending in 1453. ... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: English, english The language of English started in Europe and came to the US with the British immigrants. ... Jean Froissart (~1337 - ~1405) was one of the most important of the chroniclers of medieval France. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength 5,900 troops: 900 men-at-arms 5,000 archers (Longbowmen) 36,000 troops: 11,200 mounted men-at-arms 18,000 dismounted men-at-arms 6,800 crossbowmen (few archers) Casualties 100-250...

Interpretation

In the United States the gesture, which is often accompanied by a verbal insult ("fuck you" or "up yours" being quite common) is generally considered very offensive — perhaps even more so when the gesture is made using both hands, or when accompanied by a vigorous upward motion of the hand and forearm. In Arab countries, a similar gesture with fingers pointing downwards is just as insulting because it is an implication of impotence. The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Impotence or, more clinically, erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. ...

Canada and most of Europe have a more liberal stance, and modest to heavy use of the gesture is tolerated. In Asia, notably in Hong Kong or Singapore whose cultures are westernised, the gesture is also a taboo. In Germany, showing it to an individual can be considered as an insult and theoretically is punishable with a fine of up to a month's income. However, enforcement is nearly unknown. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... World map showing the location of Asia. ... A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ...

In Portugal, this sign is made holding the big finger straight between the other bending fingers. The two bent fingers closest to the big one stand for the testicles.

In China, contrary to the offensive nature of the gesture in other cultures, Chinese Sign Language used by the deaf of China employ this handshape to represent the first born male, a position of status in traditional Chinese culture. The word deaf can have very different meanings depending on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. ...

In some Mediterranean countries and much of Asia, it is permissible to use the middle finger to point to something (on a written page for example) and some Western cultures often tolerate the use of the middle finger to point to things. In North America, it is considered more polite to refrain from pointing with the middle finger. The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Famous examples

In 1968, captured crewmembers 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. [2] The gesture was explained to the North Koreans as 'the Hawaiian Good Luck sign'. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... USS Pueblo (AGER-2) USS Pueblo, AGER-2 is a United States ship, famous for being boarded and captured by soldiers of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in 1968, when it strayed into the DPRKs territorial limit, in what is known as the Pueblo incident. ... 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. ...

In Canada, showing the middle finger is sometimes called the Trudeau salute after Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau because of a famous photo of him giving the finger to protesters in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. He had also used the gesture in the Canadian House of Commons. Prior to becoming Premier of Alberta, Ralph Klein was caught on camera giving the finger to a protestor (although the protestor had made the gesture first). Pierre Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... 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). ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... Categories: Canada-related stubs | Alberta premiers ... Ralph Phillip Klein MLA (born November 1, 1942), leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives, is the current premier of the Canadian province of Alberta. ...

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 goofing off before beginning filming of a public address. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ...

Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd can be clearly seen giving the finger in his last silent film, Speedy. Harold Clayton Lloyd (April 20, 1893–March 8, 1971) was an American actor and film maker, most famous for his hugely successful and influential silent film comedies. ... Speedy is the name of two DC Comics superheroes, both of whom have served as teenaged sidekicks for the Green Arrow (a. ...

Kid Rock's CD titled Devil Without A Cause actually has a picture of an extended middle finger. Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) is an American rapper, singer and rock musician. ...

On Smash Mouth's CD Fush Yu Mang, the drummer of the band shows the finger. However, that is only on the Explicit version. The Edited version of the album has his finger cut off leaving a small nub. Smash Mouth is an alternative rock band from San Jose, California. ... Fush Yu Mang album cover Fush Yu Mang, released in 1997, is the first full length album from the San Jose, California rock band Smash Mouth. ... If something is explicit, it generally leaves nothing to the imagination. ...

The highest elected U.S. official caught flipping the bird while in office was Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller. Rockefeller was photographed responding to hecklers during the 1976 Republican National Convention. [3] The Middle Finger gesture - using the abstraction of a penis to insult someone. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The United States FCC has banned display of this gesture on broadcast television as an obscenity. As a result, the gesture is often censored, and airbrushed out or replaced with large-pixel blocks. This gesture occurs frequently on television shows like The Jerry Springer Show or on music videos shown on MTV and VH1. A popular MTV show, Pimp My Ride featured rapper Xzibit taking a car with a pair of Mickey Mouse gloves with four fingers including the thumb. As Xzibit drives the car, he wears the gloves and flips off the camera. Despite the technicality, it is still censored. Wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin frequently gave the finger to opponents and into the camera lens on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) television, sometimes uncensored. A Limp Bizkit video shows Fred Durst in a nightmare sequence as an animated alien version of himself flipping off the other creatures which is censored. The irony is that the video censors the finger even though the animated Durst has only 3 fingers and a thumb (the irony is also included on Pimp My Ride). Canadian rock band, Gob is one of the first bands to feature the finger uncensored. The FCCs official seal. ... In ancient Rome, censorship was the office or function of a censor. ... The Jerry Springer Show (first aired September 30, 1991) is a television talk show, hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician. ... A music video (also promo) is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... MTV: Music Television is a young adult cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... VH1 (spelled VH-1 (Video Hits One) until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV, which originally came up with the idea of the channel). ... Pimp My Ride is a TV show originally shown on MTV. The concept is simple — one takes a car (ride) that is old, thought to be unfashionable, falling apart, or some combination thereof, and pimps it (i. ... Xzibit (a. ... Mickey Mouse is a comic animal cartoon character who has become a symbol for The Walt Disney Company. ... Steve James Williams, better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Limp Bizkit (pronounced limp biscuit; originally Lethal Injection) are a teenage-targeted rapcore band who, along with their founders Korn, are often credited with creating the nu metal genre and widening its popularity. ... William Frederick Durst is the lead singer for the nu metal/rapcore band Limp Bizkit. ... The Middle Finger gesture (possibly offensive) The finger, known variously as the one-finger salute, the highway salute, flipping (someone) off, flipping the bird, showing someone the middle finger, or the Trudeau salute (in Canada) is a hand gesture made by extending the middle finger of the hand while bending... Look up Gob in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Gob can mean several things: Gob is a type of dessert food, composed of two flapjack-shaped cakes, generally butterscotch- or chocolate-flavored, and a layer of marzipan or icing between them, forming a sandwich. ...

Greg Chappell, the Australian ex-cricketer, and the present coach of the Indian cricket team, was caught in a controversy when he allegedly showed the middle finger from the window of the team-bus towards the fans of the Indian team in the city of Kolkata, India. ([4], Google video of the incident) Gregory Stephen Chappell (born August 7, 1948) is a former Australian cricketer. ... Kolkata (Bangla: (?) কলকাতা) (formerly ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. ...

In a number of the Marx Brothers Paramount Pictures films, Chico Marx repeatedly makes the gesture quickly while waving his hands about, which was probably not noticed by censors before the films were released. The Marx Brothers were a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television. ... The Paramount Pictures logo used since 2003. ... Chico Marx Leonard Marx, known as Chico, (March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was one of the Marx Brothers. ...

A Saturday Night Live sketch parodying The Weakest Link featured Rachel Dratch (as Anne Robinson) giving the finger. Dratch held her middle finger downwards (this was uncensored), asking one of the contestants, "Can you hear this?" The contestant replied, "No," and Dratch said, "Then let me turn it up for you." When her finger was about horizontal, censoring appeared. Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Weakest Link UK Version The Weakest Link (now officially titled Weakest Link) is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000. ... Rachel Dratch in character as Debbie Downer. ... Anne Robinson Anne Josephine Robinson (born September 26, 1944 in Merseyside, England) is an English television presenter and TV host who is most famous for hosting the BBC game show The Weakest Link. ...

On an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, after receiving a letter from a person who claims to watch the show upside down, Leno touches his middle finger to the desk, giving an upside-down version of the bird which would appear right-side up to the author of the letter. The First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush and current host Jay Leno. ... This article is about the vulgar gesture. ...

The Seinfeld Season#6 episode titled The Pledge Drive featured a plotline where George Costanza believes people are giving him the finger. The finger was actually shown on camera, but never explicitly, such as a waitress scratching her face with her middle finger, and a guy with a broken hand with the splint leaving the middle finger straight, a joke frequently used in films. Seinfeld was an American television situation comedy set in New York City that ran from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998. ... Jason Alexander as George Costanza George Louis Costanza (born April 1959) is a fictional character on the US television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander. ...

Rowan Atkinson in the movie Mr. Bean, while living temporarily on the west coast of the United States discovers the expression without understanding its meaning, and a section of the movie shows the Mr. Bean character sitting in a car and giving everyone in sight the finger. The same gag was used in the movie version of the 1993 film) The Beverly Hillbillies. Rowan Atkinson on promotion tour for his movie Bean in Hürth, Germany August, 1997 Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born January 6, 1955 in Consett, County Durham, England) is an English comedian, actor and writer best known for playing the title roles in the UK television series Blackadder and Mr. ... For the animated television series of same name, see Mr. ... The Beverly Hillbillies was a TV sitcom about a hillbilly family living in Southern California in the 1960s. ...

Numerous South Park characters have used the gesture; early on in the series, the character Craig would do it all the time, for no apparent reason, and as a result would constantly be punished, all the while claiming he wasn't doing it. South Park is an American animated television series created, written and voiced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. ...

In the pilot of Drawn Together titled Hot Tub, Foxxy Love flicks off Clara. This is censored, and Clara says she can't tell for sure what Foxxy was doing because "her hand went all blurry". Clara then makes various hand gestures, and when her hand also becomes censored she realizes what happened. In the episode "Terms of Endearment", after Wooldoor chars Ling-Ling's back with a flamethrower, Ling-Ling's tail assumes the shape of the middle finger. Drawn Together is an American animated television series on Comedy Central created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and first aired on October 27, 2004. ... Foxxy Love is a fictional character in the animated series Drawn Together. ... Princess Clara is a fictional character in the animated series Drawn Together. ... Terms of Endearment is the fifteenth episode of the animated series Drawn Together. ... Wooldoor Sockbat is a fictional character in the animated series Drawn Together. ... Ling-Ling is a fictional character in the animated series Drawn Together. ... German troops use a flamethrower on the Eastern Front during the Second World War A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long, controllable stream of fire, hence the metaphor to throw flames. ...

In the Family Guy episode "Patriot Games", as Peter is being interviewed on television, Lois comes in and raises her middle finger as she tells off her mother (who is supposedly watching). In the original FOX airing of the episode, her finger is censored, but the blur effect is not used in the Adult Swim reruns. Family Guy is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for FOX in 1999. ... Patriot Games is an episode from season 4b of FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Peter Lowenbrau Griffin (born in 1959) is a fictional character in the American animated television series Family Guy. ... Lois Griffin (née Pewterschmidt) is a cartoon character on the TV show Family Guy by Seth MacFarlane. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... The Adult Swim logo Adult Swim, usually rendered [adult swim] on bumps and frequently abbreviated either [AS] or [as], is the name for the adult-oriented television programming block on Cartoon Network. ...

On the season four finale of the TV show Friends, "The One With Ross's Wedding," Emily Waltham is stressing about the fact that the church where she was planning to wed Ross is being torn down. When Ross gives her the "time-out" sign, crossing his hands to resemble a capital "T," she mistakes it for an elaborate version of the finger and responds, "Well, up yours, too!" The following is a list of episodes for the television show Friends. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The One With Rosss Wedding, Part One is the twenty-third episode of season four of the television sitcom Friends. ... The following is a chronological list of significant others (boyfriends, girlfriends, fiancees, wives, etc. ... Dr. Ross Eustace Geller is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends (1994–2004), played by David Schwimmer. ...

Dewey Finn, the character portrayed by Jack Black in the film School of Rock raises his index, middle, and ring fingers together to tell the band members who voted him out of the band to "read between the lines". For other persons named Jack Black, see Jack Black (disambiguation). ... School of Rock (2003) is a comedy film starring Jack Black. ...

On Homestar Runner, Strong Bad Email #24, "The Bird," the writer of the e-mail asks Strong Bad "Is it hard to flip someone off with boxing gloves on?" Strong Bad proceeds to show off various methods of flipping someone the bird, including "Around the world" (with a spinning motion) and, his personal favorite, "The Double Deuce," with both hands. As Strong Bad's hands are boxing gloves, nothing is shown. When Strong Bad "single deuce"s Homestar, Homestar says "Right back at ya, Strong Bad" while doing nothing, due to the questionability of his unseen arms. See HRWiki:Double Deuce for more information. Homestar Runner is a Flash cartoon series. ... Strong Bad is a primary character in the fictional world of Homestar Runner. ... Homestar Runner, usually just called Homestar, is the star of his eponymous cartoon series, Homestar Runner. ...

In the video game X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, and in the movie X-Men, the character Wolverine uses his middle claw to give 'the finger' sign (to Cyclops). In X-Men 2, Mystique displays the gesture towards guards who cannot catch her (shown upside down in the trailer and commercials). The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Wolverine, born James Howlett and often simply called Logan, is a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the X-Men. ... Cyclops (Scott Summers) is a Marvel Comics superhero, known as the field leader of the X-Men. ... This page is about the 2003 movie X2; see X2 (disambiguation) for other meanings. ...

Notes

See also

• Gesture
• V sign
• Shocker
• Super Finger
• Bronx cheer

Military signalmen use hand and body gestures to direct flight operations aboard aircraft carriers. ... The V sign is a hand gesture in which the first and second fingers are raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched. ... Example of the Shocker. ... Dane Cooks Super Finger (Su-Fi) The Super Finger or Su-Fi (pronounced SUE-F-EYE) is a hand gesture created by the comedian, Dane Cook. ... Bronx cheer - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

External links

• Debunking of apocryphal story about medieval archers and their usage of the middle finger (from Snopes.com)
• http://www.ooze.com/finger - the online component to the book, "The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off" featuring historical and cultural perspectives on the 2500 year history of giving people the bird.
• Legal history of the finger, from ChipRowe.com
• http://www.mikewirthart.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=23 - A film by Mike Wirth which seeks to discover the origin of the middle finger as offending gesture.
• The Straight Dope What is the origin of "the finger"?
• It's time for the bird! Social Commentary using the finger
• the sweary fingers home page Cataloguing one- and two-fingered salutes worldwide
• Bonestamp.com A Give-the-finger Emporium !
• The recording of George W. Bush giving the finger