The finger
obscene hand gesture
The finger (also called "the bird", or most commonly "the middle finger") is a common insulting hand signal in some countries.
If you put your middle finger up, you are saying something like "fuck you" or "fuck off". However, it may also be used humorously, for example between people who are close friends. Context is everything in these non-verbal gestures.
The gesture dates back to ancient Greece and it was also used in ancient Rome. Historically, it represented the phallus.[1]
References
change- ↑ Rosewarne, Lauren (2013). American Taboo: the forbidden words, unspoken rules, and secret morality of popular culture. p. 51.
