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The origins of giving the finger [1]

['David Pescovitz']

Date: 2024-01-23

There's a great Jerry Seinfeld bit (video below) where he points out (ahem) the absurdity of giving the finger. "It's a finger, what does it mean? he says. "Someone shows me one of their fingers and I'm supposed to feel bad." But really, what are the origins of this obscene gesture? Apparently, we have the ancient Greeks to thank (blame?).

The gesture "probably relied on the use of the middle finger to represent an erect penis," writes University of Windsor ancient social history researcher Max Nelson.

From CNN:

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