When/why/how did holding up the middle finger become such an offensive gesture?

Answer 1

Here's a link to the history of flipping the bird:

http://www.ooze.com/finger/html/history.html

Enjoy!

Answer 2

The finger, known variously as the one-finger salute, the highway salute, flipping (someone) off, flipping the bird or the Trudeau salute (in Canada). It is a hand gesture made by extending the middle finger of the hand while bending the other fingers at the second knuckle. It has an offensive meaning in some cultures, notably North America.

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.

Answer 3

The finger is possible up to 2500 years old. The anciest romans called it digitus impudicus or in England the impudent finger. It is an offensive gesture because the finger is used as a phallic symbol. "It was defined there as a gesture intended to insult another. It has been noted that the gesture resembles an erect penis"

Find out more about " The Finger" here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger

Answer 4

Once you show it to anyone, anytime anywhere, it becomes an offensive gesture. In some cultures, it may lead you into a serious trouble, avoid doing such.

Answer 5

English spear man [ i think] had some sort of long bows they used in warfare [this may be some what wrong in detail] but in some war in middle ages, fighting some one of course. they took to cutting off their middle finger so they could not shoot these bows. and later when they went into battle, the battle cry became while holding up there middle finger and saying plucking you signifying the were going to pluck off there middle finger.later it was of course picked up as **** you. you know how things evolve.[ i have some details of this wrong but you get the picture]

Answer 6

Could it be'''' that at some point the longest finger on our hands have been used to complete some nasty little missions over the course of humanities time on earth and it just got stuck in our minds the nasty deed???

Answer 7

I don't know but you want to hear something funny?
If I give my dog the finger she starts to growl and get real hostile.
Maybe it's one of those universal gestures.

Answer 8

Just like curse words it has a socially shared meaning. It's not the finger itself, it is what the person is saying by showing it.

Answer 9

Extending the thumb is viewed the same way in some parts of the world. So, be careful when you go hitchhiking in Nigeria.

Answer 10

Yeah, good question, I'd like to know that, too. But if you think about it - take a jar of cream and kind of experiment, maybe you could make your own decision...........