The origin of the middle finger gesture. Show your finger: gestures in culture. What's so frank
An American television station had to apologize to viewers after M.I.A showed her middle finger during the famous Sunday Super Bowl TV show. We bring to your attention a selection of facts about the "middle finger".
1. You might be thinking that showing the middle finger is something relatively new. In fact, this is not the case. For the first time, the middle finger was shown as an indecent gesture and expression of contempt by the philosopher Diogenes. Showing his middle finger and saying "This is a great demagogue", Diogenes expressed his attitude to the orator Demosthenes. It turns out that people have been sticking their middle finger as a symbol of insult for over two thousand years!
2. “This is one of the oldest offensive gestures. The middle finger symbolizes the penis, and the clenched fingers symbolize the testicles. By exposing your middle finger while the other fingers are clenched, you display a phallic symbol, ”says anthropologist Desmond Morris.
3. The ancient Romans called this gesture "digitus impudicus", which means "indecent" or "offensive" finger.
4. In one of the epigrams of the poet Martial, who worked in the first century AD, the hero declares his good health and shows a famous indecent gesture to three doctors.
5. “The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the warriors of the Germanic tribes held out their middle fingers to the Roman soldiers,” says Thomas Conley, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. The ancient Greeks showed the middle finger as a reference to male genitalia.
6. In Aristophanes' comedy "Clouds", written in 419 BC, the hero first shows his middle finger, and then his penis.
7. The French have their own phallic gesture called "bras d'honneur", which means "hand of honor". This gesture is a bent arm, on which the other hand is placed at the elbow.
8. The British, as an indecent gesture symbolizing the phallus, show the "Victoria" sign (raised middle index and middle finger), while turning the hand with the palm towards itself.
9. In December, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was captured by photographers holding a middle finger to Fulham fans after losing to his team. For this, the footballer received a reprimand from the English Football Federation and a disqualification for one game.
10. In 2006, Britney Spears showed her middle finger to photographers she suspected of being stalked. However, some of the singer's fans took this gesture personally, for which the singer had to apologize.
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But I found another interesting version.
Imagine the following picture. A well-known intellectual resorts to a gesture familiar to all, thus expressing dissatisfaction with the statements of a vacuous politician. He shows his middle finger and declares: "This is a great demagogue!"
This story did not happen during a television talk show, and not in one of the salons in London or New York. It took place in Athens in the fourth century BC: in this way, in the presentation of historians of a later era, the philosopher Diogenes, without hesitation in expressions, described his attitude towards the orator Demosthenes.
It turns out that the middle finger, put forward with the rest of the fingers pressed to the palm, has been a symbol of insult and humiliation for more than two millennia.
The offensive gesture "show the middle finger" is one of the most ancient gestures on earth. It symbolizes the public display of the penis. Even in ancient Greece, this gesture was called "katapyugon" ("kata" - down, "pyugon" - ass) and meant the offer of anal sex.
In ancient Rome, the middle finger was called a shameless or shameful finger. In the Middle Ages, they showed the middle finger, accusing someone of passive homosexuality.
The ancient Romans had a special name for this gesture: "digitus impudicus", that is, shameless, obscene or offensive finger. The hero of one of the epigrams of the poet Marcial, who lived in the first century AD, boasts of good health and shows three doctors an "indecent" middle finger. The ancient Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the warriors of the Germanic tribes showed the middle finger to the advancing Roman soldiers.
But many centuries before that, the Greeks used this gesture as a direct indication of the male genitals. The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes wrote the comedy "Clouds" in 419 BC, in which one of the heroes first gestures with his middle finger, and then with his genitals. The origin of the gesture is perhaps even more ancient: according to Morris, scientists are aware of the habits of the South American squirrel monkeys, which gesticulate with excited genitals.
According to the anthropologist, Italian immigrants most likely brought the indecent gesture to the United States. It was first witnessed in America in 1886 when a Boston Biniters baseball pitcher showed it off in a group photo with rival New York Giants.
The French have their own "phallic salute", notes Morris (this gesture is also common in Russia). It is called "bras d'honneur" (hand of honor), and it is a hand bent at a right angle, on which a second hand is placed at the elbow.
At the same time, a similar British gesture is a “victoria” sign turned inside out (when the index and middle fingers are shown, but at the same time the hand is turned with the palm towards itself).
During the Hundred Years War, before the Battle of Agincourt, the French army outnumbered the British by a large margin. The French were absolutely sure of their victory. The archers were the trump card of the British army. Their bows, known all over the world, were made of yew. The bowstring pulling movement, in English “pluck yew”, is pronounced “pluck yew”. The French tried by all means to incapacitate the English archers. If they were captured, then they necessarily cut off their middle and index fingers, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to shoot from a bow in the future. And yet, the small army of the British won the Battle of Agincourt, thanks to the competent interaction of archers and other soldiers armed with heavy weapons.
Having won, the British began to mockingly show the French their middle finger and say “pluck yew” (“pluck yew”). Over time, due to the difficulty of pronouncing two consonants at once, the sound "P" was replaced by "F".
However, the offensive meaning of the middle finger has long crossed cultural, linguistic or national boundaries. Now he can be seen at protests, football matches and rock concerts around the world.
Last December, Liverpool striker Suarez was caught in the lens of photographers, showing the middle finger to Fulham fans after a 1-0 away loss. The English Football Federation reprimanded him for inappropriate behavior and disqualified him for one game.
In 2004, a Canadian MP from Calgary was accused of a rude gesture against a colleague from another party, which prevented him from speaking in the House of Commons.
"I, shall we say, expressed my displeasure with his actions," - this is how Deepak Obrai later explained his behavior to local journalists.
Two years later, pop singer Britney Spears showed her finger to a group of photographers who allegedly pursued her. However, some fans decided that the gesture was meant for them, and the star had to apologize.
Although the middle finger has historically symbolized the phallus, it has already lost its original meaning and is no longer perceived as something obscene, says Ira Robbins, a law professor at the University of Washington who has studied the role of gesture in the history of criminal jurisprudence.
“This is not a manifestation of lustful interest,” the expert assures. - This gesture has taken root in everyday life - both in our country and in others. It means a lot of other things - protest, anger, excitement. It's not just a phallus anymore.
Robbins does not even share the point of view of the Associated Press reporter, who called the gesture "candid." “What is frank about him? The expert asks. - Here dances can be frank. But a finger? I just don't understand it. "
In our time, the gesture "show the middle finger" indicates disrespect for the opponent.
Almost everyone is familiar with the outstretched middle finger gesture, but few people know its true meaning. In this article we will tell you about the history of this indecent gesture, its real meaning and its counterparts among different peoples.
Middle finger gesture. Image source: getdrawings.com
The gesture "showing the middle finger" is expressed in the fact that the person raises the middle finger and clenches the rest of the fingers into a fist. In some cases, the thumb sticks out to the side, but the meaning of the demonstration of such a gesture remains unchanged.
In the modern sense, this gesture is offensive or expresses a harsh indication that the person showing it should be left alone, not harassed.
Gesture history
The famous anthropologist Desmond Morris says that showing the middle finger is one of the oldest human gestures known to scientists, the history of which begins with the primitive system. Four fingers pressed to the palm symbolize the male seminal glands, and the middle finger acts as a phallic symbol
Image source: www.brainjet.com
The ancient Greeks used the "middle finger" gesture as a direct designation of male genital organs, and if someone pointed with the middle finger, it was considered a strong insult.
In one of the works of the Greek writer Aristophanes "Clouds", written in 419 BC. it is mentioned how the peasant shows Socrates the middle finger, and then the genitals in response to his question.
But, probably, this gesture appeared for and began to be used by people long before that and came from animals, since among the habits of the males of one of the species of monkeys living in southern Africa there is an indicative demonstration of the genitals after the establishment of dominance over other individuals.
In ancient Rome, this gesture was called "digitus impudicus" - an indecent, offensive or shameless finger.
A sculpture depicting a middle finger in front of the Italian Stock Exchange in Milan. Image source: www.edreams.com
About the middle finger, the statement of Diogenes has come down to our time, in which he said that most people are from madness at a distance of one finger: if a person stretches out his middle finger, then he will be considered insane, and if he stretches out his index finger , then they will no longer be.
At the same time, in addition to the offensive gesture, showing the middle finger was used as a way to protect against damage and the evil eye.
Analogs of the "middle finger" gesture in different nations
Many peoples have equivalents to this gesture that have a similar meaning.
For example, in Iran, a clenched fist with a thumb pointing up is used as an offensive gesture.
A thumb pointing up is considered offensive in Iran. Photo source: www.stratoscale.com
In Sri Lanka, the gesture is similar to its Western counterpart, only the index finger is extended, not the middle finger.
The analogue of the "middle finger" in Sri Lanka image source: wikimedia.org
Also, an analogue of the "phallic gesture" is the arm bent at the elbow, with the imposition of the second hand on the bend of the elbow. The French call it "hand of honor", in Poland it is "Kozakevich's gesture", in Colombia "walk", in Italy "Umbrella", Croats call "Bosnian coat of arms"... This gesture is well known and widespread in Russia.
In 1980, at the Olympics, the Polish jumper V. Kozakevich, after his victorious jump, showed an insulting gesture to the audience, who constantly booed him. Because of this, they wanted to deprive the jumper of the medal, however, the Polish delegation somehow managed to convince the committee that this gesture was made by Kozakevich involuntarily due to muscle spasm. Image source: rarehistoricalphotos.com
Another equivalent of the "middle finger" is known in Russia under the names "shish", "dulia", "fig", "cookie" (when the palm is clenched into a fist, and the tip of the thumb protrudes between the middle and index fingers). Among the Arab peoples, the fig means the strongest sexual humiliation and insult. Among the inhabitants of the East - Japanese, Chinese and Koreans, just like the "middle finger" in Western and European countries, it symbolizes the phallus and has a very nasty and vulgar meaning.
Gesture "cookie" / "fig" / "shish". Image source: www.avanqard.net
The British also have their own similar insulting gesture, which looks like the "Viktory" gesture, only reversed. There is one interesting legend about its origin ...
Analogue of the "middle finger" in England. Image source: www.bybecky.co.uk
According to one legend, during the Hundred Years War, French soldiers cut off their index and middle fingers on their hands so that they could no longer use them. But in 1415, after the victory of the British at the Battle of Agincourt, the English soldiers showed the defeated French the middle and index fingers, demonstrating that nothing happened to them and they are whole. The same legend explains the origin of the gesture and the V sign ("Victory" - "victory").
According to another version, before the same battle, the French were confident of their victory, while they were very proud and boasted of their crossbowmen. It should be noted that the shot and release of the bowstring of the crossbow was made with the middle finger. Having defeated the French army, the British, mocking the French, waved their outstretched middle finger in front of the defeated, recalling their premature boasting.
In our time, the gesture "middle finger" has long gone beyond the linguistic and cultural framework and has partially lost its humiliating and offensive meaning. Now, quite often, in any part of the world, it can be seen during public events such as sports matches, concerts of popular performers, etc.
I remember one time when the country was overwhelmed by a sea of \u200b\u200bHollywood films and video salons, then such a word appeared in the lexicon of young people - FUCK and its derivatives. The voice acting of American films was, as you remember, "pirate", this is not simultaneous translation or even dubbing - it is a nasal voice-over (which, by the way, many remember with nostalgia). However, such a translation often sounded quieter than the original soundtrack, and provided an excellent opportunity to hear everything that was said in action films. And they swore there often a lot and often ... though almost always in one word - FUCK. And we (I still actively participated in this) actively pulled it into our youth slang, remotely understanding what it really means after all.
I don’t know if this is present now in the curses of young people. And we will collect popular versions of the origin of this curse and at least be aware of the history of that borrowed, which we sometimes swear or swear with
Oxford University Press publishing house - one of the most authoritative and prestigious in the book world - released in 2009 the next (third) edition (270 pages) of the excellent book The F-Word ("Word with the letter" f "), dedicated to only one, but - without exaggeration - the main word of the English language. We can say that the most respectable publishing house, without false shame, blessed the publication of the story about the sacred word of the English-speaking world - a word that is not customary to say aloud, so as not to sin!
This word has no place in the process of polite sophisticated conversation of intellectuals. It is not customary to use it in conversation with parents, but the muffled echo of the forbidden word fuck regularly thunders in the everyday life of the English-speaking society, plunging impressionable ladies and bigots into shock. But how can one survive without this salty word, which allows one to characterize with such a high degree of accuracy the politicians who fool us, upstarts, boors and scoundrels?
Moreover, according to the firm conviction of some doctors, this magic word (of course, with careful use) has healing properties, saving from outbursts of anger, increased blood pressure and even indigestion! The word with the letter "f" saves from going into deep depression and soothes the nerves.
Amazingly, there is no more utilitarian word in English: after all, fuck can be safely used in almost any situation, and in the role of a verb, adjective, noun and adverb. Often it becomes a juicy point (or even an exclamation mark), completing a sentence and emphasizing the significance of what was said.
Fuck is not an acronym ( Acronym - (from the Greek akros - "highest, extreme" and onima - "name") is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of the words of a sentence or phrase and pronounced as a single word (and not letter by letter), for example: university, registry office, NATO. But the state of emergency, the SBU, the EU are not acronyms, since they are spelled: chepe, esbeu, ees.), although many experts in the English language consider it as such.
For the first time this version sounded in February 1967 in an article published in the New York newspaper The East Village Other. Its author claimed that military doctors in the British imperial army of the 18th century. used such an abbreviation in cases where a soldier was diagnosed with a venereal disease - the F.U.C.K. stamp was put in the documents of the person who caught the infection. (Found Under Carnal Knowledge, which meant something like this: "discovered the consequences of carnal intercourse").
The version put forward in the 70s that F.U.C.K. stands for Fornication Under Consent of the King ("fornication with the consent of the monarch"). Its supporters argued that at a time when the Black Death was raging in England (1346-1351), Edward III sought to reduce the population of the poor, who, in his opinion, carried a deadly infection, and issued a decree according to which every commoner who decided to have offspring was must come to the city magistrate and ask permission to make love with his chosen one. The scribes drew up applications that were submitted to the dukes for consideration. Usually, the review period ranged from one month to several years. In case of a positive decision, the applicant was given a royal charter on which the abbreviation F U C K flaunted in red ink, which stands for "Fornication Under Consent of the King" (Fornication approved by His Majesty or Fornication, with the consent of the king). The happy husband was obliged to hang this letter on the door of his house during the conception of the child. Alas, there is no evidence of this.
Well, there is also a version such that F.U.C.K. stands for Forced Unnatural Carnal Knowledge - "violent unnatural carnal knowledge", which was a legal term meaning rape in the 16th century. Finally, the most popular version is that the word comes from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge - "for illegal carnal intercourse." This sentence, according to a version first published in Playboy magazine in the 1970s, was written either in documents accusing prostitutes in the 19th century, or on the gallows where harlots and men who used their services were hung in earlier centuries. This explanation of the origin of the word FUCK was especially popular, in addition to an article in Playboy magazine, by Van Halen's album of the same name. But such theories were and remain legends, not supported by scientific evidence.
In fact, fuck is of Germanic origin, and its roots can be found in Dutch, German and Swedish, in particular in words meaning "to cheat" or "to move back and forth." Most likely, the English language borrowed it from Flemish or German around the 15th century, but it is impossible to determine the specific source (here scientists agree). One thing is clear: it is not worth talking about the Anglo-Saxon origin, since fuck appears in circulation almost four centuries later than the Old English period, in relation to which the term "Anglo-Saxon" is used.
Some experts believe that a number of words from Old English and Latin can be considered the ancestors of the word fuck, but the remote superficial similarity between it and, for example, the rough Latin futuere ("copulate") does not give grounds to speak of their relationship.
Researchers have spent a lot of time and effort looking for cases of the use of the word fuck (or its Germanic congeners) dating back to an earlier period than the second half of the 15th century - but to no avail. Since the earliest cases are most often found in Scottish sources, some researchers believe that it was borrowed from Old Icelandic, which had a serious impact on the formation of the Scottish dialect. This version is also recognized as erroneous, since since 1475 the word fuck was used in other regions. Most likely, in Scotland it was simply not considered as taboo as in other parts of Britain.
In literary English, the word first appears in the 16th century - in 1509 the anonymous satirical poem "Flen, Flyss" was published, where the word is encrypted and, in addition, is disguised as Latin - the inscription gxddbov, completely inappropriate in rhythm, which should have been read fuccant ( used letters that were located next to the encrypted letters in the Old English version of the Latin alphabet) - this is how the verb fuck in the third person plural form of the present tense would look like if it were Latin. The phrase itself, written in a strange mixture of Latin and English, sounded like "Non sunt in celi quia fuccant uuiuys of heli", which roughly translates as "they will not be in paradise as they copulate with Eli's wives." "Im" - monks from a monastery located in the city of Ely, a suburb of Cambridge.
Taboos on certain words or phrases have existed in England since ancient times. Thus, a guest who attacked the owner of the house with “shameful offensive” words was legally obliged to pay the offended one a shilling. At different times, different prohibitions were applied. For example, several centuries ago, blasphemy was regarded as the worst sin. And in America of the XIX century. in some places even the word “leg” was considered indecent - it was customary to replace it with the generic term “finitude”.
Today, any expression that might be perceived as racial and ethnic insults is taboo. In 1994, in an interview with US News & World Report, a famous teacher - a university teacher - admitted: if she pronounces the word fuck in the audience, none of the students will blink an eye, but she will never dare even the most innocent joke with ethnic or racial connotations ...
One gets the impression that today the shackles of taboo that entangled the word with the letter "f" are finally destroyed. Although a number of conservative publications stubbornly refuse to use it in print, it catches the eye almost everywhere. The editors of literary journals have long ago become condescending to his appearance on the pages of their publications. Fuck can now be found reading Newsweek and Time. That salty word is found in a report by Attorney Kenneth Starr in the respected New York Times and in a sensational statement by Vice President (now former) Dick Cheney to the Washington Post. It also creeps in on commercial television broadcasts that are traditionally heavily censored.
The word fuck easily bypasses television censorship, especially during live broadcasts. On November 13, 1965, the director of the National Theater of Great Britain, renowned theater critic Kenneth Thinan became the first to use it on TV. During an evening satirical show on BBC-3, he made this line: "I strongly doubt that there are reasonable people these days for whom the word fuck is still diabolical, rebellious or completely unacceptable." This caused a scandal in the country: the BBC television company was forced to apologize, and politicians tried to leave not only Tinan without work, but also the BBC director. Hotheads even offered to sue the former for obscene expressions in public. Nevertheless, he got off with a very elegant statement: “I used this Old English word in a completely neutral manner to emphasize the seriousness of what was said. I would do the same when I talk to any group of adults. "
The word fuck has repeatedly sounded from blue screens, but the most scandalous case went down in history. On December 1, 1976, Segodnya Television host Thames Television, speaking live with members of the Sex Pistols, asked how they had disposed of the substantial advance they had received from the recording studio. To which guitarist Steve Jones replied uninhibitedly: "We're fucking spent it" - "We've already spent it ..." (however, the degree of expressiveness of the English expression is lower than that of swear words, which in most contexts are not used as translation equivalents, however, it is appropriate in this case). After the encouragement from the presenter, the speech of the guests of the studio became even more challenging.
In 1990, on one of NBC's Saturday night broadcasts, the taboo was spoken by the singer Prince; in 1993, at the Grammy Awards, it also escaped the mouth of Bono, the leader of the group U2. The phrases with the word fuck in various combinations convey to the audience powerful microphones installed in sports arenas. For example, in 2008, Philadelphia baseball player Chase Utley shouted over a crowded stadium as he celebrated his home team's victory: “World champions, fuck! World Champions! " Strikingly, judging by interviews taken after this episode with many viewers (including parents who came to the match with their children), most of them did not find this phrase shocking.
The first appearance of the printed word fuck in America is due to curious circumstances. It is found in a decision made in 1854 by the Missouri Supreme Court in the case of a man who was accused of copulating with a mare, but he sued the slanderers and won the case. Judging by the text of the document, this word (and its meanings) at that time was well known to the Americans, although it was not included in dictionaries. The next occurrence in printed form, the word fuck owes all the same Themis, or rather, the Supreme Court of Indiana, which considered a libel case in 1865.
The sacred word is now and then found in the pages of James Joyce's Ulysses, first published in 1922 and distributed in the United States clandestinely until 1933, when the court allowed the publication of this book legally. “The criticized words are an example of Anglo-Saxon foul language. They are known to all men and, I dare to assume, many women. In my opinion, the people whose lives ... Joyce tried to describe use these words in a traditional and natural way, ”said Judge John Woolsey.
In the original 1951 book by James Jones, From Now and Forever, featuring Private Robert Lee Pruit, the word fuck occurs 258 times. In the out-of-print version, censors and editors managed to reduce its use by up to 50 times. And yet, many Americans called this novel shocking, although the dialogues in the book were completely consistent with the communication style of the soldiers of the time.
David Lawrence, author of Lady Chatterley's Lover, had to spend a lot of time in litigation, because, firstly, the work, published in 1928 and immediately banned, was replete with obscene language, and secondly, it described the connection between an aristocrat and a commoner. The American court allowed the publication of the book only in 1959. In 1960, its right to exist was confirmed by the court of appeal. And in the same year, Penguin published "Lover ...", and the Guardian and Observer newspapers, in materials dedicated to the publication of this novel, quoted it uncut, typing the word fuck in plain text.
Major American newspapers and magazines, in particular Time and Newsweek, were in no hurry to release the genie from the bottle. Newsweek pioneered in 1984: the word fuck appeared in an excerpt from the memoirs of Lee Iacocca, where the memoirist's conversation with Henry Ford II was broadcast. The Los Angeles Times first allowed fuck on its pages (without resorting to replacing individual letters with ellipsis or "asterisks") in 1991, succinctly commenting on Gorbachev's appeal to the failed coup. In 1992, it was the turn of the Washington Post: a reporter for this newspaper simply quoted the words of a criminal sentenced to death. In September 2000, a salty word also leaked onto the pages of respectable Time - the first sign was the material about Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. And in 2004, the Washington Post in one of the materials told the world about how US Vice President Dick Cheney publicly insulted his opponent with a biting Fuck off! ("Fuck yourself!").
It's hard to imagine modern English-language cinema without salty expressions on the verge of a foul. It seems to many that this has always been so. Meanwhile, viewers first heard the word fuck on the screen only in 1970 thanks to the black comedy MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) - "Military Field Hospital". Some people date the first "adaptation" of the sacred word to 1967, because it was then that a film based on Joyce's "Ulysses" was shot in Ireland, but this is not true: after all, this film was released there only in 2000.
Over the years since the film debut of the word fuck, it has successfully conquered this sphere: now the characters of action films, comedies and melodramas use it with enviable regularity.
What film is worthy of the champion's laurels? It's not an easy question, but meticulous experts still managed to determine it. First place rightfully belongs to the documentary Fuck, dedicated to the etymology and history of the headword, which sounds 824 times in 93 minutes of screen time (8.86 times per minute). The second place is taken by Gary Oldman's 1997 drama Nil by Mouth, where there are 428 similar replays. Martin Scorsese's Casino (1995) closes the top three with 398. Among the record holders are such films as "Sam's Summer" by Spike Lee, "Nice Guys" by Martin Scorsese, "Threat to Society" by the Hughes brothers. By the way, Quentin Tarantino's films "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction", which many of us consider extremely vulgar, occupy only 20th and 21st places in this rating (with an indicator of 269 and 265, respectively).
For the first time, the word fuck appeared in John Florio's voluminous Italian-English dictionary World of Words, published in 1598. However, it debuted only as an equivalent to the Italian fottere (a vulgar analogue of the verb "copulate", which corresponds to such equivalents as "to tear off", " fuck ").
Facsimile of John Florio's Italian-English Dictionary
And the "full-fledged" introduction of this word into the lexicons took place in 1671 - with the publication of the dictionary of English etymology (in Latin), compiled by Stephen Skinner, Etymologicon Linguae Anglicanae, where it was awarded a separate dictionary entry. In 1721, Nathan Bailey's Universal Etymological English Dictionary is published, which also includes fuck. However, after the publication of John Ash's New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language in 1775 and 1795, progress stalled. For a long time, the sacred word of the English-speaking world could only be found in highly specialized publications - for example, in John Farmer's Dictionary of Slang and Analogues, published in 1891 and 1893. Such books were distributed exclusively privately among subscribers ...
The advent of the twentieth century in no way eased the lot of the long-suffering word. The authoritative British lexicographer Eric Partridge included a dozen of its variations in his Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, but instead of the letter u was typed with an asterisk: f * ck. Despite this precaution, the publication of this and subsequent editions of the dictionary invariably drew protests from the police, educators and librarians. Under pressure from the public in the 1958 edition, the prominent lexicographer had to add another "asterisk" (f ** k) to avoid reproach. Even in the 1960s, anyone wishing to read Partridge's dictionary required special permission. And the British managed to print the word completely, without cuts, only in 1967!
The first modern non-specialized dictionary of the English language, where the compilers did not hesitate to include a seditious word of four letters, was the British Penguin English Dictionary 1967. In America, the honor of "discovering" the word fuck belongs to the 1969 American Heritage Dictionary. Naturally, in dictionary entries this word was marked "vulgar". And in the venerable and authoritative "Oxford English Dictionary" the corresponding article was introduced only in 1972.
What explains such a disrespectful attitude of lexicographers to almost the most popular and utilitarian word in the English language? False bashfulness, puritanism, conservatism, hypocrisy, or an obsessive desire to define clear lines of decency and indecency at their own discretion?
Be that as it may, Oxford University Press was able to at least partially correct this centuries-old injustice. The F-Word is not just a single word dictionary. It is also a caring guide that does not allow the inquisitive reader to get lost in the difficult, but extremely interesting world of the word with the letter "f". Even a brief acquaintance with this brilliant work (work on it lasted more than 15 years) helps to realize: the line between decency and indecency in speech and writing is the thinnest, blurred for centuries, sometimes barely discernible line. And what we sometimes consider offensive, obscene or indecent by default, is often an integral part of the history of our civilization - a part that cannot be abandoned, that cannot be forgotten, prohibited or ignored.
Imagine the following picture. A well-known intellectual resorts to a gesture familiar to all, thus expressing dissatisfaction with the statements of a vacuous politician. He shows his middle finger and declares: "This is a great demagogue!"
This story did not happen during a television talk show, and not in one of the salons in London or New York. It took place in Athens in the fourth century BC: in this way, in the presentation of historians of a later era, the philosopher Diogenes, without hesitation in expressions, described his attitude towards the orator Demosthenes.
It turns out that the middle finger, put forward with the rest of the fingers pressed to the palm, has been a symbol of insult and humiliation for more than two millennia.
“This is one of the oldest gestures we know of,” says anthropologist Desmond Morris.
“The middle finger represents the penis, and the clenched fingers represent the seminal glands. This is a phallic symbol. It shows that you are demonstrating a phallus, and this behavior has primitive roots, ”explains the expert.
During the Sunday broadcast of Super Bowl, the most watched television program on American television, British singer M.I.A. showed her middle finger when Madonna's performance began. In this regard, the American National Football League (NFL) and broadcaster NBC have apologized to viewers.
“An indecent gesture during a performance was completely unacceptable,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.
The ancient Romans had a special name for this gesture: “digitus impudicus”, that is, shameless, obscene or offensive finger.
The hero of one of the epigrams of the poet Martial, who lived in the first century AD, boasts good health and shows three doctors an “indecent” middle finger.
The ancient Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the soldiers of the Germanic tribes showed the middle finger to the advancing Roman soldiers.
But many centuries before that, the Greeks used this gesture as a direct indication of male genitals.
The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes wrote the comedy "Clouds" in 419 BC, in which one of the heroes first gestures with his middle finger, and then with his genitals.
The origin of the gesture is perhaps even more ancient: according to Morris, scientists are aware of the habits of the South American squirrel monkeys, which gesture with excited genitals. Overcoming cultural differences
According to the anthropologist, Italian emigrants most likely brought the indecent gesture to the United States. It was first witnessed in America in 1886 when a Boston Biniters baseball pitcher showed it off in a group photo with rival New York Giants.
The French have their own "phallic salute", notes Morris (this gesture is also common in Russia). It is called “bras d'honneur” (hand of honor), and it is a hand bent at a right angle, on which a second hand is placed at the elbow.
At the same time, a similar British gesture is a “victorie” sign turned inside out (when the index and middle fingers are shown, but at the same time the hand is turned with the palm facing you).
Historians continue to argue about the origin of this gesture, but the most common legend says that it was first used during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Allegedly, on the battlefield, the British began demonstratively waving their middle fingers in front of the French soldiers, who threatened to cut off the captured archers' thumb and forefinger so that they could not shoot.
However, the offensive meaning of the middle finger has long crossed cultural, linguistic or national boundaries. Now he can be seen at protests, football matches and rock concerts around the world.
Last December, Liverpool striker Suarez was caught in the lens of photographers, showing the middle finger to Fulham fans after a 1-0 away loss. The English Football Federation reprimanded him for inappropriate behavior and disqualified him for one game.
In 2004, a Canadian MP from Calgary was accused of a rude gesture against a colleague from another party, which prevented him from speaking in the House of Commons.
“I, shall we say, expressed my displeasure with his actions,” - this is how Deepak Obrai later explained his behavior to local journalists. What's so frank?
Two years later, pop singer Britney Spears showed her finger to a group of photographers who allegedly pursued her. However, some fans decided that the gesture was meant for them, and the star had to apologize.
Although the middle finger has historically symbolized the phallus, it has already lost its original meaning and is no longer perceived as something obscene, says Ira Robbins, a law professor at the University of Washington who has studied the role of gesture in the history of criminal jurisprudence.
“This is not a manifestation of lustful interest,” the expert assures. “This gesture has taken root in everyday life, both in our country and in others. It means a lot of other things - protest, anger, excitement. It's not just a phallus anymore. ”
Robbins does not even share the point of view of the Associated Press reporter, who called the gesture "candid." “What is frank about him? the expert asks. - Here dances can be frank. But a finger? I just don't get it. "
sourcesKonstantin VASILKEVICH
http://nechtoportal.ru
And I would also remind you and The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from isThis gesture in Russia and America is used to non-verbally convey the meaning of the word "OK". But it takes on a completely different meaning in Brazil, where a similar folding of the fingers denotes an invitation to intercourse as a passive partner. This gesture is also suitable for expressing anger and irritation in France, Belgium and Latin America, where the insult is "zero" or "nothing". In Japan, it is a designation for money, the rounded shape of the fingers resembles a coin. In Cyprus, the gesture denotes homosexuals.
"SHAKA"
In Hawaii, this gesture is applicable in many situations: when greeting and saying goodbye, expressing gratitude, and as an invitation to surf. Not only surfers greet with this gesture, but also parachutists and jiu-jitsu fighters. It also means the expression Hang loose - “relax” is perceived as a symbol of friendship and understanding between participants of different subcultures.
In Russia "Shaka" has nothing to do with greeting. A gesture can mean talking on the phone - in this case, the little finger should be pointed down. Or an offer to drink if it is accompanied by a characteristic hand roll over. Finally, it can mean an offer to smoke drugs if you put your little finger to your mouth.
"FAK"
The middle finger represents the penis, the clenched fingers represent the seminal glands. One of the most ancient gestures, which serves as a direct insult or rude demand to leave the gesturing one alone. In ancient Rome, this gesture was called digitus impudicus - "shameless", "obscene", "offensive finger". The ancient Greeks used this gesture as a direct indication of male genitalia, it was perceived as a threat of anal rape.
"KUKISH"
It is considered an offensive gesture. Its main meanings are the naked head of the male penis, intercourse, and in Russia it is also an analogue of the phrase "you will not get anything." The ancient Romans used the gesture as a phallic symbol and was used to create amulets. In Russia, the "fig" was used to scare away evil spirits, while it remained an obscene symbol. Belief in the protective properties of the "cookie" was based on the sexlessness of spirits and demons, avoiding any sexual innuendo, including this gesture as an image of sexual intercourse. When meeting people who were notorious, the "fig" was shown over the left shoulder or between the legs. It was also used when meeting with sorcerers - it was believed that the gesture neutralizes their power.
In Portugal, Sicily and Sardinia, this gesture is known as an ancient remedy against the evil eye. In Brazil, it is used to wish good luck. In Italy, it stands for the female genital organ. In Arab countries and Turkey, showing a "cookie" means inflicting the most severe sexual assault. In Germany, it means offering to have sex. In Japan, prostitutes attracted clients with this figure, showing that they are now free.
"BIG FINGER UP"
In Russia, this gesture means “everything is very good”. On the roads of Europe and America, it means hitchhiking. For divers, a thumb up means an order to ascend immediately. In Iran, it is analogous to "fak". In Turkey and Greece, it is considered a demonstration of a phallic symbol and an insult. In Saudi Arabia, it also has an offensive meaning, and if you rotate it with a raised finger, it means the expression "get out of here."
"VICTORIA"
The gesture "Victoria" signifies victory if the hand is turned with its back to the one who is showing. If the hand is facing him, the gesture becomes rude - this is a demand to be silent. In the same situation in Great Britain and Ireland it is one of the analogs of the "faq". This is a popular selfie gesture in Asia due to the camera manufacturer's viral advertising campaign.
In the second half of the 60s, the gesture became popular among hippies - it meant the letter V - Vietnam, and signified the demand to end the war, becoming a symbol of pacifism.
"I LOVE YOU"
A popular gesture in America for the phrase I love you, "I love you". Letter I - this is the little finger raised up, the letter L consists of thumb and forefinger, letter Y - from the little finger and thumb. This gesture is often used by American stars and politicians, such as Richard Dawson, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This gesture is not common in Russia.
"GOAT"
In pop culture, the goat is a symbol of unity. In the Russian language of the deaf and dumb, this gesture denotes the letter "Y".
The goat gesture is also a sacred symbol. It was believed that the index finger is associated with Jupiter, and the little finger is associated with Mercury. In Greek mythology, Jupiter is the god of the sky, lightning and thunder, Mercury is the god of trade and theft, who also escorts the souls of the dead to the underworld. With the help of the “goat”, people asked the gods for protection and help so that the soul of their loved one would safely reach the kingdom of the dead. In Europe and Asia, for many centuries, the gesture protected from evil - the evil eye and witches - as an analogue of spitting over the shoulder. The figures guarding the Egyptian mummies are holding a "goat", which means that a terrible curse awaits the robbers. In Italy, the symbol is superstitious - for example, the "goat" must be shown if a hearse is encountered along the way, otherwise there will be trouble.
In Russia, it can be menacing - if you point your little finger and index finger at the interlocutor. Came from prison culture, where this gesture meant a threat to gouge out his eyes.