The finger
In western cultures, the finger, as in giving someone the finger, is a popularly known obscene hand gesture made by extending the middle finger of the hand while bending the other fingers at the second knuckle. Its meaning can be translated as "fuck you". The gesture is also known as "the bird", "flipping the bird", "The Middle Finger Salute", "you're number one", "the one-finger salute", "the highway salute", "flipping (someone) off", "flicking (someone) off", "the one-fingered peace sign", "showing someone the middle finger", "digital signalling", "thumbs up plus 2", and "the good-bye salute".
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 long been told that the famous "two-fingers salute" and/or "V sign" derives from the gestures of English archers, fighting at Agincourt. The myth claims that the French cut off two fingers on the right hand of captured archers and that the gesture was a sign of defiance by those who were not mutilated.
Jean Froissart (circa 1337-circa 1404) was a historian and the author of Froissart's Chronicles, 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.
One should note that Jean Froissart's writings aren't the most reliable and that a similar story is told about the English giving the V sign. This can be further explored at the Battle of Agincourt.
Interpretation
In North America the gesture, which is often accompanied by a verbal insult ("fuck you," "up yours," or an equivalent 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 much of the Middle East, a similar gesture with fingers pointing downwards is just as insulting because it is an implication of impotence.
In Asia, notably in Hong Kong or Singapore whose cultures are westernised, the gesture is also a taboo. In Germany (where it is known as "der Stinkfinger"),[citation needed] 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. Enforcement of this law is nearly unknown, however, since obtaining definitive photographic evidence of such a spontaneous moment is very hard.
In Portugal, Brazil and Colombia, this sign is made holding the middle finger straight between the other bending fingers. The two bent fingers closest to the middle one represent 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.
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 tolerate the use of the middle finger to point to things. In North America, while tolerated, it is considered bad form to point, or scratch oneself, with the middle finger.
Famous examples
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.
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'.
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.
Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd can be clearly seen giving the finger in his last silent film, Speedy.
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]
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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 although the popular show South Park does not censor it. This practice was explicitly parodied in the first episode of Drawn Together, where one of the characters isn't sure if another one has flipped her off because her hand was pixellated at the time. 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. The Boondocks episode The Garden Party with Ed Wuncler III giving the finger was censored.
Ignignot and Err of Aqua Teen Hunger Force are usually seen using this gesture, which remains uncensored because their 8-bit pixelated format only allows one finger to be visible anyway.
Country/rock and roll legend Johnny Cash famously took out an ad in Billboard magazine after the success of his album Unchained that featured a picture of him giving the finger at his 1969 Concert at San Quentin and a caption sarcastically "acknowledg[ing] the Nashville music establishment and country radio for their support."
It is also used quite frequently by Stone Cold Steve Austin of the WWE, who began using the gesture after adopting his "Stone Cold" gimmick in the late 1990s. After entering a ring, Austin usually climbs the ringpost in each corner, raises his arms and gives the gesture. Austin does not turn his hands, so technically he's giving the finger to everyone behind him.
In November 2004 President Bush visited Canada on his first official visit. As his motorcade made its way from the airport to downtown Ottawa he was greeted by many waves and signs. Some were excitedly welcoming him, others were telling him to leave. Along with the waves of greeting people were also giving him the finger. Bush responded to this saying, "I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave, with all five fingers, for their hospitality."