Pinky swear: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Gesture signifying a promise}} |
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To '''pinky swear''', or make a '''pinky promise''', is the entwining of the [[Little finger#Cultural significance|little fingers ("pinkies")]] of two people to signify that a promise has been made. |
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To make a '''pinky promise''', or '''pinky swear''', is a traditional gesture most commonly practiced amongst children involving the locking of the [[Little finger|pinkies]] of two people to signify that a [[promise]] has been made. The gesture is taken to signify that the person can break the finger of the one who broke the promise.{{cn|date=May 2024}} The tradition appears to be a relatively modern invention, possibly as a continuation of older finger traditions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Roud|first=Stephen|title=The Lore of the Playground: One Hundred Years of Children's Games, Rhymes and Traditions|publisher=Random House|year=2010|isbn=9781905211517}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Roud|first=Steve|date=October 29, 2010|title=The state of play|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/30/children-play-games-playground}}</ref> |
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== Prevalence worldwide == |
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| ⚫ | Pinky swearing |
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| ⚫ | Pinky swearing has origins in Japan from 1600 to 1803, where it is called {{Nihongo||指切り|'''yubikiri'''|"finger cut-off"}} and often additionally confirmed with the vow {{Nihongo|"Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles."|指切り拳万、嘘ついたら針千本呑ます|"Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu"}}.<ref>[[Daijirin]]</ref> |
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In Japan, the pinky swear originally indicated that the person who breaks the promise must [[Yubitsume|cut off their pinky finger]].<ref>Hill, Peter B. E.: "The Japanese Mafia: Yakuza, law, and the state", p. 75. [[Oxford University Press|Oxford Univ. Press]], 2003</ref> {{dubious|date=April 2013}} In modern times, pinky swearing is a more informal way of sealing a promise. It is most common among school-age children and close friends. The pinky swear signifies a promise that cannot be broken or counteracted by the [[crossed fingers|crossing of fingers]] or other such trickery.<ref>Iwai, H . Byōri Shūdan: "Sheishin-Shobō", p. 225. 1963</ref> |
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Recently, in South Korea, the hooked pinky has been followed by a "seal", wherein the thumbs touch each other while the pinkies are still hooked.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/28pUzpLVpYo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150905042611/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28pUzpLVpYo Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28pUzpLVpYo| title = Pinky Promises in Korean - 새끼손가락 걸고 약속! | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aminoapps.com/c/k-drama/page/blog/the-korean-promise-yagsog-yaksok/V0Ph_7u5PRzZwlRdXQ4dJqrdYNV0bPQ|title=The Korean Promise 👍"약속" (yaksok) | K-Drama Amino|website=aminoapps.com|access-date=Aug 6, 2020}}</ref> |
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In Taiwan, stamping after hooking pinkies has been commonplace for over 30 years. |
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In [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]] it is referred to as a "piggy promise".<ref name=":0" /> |
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In Italy, a similar tradition is called "giurin giurello" or "giurin giuretto/-a". |
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In Maharashtra (India), this concept similarly using Marathi calls this "Gatti fu". |
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There is also another pinky swear promise made between children in the Isle of Man. It goes: |
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"Make friends, make friends, |
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Never ever break friends, |
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If you do, |
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You'll catch the flu, |
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And that will be the end of you!" |
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==See also== |
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*[[List of children's games|Children's games]] |
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*[[Jinx (game)]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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*{{commonscatinline}} |
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{{Gestures}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinky Swear}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinky Swear}} |
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[[Category:Oaths]] |
[[Category:Oaths]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:17, 28 September 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2024) |
To make a pinky promise, or pinky swear, is a traditional gesture most commonly practiced amongst children involving the locking of the pinkies of two people to signify that a promise has been made. The gesture is taken to signify that the person can break the finger of the one who broke the promise.[citation needed] The tradition appears to be a relatively modern invention, possibly as a continuation of older finger traditions.[1][2]
Prevalence worldwide
[edit]In North America, it is most common amongst school-aged children or adults and close friends and has existed since at least 1860, when the Dictionary of Americanisms listed the following accompanying promise:
Pinky, pinky bow-bell,
Whoever tells a lie
Will sink down to the bad place
And never rise up again.[3]
Pinky swearing has origins in Japan from 1600 to 1803, where it is called yubikiri (指切り, "finger cut-off") and often additionally confirmed with the vow "Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles." (指切り拳万、嘘ついたら針千本呑ます, "Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu").[4]
Recently, in South Korea, the hooked pinky has been followed by a "seal", wherein the thumbs touch each other while the pinkies are still hooked.[5][6]
In Taiwan, stamping after hooking pinkies has been commonplace for over 30 years.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland it is referred to as a "piggy promise".[1]
In Italy, a similar tradition is called "giurin giurello" or "giurin giuretto/-a".
In Maharashtra (India), this concept similarly using Marathi calls this "Gatti fu".
There is also another pinky swear promise made between children in the Isle of Man. It goes: "Make friends, make friends, Never ever break friends, If you do, You'll catch the flu, And that will be the end of you!"
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Roud, Stephen (2010). The Lore of the Playground: One Hundred Years of Children's Games, Rhymes and Traditions. Random House. ISBN 9781905211517.
- ^ Roud, Steve (October 29, 2010). "The state of play". The Guardian.
- ^ "Pinky". Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms. googlebooks. 1860. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
- ^ Daijirin
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Pinky Promises in Korean - 새끼손가락 걸고 약속!". YouTube.
- ^ "The Korean Promise 👍"약속" (yaksok) | K-Drama Amino". aminoapps.com. Retrieved Aug 6, 2020.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Pinky swear at Wikimedia Commons
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