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BBC presenter apologises after giving middle finger at start of live broadcast (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 11 months ago by snacks to c/unitedkingdom

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up yours children!

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[–] tal@lemmy.today 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

American-style solitary raised middle finger

I don't believe that we can claim credit for flipping the bird.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger

The gesture dates back to ancient Greece and it was also used in ancient Rome.

Linguist Jesse Sheidlower traces the gesture's development in the United States to the 1890s. According to anthropologist Desmond Morris, the gesture probably came to the United States via Italian immigrants. The first documented appearance of the finger in the United States was in 1886, when Old Hoss Radbourn, a baseball pitcher for the Boston Beaneaters, was photographed giving it to a member of their rival the New York Giants.

[–] Syldon 4 points 11 months ago

Didn't see it mentioned in the wiki. When the middle finger was gaining popularity, during the 80's in my circles, using the middle finger folded in half was a thing mentioned. I guess with the description in the wiki that makes sense as it infers that the person being insult has a tiny dick. I remember someone mentioning it was a Greek insult, but never knew it had a history. TIL.

Now I get spammed by a hundred Greeks telling me they have never heard of it. :) In my defence, we had no internet when I was young. There was no way to check on BS Vs fact.

[–] fakeman_pretendname 2 points 11 months ago

That's really interesting, thanks - I think you (nation, not you personally) did a lot to popularise its usage in the last 30 years though :)