Finger

SpookyWriter · Jan 5, 2008

Ever get the finger?

I got the finger yesterday.

The middle finger can mean so many different things, at different times, and just happens to be the reason behind some of the greatest battles of all time. Yep, Churchill will go down in history for giving Hitler the famous finger in his speech.

We shall fight them on the beaches. * flips off Hitler *

Just imagine for a minute how important one digit of the human body can invoke so much emotion.

It's tempting to think that the finger is just a sign of disobedience. But it's much more. It's also a sign of affection, friendship, and in some quirky circumstance romance. Not to forget rage. But these are all appendages of what one digit of bone and flesh can provoke.

So when was the last time you were fingered or offered the finger? And why?

Siddow · Jan 5, 2008

A woman gave me the finger while I was waiting at the bus stop with my son. She had run the stop sign, so I pointed at the sign as she drove by, and she gave me the one-finger salute in front of my kid.

I shoulda beat her ass. She lives in my 'hood.

ZannaPerry · Jan 5, 2008

I don't recall someone given me the finger, but drive around in the car with my mom and I can almost be certain you'll see the finger given by her. Yes, it's a bit nerve-wrecking when someone pisses her off and she has to flip the bird out of necessity.

Joe270 · Jan 5, 2008

I got one just a couple days ago right near my home. I was a-blowin' through a 15 MPH school zone at 45 MPH and zipped around a woman doing 15 MPH and got the salute.

Of course, I got kids in school, so I know there was no school that day, so the 45 MPH limit 'rules out of school'.

I figure she was telling me her IQ.

A. Hamilton · Jan 5, 2008

I was flipped today-I'm a driving instructor and we weren't doing anything wrong, just driving, and some kid in the backseat of his Dad's SUV leaned out and flipped us off. (I smiled at him wickedly, I'll remember that face)
I asked my student why the kid flipped us off-
'because he thinks he's cooool, but you'll get him one day'

Devil Ledbetter · Jan 5, 2008

SpookyWriter said:
It's also a sign of affection, friendship, and in some quirky circumstance romance.

Indeed. I sometimes give DH a friendly finger in reply to some smartass comment he makes. He always seems rather amused when I do.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 5, 2008

I was behind an elderly lady at a stop light. The light turned green and she was doing something else, not paying attention. I beeped. She sat up, looked in her rear view mirror, and gave me the finger!

SpookyWriter · Jan 5, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
I was behind an elderly lady at a stop light. The light turned green and she was doing something else, not paying attention. I beeped. She sat up, looked in her rear view mirror, and gave me the finger!

That sucks big time. And that's about how I got my finger the other day. What a fucked up world we live in.

JoNightshade · Jan 5, 2008

Last time I got the finger I think I was in sixth grade.

Bartholomew · Jan 5, 2008

I offer it in salute whenever I see someone I know on the road.

ZannaPerry · Jan 5, 2008

JoNightshade said:
Last time I got the finger I think I was in sixth grade.

Sixth grade?! Sheesh....kids these days!

Mystic Blossom · Jan 5, 2008

I don't get it that much, but when I'm driving, my reaction time is for some reason good enough to keep me from doing stupid things, but not good enough to let me beep the horn when people do stupid things to me, so I usually give them the finger. Of course I'm a chicken, so I do it under the passenger seat...when they've turned the corner.

akiwiguy · Jan 5, 2008

Some people are just screwed in the head. A few months back some real lunatic got up behind me and started completely nutting off. I was doing the speed limit anyway and with really good cause 'cause I'd seen a plain cop car waiting up around the bend earler. But this guy was shaking his fist, swerving around as though to overatake me (in a 50kpm area), it was bizarre. I just sneered at him in my rear vision mirror.

Anyway, a couple of months later I got a call from the cops. "We've had a complaint posted to us about an incident..." Before he could finish I said, "Was this from a total lunatic, and it happened on the hill on X street? I remember that, because it stuck in my mind so much I actually related the incident to friends over dinner that night. The guy definitely has psychiatric problems or something." And the cop said, "Well anyway, we're not proceeding because the list of registration numbers he sent us was so long that we had suspicions along the lines of what you have told us." Apparently about 20 drivers had caused him to have to take evasive action that day!

Fucking nutter.

SpookyWriter · Jan 5, 2008

akiwiguy said:
Some people are just screwed in the head. A few months back some real lunatic got up behind me and started completely nutting off. I was doing the speed limit anyway and with really good cause 'cause I'd seen a plain cop car waiting up around the bend earler. But this guy was shaking his fist, swerving around as though to overatake me (in a 50kpm area), it was bizarre. I just sneered at him in my rear vision mirror.

Anyway, a couple of months later I got a call from the cops. "We've had a complaint posted to us about an incident..." Before he could finish I said, "Was this from a total lunatic, and it happened on the hill on X street? I remember that, because it stuck in my mind so much I actually related the incident to friends over dinner that night. The guy definitely has psychiatric problems or something." And the cop said, "Well anyway, we're not proceeding because the list of registration numbers he sent us was so long that we had suspicions along the lines of what you have told us."

Fucking nutter.

What'd you gonna do?

akiwiguy · Jan 5, 2008

SpookyWriter said:
What'd you gonna do?

Ahhh hahhh! I knew it was you Spooks!

kristie911 · Jan 6, 2008

I'm giving you the finger right now, Spook.

SpookyWriter · Jan 6, 2008

A little lower if you wouldn't mind.

dpaterso · Jan 6, 2008

SpookyWriter said:
Yep, Churchill will go down in history for giving Hitler the famous finger in his speech.

Not quite, but close:

V for Victory. And/or the traditional salute an Englishman gives a Frenchman. Why? A super rep point for the first correct answer!

-Derek

akiwiguy · Jan 6, 2008

dpaterso said:
Not quite, but close:

V for Victory. And/or the traditional salute an Englishman gives a Frenchman. Why? A super rep point for the first correct answer!

-Derek

To do with Battle of Agincourt when French intended to cut off middle finger of captured Englidh (the finger that draws bowstring), but the English won and so then the fingers came to mean "We can still pluck yew!" ("Plucking the yew" being the term for drawing the string of a longbow)

dpaterso · Jan 6, 2008

Nobody likes a smart arse!

-Derek

akiwiguy · Jan 6, 2008

dpaterso said:
Nobody likes a smart arse!

-Derek

Meagre as my stash of RPs is, I'll accept the insult and the point.

I knew what it meant because I asked an English golf partner what "pluck yew" meant when he used it every time I hit a good shot.

Sophia · Jan 6, 2008

akiwiguy said:
To do with Battle of Agincourt when French intended to cut off middle finger of captured Englidh (the finger that draws bowstring), but the English won and so then the fingers came to mean "We can still pluck yew!" ("Plucking the yew" being the term for drawing the string of a longbow)

I tried but failed miserably to control my pedantic urges with this one!

Not that it's conclusive or anything, but according to Episode 10 of the latest QI series, the "archer's salute" origin is a myth. There is also some discussion of it under "supposed origins" here.

Stormhawk · Jan 6, 2008

*is an hour too late* I knew that too, we had a power outage in 8th grade once, and the teacher just sat around telling us random stuff, like the origin of insults. >_>

As to the finger itself, I tend to give it more than I receive it. There used to be a zebra crossing just down the road (it's now got a proper set of lights), and people would continually run right through (a lot over the speed limit), some, while a person was still crossing. o_o

scarletpeaches · Jan 6, 2008

I got the cheeky finger off a bloke at work the other day.

Serenity · Jan 6, 2008

I flip off my mom and dad all the time. To be fair, they do the same to me. Although since it's never-- EVER-- done in anger, I suppose it's a sign of love.

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