Poll: Middle fingers

[Ashcrexl]

They seem to show up all the time in movies (mostly comedies) and internet sketches, but does anyone actually do that? I have honestly NEVER seen anyone give the middle finger to anyone else and when I get pissed, i tend to yell alot, but giving a middle finger is not my first instinct. is the middle finger a myth? is it something hollywood made up like having sound in space or surviving multiple gunshot wounds? seriously, what the hell?

 

[Marter]

I've seen it quite often. Only very rarely do it myself, but I've seen a lot of other people do it regularly.

 

[DiMono]

I've given a pair of middle fingers to my computer screen on numerous occasions when I feel like the game I was playing was trying to cheat me out of a win, and I won anyway. And I saw George W. Bush give it to America once.

 

[crudus]

I do it to mock people. A lot of times it comes up when we are all rowdy while playing chess. It literally is *BAM* *Smack* *click* *flips bird*. Usually that happens when a certain move is just devastating.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I do it offhand, yes. Specifically, when I'm talking to someone or doing something else. Looking someone in the eye and flipping them off just feels weird.

 

[Jark212]

It's been quite a while sense I've flipped someone the bird...

Now that I'm thinking about it, I kind of miss flipping off some random a-hole who provokes me...

 

[DustyDrB]

I need some way to express my road rage at that asshole who is too lazy to use a turn signal, the douche in the huge truck who cut me off, and the person who rides right by another car in the passing lane on the freeway, holding up everyone else behind him.

 

[lacktheknack]

I get it all the time on the road... and I'm in a bus.

Road psychopaths make it so that I don't want to drive.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I don't use it myself, but loads of other people do.

 

[Cain_Zeros]

I usually do it jokingly, but I have flipped off a couple people who I haven't been that fond of.

 

[Double A]

I give it to people I get pissed at as a way of not screaming out and attracting attention. Or punching the bastards in the first place.

For example, this idiot tells me to "move" in the hallway at school, it being physically impossible for me to due so, since there are 10 other people not moving in front of me. I'd probably have punched her in the chin today if it wasn't for the bird (I'm not that crazy, she's done it multiple times. Which makes it even more annoying).

I've given a pair of middle fingers to my computer screen on numerous occasions when I feel like the game I was playing was trying to cheat me out of a win, and I won anyway. And I saw George W. Bush give it to America once.

I've done it to my computer so many times. Its feelings must be hurt.

 

[Naheal]

I do it often enough. I usually prefer gestures over words, so I use that in place of "piss off".

 

[Cpu46]

The middle finger thing is not a myth as far as i know. The story I hear is that back in some war when bows were still commonly used captured archers would have their middle fingers cut off since the two fingers that they primarily use to draw the bow the middle and ring, share a tendon or something (not entirely sure), so cutting off the middle one would severely cripple their ability to shoot anymore. The capturers would then show off their middle fingers to the captured archers.

Not entirely sure as to how accurate this is but its what I heard.

As for me, I hardly swear so I don't really use it.

 

[J-dog42]

Me and my friends do it all the time, in a joking sort of way.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

All the time.

 

[itsnotyouitsme]

The middle finger is more of a "lay off me" or "go away" type of deal. Something you flick while walking away or while staring at the person whose glaring at you. Meanwhile doing it has lost all a lot of it's meaning since as you grow you learn there are a lot worse things then the longest finger you have. Personally, i go with a different finger ordeal that not everyone can do yet still has a rather mean meaning.

 

[Zaik]

I haven't used it actually attempting to insult anyone since i was, i dunno, 12? Everyone's desensitized to it now, you have to move up for shock factor.

It's been more like a "lol @ you" for me than it's defined use.

BTW i don't think this actually originated in the US, so it wouldn't be something specific to it. Supposedly(means take it with a grain of salt), it originated from the French cutting captured Englishmen's middle fingers off and sending them home so they didn't have to keep POWs but still effectively reduced their numbers, since you apparently can't use a sword or a bow with no middle finger. So, the English would run into battle middle fingers up to taunt them.

 

[lucky_bob45]

i think it its funny that you had an option saying "I am not from the U.S. and don't know what the middle finger denotes." cause im not from the U.S. i DO know what that finger denotes but i also know that all the other countries laugh at the fact that if someone flips the bird on U.S. television, they pixelate it. what's up with that? it's a finger. even in symbolism it isnt that offensive.

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

AFAIK, its use dates as far back as ancient rome, where it was reffered to as the digitus impudicus (impudent finger) its more being cheeky than offensive, being effectively a means to convey the message of 'stick it where the sun don't shine'

 

[Betancore]

I don't see it often. Some of my friends use it jokingly, and I do too, but apart from that, people tend to swear more than they gesture rudely. Maybe I just live in a relatively quiet neighbourhood. I do use the victory symbol a fair bit, since it doesn't look particularly rude. Well, not to most people anyway, since people think I'm flashing them the peace sign. I picked it up off the Young Ones because I just idolise Rik Mayall and want to have his babies].