Which is more insulting; one or two fingers?

Question

If I want to give maximum insult, do I give 'em one finger or two? Are there different situations in which one might be more appropriate to the other?

Wow, Some Yank, are you really that humourless or are you just having a bad day?

Answer 1

I like to give the 2 finger job with an upwards flourish that makes no mistake of it being the F You insult you want~~

Answer 2

well historically the two fingers is not such an insult it is more like showing you are a winner in a certain situation where you want to show the other person he's a looser. it comes from when the French use to capture the English in a battle and chop their two fingers off so they couldn't use them for shooting with bows. Showing the 2 fingers meant that the English still could use them and fight against the French.

in nowadays days you can use it as an insult, but it's more like to show some one to stick the two fingers up their rear...
same is with the middle finger, it makes no difference in the UK, but in other countries they won't understand the 2 fingers salute :)

Answer 3

Both are seen as insulting. Personally I don't find either insulting but, I think 2 fingers is seen as alot more comical that one, so I'd use one as a proper insult and two as a joke insult.

Also, I think that two fingers is only a British insult, so people in other countries wouldn't understand it or get insulted.

Answer 4

In America the one finger is best. In countries of the British Commonwealth holding up two fingers with the palm facing you is an insult. Palm facing out means peace.

Answer 5

These days, the one finger salute is most insulting. A double whammy doesn't mean much more. In the past, there also was the hand to the nose salute, like mimicing blowing a trumpet, which meant the same thing. No one uses it any more however.

Answer 6

Depends on where you are. Two fingers in the U.S. would not mean anything to many people. Here, it's the middle finger, facing outward, with the others bent at the knuckle closest to the palm (never closed like a fist). It means "f*** you!".

Answer 7

One finger is far more insulting, unless you are french in which case two fingers are the way to go.

Answer 8

I give the one finger wave. I think using 2 fingers is more for children in playgrounds.

Answer 9

Don't try it with two hands if you have a drink in your hand, or you'll spill it everywhere. Stick to the one handed gesture, but move that finger up and down, that's the worst.

Answer 10

its two. the two finger salute dates back to when archers were a major partf of the army and were deadly shots its the two fingers you hold up to insult someone that an archer would use to fire an arrow. so it roughly translates as your dead which back then was an actual real death threat