How did flipping the middle finger become offensive?

Question

Am I the only one that thinks it's interesting that a hand signal could be deemed offensive?

Answer 1

Hello!

Obscene signs differ from culture to culture. For example.

I was told in childhood that to 'Lick ones' finger & Slap It On Your Tongue To A Chinese Person, is A Cussing jesture.

Is That true? I really don't know.

* I was also told that when you Raise the Right Hand Almost Straight Up, & Grab The Upper Part Of That Hand To An Italian. "It Means 'Go Shove It Up The Wazzu."

* And to show a Rope with a noose at the end of it, is a reminder to Black Americans (especially Southerners), of the days when Blacks were Hung by racist White Southerners.

* So flipp[ing/showing the middle finger up in the air at someone, is just another one of those signs that says, "F You."

And this is a universal sign of disrespect!

BringBaka

Answer 2

It all started way back in 1894 when a man named Sugg McNuff had all his fingers except the middle one cut of in an accident with a timber saw. He held up his hand with the middle finger sticking up to show some of the guys he was working that he still had a finger left. His co-workers, not realizing his anguished look was from the pain, thought the action somehow offensive. They all jumped on and beat the living daylights out of him. It somehow caught on. At least, that's what I heard.

Answer 3

It is hard to explain, for sure. What if there were other hand gestures that conveyed opposite meanings, like pinky means I love you, or thumb and ring finger meant u r pretty.

Answer 4

it started at some brit/ frank war, brits cut of frank middle fingers, after war showed off what they had on their hand, franks didn't like it.