You may not realise it, but the sheer act of sticking up your middle finger could see you prosecuted for 'disorderly conduct'. Covered by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the offence could see people fined for 75% of their weekly salary, to a maximum of £1,000.
If you tend to make rude hand gestures (yes, that includes sticking your middle finger up) while driving you could be prosecuted for "disorderly conduct". This comes under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and could see people fined for 75% of their weekly wage, at a maximum of £1,000.
Giving the finger is protected under your First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and you can't be arrested for it. If a police officer violates your rights after you give them the middle finger, you can file a lawsuit against the cop in question.
The V sign, when the palm is facing toward the person giving the sign, has long been an insulting gesture in the United Kingdom, and later in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is frequently used to signify defiance (especially to authority), contempt, or derision.
Giving a person the middle finger is a Charter-protected right, guaranteed by the freedom of expression, found a Court of Quebec judge while acquitting a man on charges of harassment and uttering death threats. “To be abundantly clear, it is not a crime to give someone the finger,” wrote Justice Dennis Galiatsatos.
Indeed, the Supreme Court has consistently held that speech may not be prohibited simply because some may find it offensive. Criminal law generally aims to protect persons, property, or the state from serious harm, but use of the middle finger simply does not raise these concerns.
Earlier, the Greeks used the middle finger as an explicit reference to the male genitalia. In 419BC, the playwright Aristophanes puns in his comedy The Clouds about dactylic (finger) rhythm, with a character gesturing first with his middle finger and subsequently with his crotch.
After the battle, and in future ones, English archers held up their two fingers and waved them at the French. It was a sign intended as an insult and a warning and as such was an effective gesture. It showed the French that the archer's two fingers remained intact and he still remained a deadly adversary. Who knew?
The middle finger in French is called le majeur (the thumb is le pouce; index finger is l'index; ring finger is l'annulaire and 'pinkie' is l'auriculaire) but the use of honneur is a hark back to the phrase in Latin: digitus impudicus – le doigt indécent (unchaste finger). Looking to go that extra mile in your insult?
a sign meaning victory or peace that is made by holding up the first two fingers of one hand in the shape of a V, while the thumb and other fingers are folded down and face out.
The middle finger gesture was used in ancient times as a symbol of sexual intercourse, in a manner meant to degrade, intimidate and threaten the individual receiving the gesture.
Pointing at a person with any finger is rude. Gestures that use your whole hand or a clear verbal description — such as a name — are always preferred. For everything else, Miss Manners recommends, well, the pointing index finger.
Is giving the middle finger illegal here? A: No, but it is highly offensive. However, other actions are, such as spitting on the street.
Iran: Thumbs-up
In America, the middle finger is the profane one; in Iran, it's the thumb. Though it's certainly good to have this knowledge, and you should try your best to avoid making any offensive gestures, Hooshmand assures that you likely won't incur any real wrath if you slip up.
Guidance states that with a martial arts licence it is possible to own nunchucks as long as they are not used outside of a private setting. Are brass knuckles legal in the UK? Under recent changes to UK law, it is illegal not only to carry brass knuckles, also known as knuckle dusters, publicly but to own them at all.
Sticking the middle finger up at someone who just cut you up would see you get prosecuted for 'disorderly conduct'. This falls under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and is punishable with a penalty of up to three quarters of a person's weekly salary.
In France, the OK gesture has long been considered an insult, indicating the person it is directed at is a "zero" or worthless. It is similarly seen as insulting in Greece, Italy and Turkey.
Japan. The middle finger is a brotherly gesture in Japan. When used in the context of Japanese Sign Language, it's translated as 'ani' to mean older brother. Sometimes the Japanese alternate two middle fingers in the air to mean siblings.
The middle finger is probably the most alarming gesture non-Koreans are most likely to encounter, and not because of anti-foreigner bias. Koreans unconsciously use their middle fingers when pointing at something or pushing up their glasses. Other hand gestures are less shocking than confusing.
It was known in Latin as digitus minimus, but in Scotland the little finger is often called the pinkie.
One thing the rock star and the wartime statesmen do have in common with the origins of the salute, however, is that they have helped carry on this very English tradition. This is because the 'V sign' was first used by English longbowmen in the 1415 Battle of Agincourt to mock the defeated French army.
The peace-sign now is used by everyone in Japan from kids to their grandparents, across generations. Just like in English, “Say cheese!” is a common line when taking photos, in Japan they say, “Peace!” while posing.
The 🖕emoji expresses extreme contempt or even hate.
Showing someone or something your middle finger is giving them a clear sign that you dislike them and/or do not find them worthy of your respect. It is meant to offend and insult.
4 fingers have been used to signal domestic violence.
In 2021, a hand signal was created for users to show that they were in a dangerous situation but couldn't talk about it. Users would hold up 4 fingers to the camera, tuck their thumb in, and then fold their fingers over their thumb.