Pardon me my name is Daisy Atkins and I'm from London,what does the middle finger symbol mean?

I;ve come on holiday from London and ive noticed some very nice young people using the middle finger and smiling at me...What does this mean?is this a way of saying hello in your country? Thank you ever so much for asnswering.

Pardon me my name is Daisy Atkins and I'm from London,what does the middle finger symbol mean?
In America it means that you love everyone and wish them well, so when you come to America, make sure you do it to EVERYONE, if not you will be considered rude.









OOOOOOOH I'm just kidding, hehe, but I don't know what it means in other countries but do NOT do it in America, it means F*** YOU. Not good!!! :)
Reply:It means USA is Number One !
Reply:Ahh the wonderful youth of america... it's so nice to see them welcome foreigners by telling them they are #1. Welcome to America.
Reply:It actually has it's origins in England. Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore [soldiers would] be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous weapon was made of the native English yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew." Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew!"



Over the years some "folk etymologies" have grown up around this symbolic gesture. Since "pluck yew" is rather difficult to say, like "pheasant mother plucker," which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative "f," and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter. It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the gesture is known as "giving the bird."
Reply:My Mom is from England, one day I seen her,a smile on her face, giving the finger to the local hoodlums because they flipped her the bird. I asked whats up, she said they gave me the V for Victory, I was just giving it back.If I told her what it meant I'da got smacked so I wrote it down."Mom it means(**** you) not a good thing" SMACK!
Reply:Pay little attention to most of everyones' comment,.........they're being very mean to you!!!!



The middle finger straight up is a very vulgar expression, and it is NOT nice AT all!!!!!!



Do NOT do it back to them, just turn your head and ignore them!!!!! Eventually, you'll meet some genuine folks who don't 'speak' in that manner!
Reply:It means "You're number 1."
Reply:Since the middle finger is the longest of the hand, symbolizing the penis...you can guess the rest.



You must have been staring at them or looking at them too long...and they got annoyed of it.
Reply:it means f**k you. they are nasty people.
Reply:Means the one and only idiot standing..feel sorry for him and salute him back..
Reply:What the raised middle finger actually states is their emotional age.



Don't let a few idiots in the states here make you think we're all a bunch of fools.



Enjoy your visit and welcome!!!
Reply:I think all of you guys who are replying to this answer is wrong or at least the ones being rude. Daisy those young American that you thought were nice were not so nice they were saying f*ck you to you

and I apologies for their stupidity and I hope you enjoyed your stay when you were here.
Reply:It has something to do with plucking chickens but it's rarely used as an expression of anything other than hatred.
Reply:ahh....a european asking what America's bird means...priceless.



Here's a spunky response, in france what does it mean to make the okay symbol? I'm sure you know what it is, the thumb and first finger meet like a circle and the other three fingers ont he hand spread out.



It's basically the same thing, same idea in mind.



When the crude and crass stereotypical bronx newyorker grabs their crotch and thrusts their hips, that is another symbol of basically the same thing.



In all essence, it's a rude gesture that idiots do when they are trying to show off. Basically offering you something of theirs to nurse off of.



I'm sorry you were witness to our ignorant crowd, there seems to be so many of them nowdays. Do not let anyone fool you and lead you to believe it means you are number one.
Reply:It means the same thing it does in England. I lived there, and the middle finger was not absent. On yer bike!
Reply:no stupid, it means kiss my ***, or **** you *****.
Reply:i am sorry but that symbol means f u c k you dont report me that is what it really means
Reply:Sorry to say this Daisy you sound like a nice girl,but when they show you this finger that

means that they want you to sit on it and

rotate
Reply:The same thing as when you over there, put your pointer finger and middle finger up at the same time.... FX off So smile back at them and lick in between your two fingers they will stop real quick!
Reply:Oh my...they've just insulted you. It's like using the word "bloody." It means f u c k you. Next time they do that, do it back to them.
Reply:Pluck Yew
Reply:Im not sure which country you was visiting, but no not here its dont mean anything polite it stands for "Fu*k you" . The people were flipping you off they was not saying hello.
Reply:You're not funny.
Reply:Smart enough to travel? Lookie here, Sister - if you are trying a one-woman crusade to take the 'sting' out of a very rude and not exclusively American hand gesture you are wasting your time.

I must say you do it well, though. Marche on! Cheerio.
Reply:its not nice at all its a way of saying f u ck u. without really saying it.
Reply:Daisy, daisy , daisy perhaps you should put your glasses on. You are probably just seeing people hailing a cab. Have a nice cup of tea, call the queen and take a british airlines plane home.
Reply:It means that they were trying to reach out to you. Of all of the fingers in a human hand that is the longest one you know.
Reply:It means add one sharp to the key the musicians are use to playing that tune in. :-)
Reply:it means.. it must be time for tea.
Reply:You're quite the comedienne. Do you do stand?
Reply:Har har, truly brilliant.