What's with the Martial Arts hand sign?

[Tez3]

No idea, but...

If you take the 'hang loose' and the 'devil horns' and do both at one (index, pinkie, and thumb extended) that is American Sign Language for "I love you."

The 'devil sign' is also used in Texas as 'Hook 'em Horns' for American football fans, but with the palm out instead of palm in for the Devil sign.

As many know, the 'Peace Sign' in the USA is similar to the 'Up Yours' sign in the UK (or the V for victory). Peace sign is also palm forward, V for Victory is palm inwards.

I used to use the old American sign for "OK" until I got to Brazil. There I was told it was the sign of an arsehole.

I believe the American sign for 'F You' is universal, eh?

Do the V sign palms in here and you'll get thumped lol. V for victory is palms out.

The 'up yours' sign is usually started with the palm up horizontal then brought up with palm facing you, can be done as many times as you feel the person on the receiving end deserves.

V for victory

'UP yours' though he actually means Foxtrot Oscar.

 

[Big Don]

'UP yours' though he actually means Foxtrot Oscar.

Foxtrot Oscar, I've never used that particular phrasing, yet, but, I will

 

[Tez3]

Foxtrot Oscar, I've never used that particular phrasing, yet, but, I will

All yours courtesy of the British Army lol!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Foxtrot Oscar, I've never used that particular phrasing, yet, but, I will

A twist on the military "Foxtrot Yankee."

I used to have a poster with some fun military hand signals, including "Go pound sand," "Cover me, I'm f#&@ed," and "F#&@ you, I'm covered." You can probably imagine what they look like, though.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I thought it was the sign for "get me a beer".

In Belgium it is, if you point the pinkie upwards.
IIRC it has to do with the fact that phonetically, 'pinkje' (pinkie) and 'pintje' (glass of beer) are very close to each other. In noisy pubs, shouting an order over the bar is difficult, but sticking up your pinky, optionally followed by a number is clear.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Do the V sign palms in here and you'll get thumped lol. V for victory is palms out.

Yes. Palm inward is not something I'd suggest in the UK.
In Belgium, most people don't have a clue as to what it would mean.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Yes. Palm inward is not something I'd suggest in the UK.
In Belgium, most people don't have a clue as to what it would mean.

 

[Tez3]

Yep he's saying up yours, he knew well which was which and wasn't adverse to using it this way. Look at his face, tells it all lol!

 

[Tez3]

Yep he's saying up yours, he knew well which was which and wasn't adverse to using it this way. Look at his face, tells it all lol!

Ok seriously, when he started doing the V for victory sign it was palm inward but was very quickly told it was offensive so he changed it to the palm outward style.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_sign


The story that it came from the English archers is apocryphal.

 

[Big Don]

Churchill was a pretty funny guy, I've read a few of his books and a few books by others about him. I think, were he alive and in his prime today, he'd be a comedian.

 

[punisher73]

From what I understand, this comes from the old English army focusing on archers more than any other army in old Europe (in fact, archery was rather looked down on for most of Europe's armies, as it was considered "cowardly" to strike from such a distance). England had a long history of Longbow use, with it being a major component of it's military strategies. As a result, when English archers were captured, they would have the first two fingers of their right hand removed, stopping them from being able to use a bow. The "up-yours" signal was a gesture utilised by the English archers after a battle as a form of taunt ("I've still got these fingers, I'll shoot you tomorrow!"), rather than the aforementioned "up-yours". Anatomically speaking, not quite sure how people think the gesture works that way....

http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.asp
This is an urban legend as to the origins of the phrase and usage of the middle finger.

 

[punisher73]

No idea, but...

If you take the 'hang loose' and the 'devil horns' and do both at one (index, pinkie, and thumb extended) that is American Sign Language for "I love you."

http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/i_love_you.htm

Here is a picture and meaning for the gesture that Mr. Mattocks was speaking about. It is also a sign used by the Latin Kings gang.
http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/handsigns/menu_006.htm

 

[Bill Mattocks]

http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/i_love_you.htm

Here is a picture and meaning for the gesture that Mr. Mattocks was speaking about.

It's also how Spiderman gets his webs to come out. Thwip, thwip.

 

[Sukerkin]

The attribution for the Vee sign is lost in the swirling mists of time, sad to say. The most commonly spread explanation is the one that says it comes from the fingers of longbowmen but at the same time that is also the one most often prefaced with being apocryphal.

It most certainly is more of a symbol of defiance rather than insult, when used by the British at least. The American 'Bird' or 'giving the Finger' is much more offensive in that regard.

 

[Chris Parker]

http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.asp
This is an urban legend as to the origins of the phrase and usage of the middle finger.

I'm not arguing that the explaination is absolutely true... however, I feel there are some major issues with the linked article. It's stretching the story to a ridiculous length in order to discredit it, really. To begin with, it is talking about a completely different gesture, and is trying to attribute a phrase to it that does not apply. It also states that there is no (or was no) contemporary evidence, whereas contemporary evidence is listed in the Wiki article Bill posted. Then it goes on to misrepresent the Medieval European battlefield, and practices. That said, I do agree that the story is allegorical, rather than literally true beyond doubt, although as Sukerin says, the absolute truth is most likely lost to us.

 

[Indagator]

As for the sign with index and pinky extended and the others contracted, around the mediterranean it's known as the sign of the evil eye (I think it is also used to indicate a cuckold when the fingers point upwards). Little old Sicilian ladies still do that kind of thing a lot, it's kind of quaint to observe actually.
In fact, apparently it was a little old Sicilian lady who is responsible for it's current incarnation as the rock n' rollers salute - the story goes that Ronnie James Dio adopted it as he knew the sign form his grandmother (an old Sicilian lady) and began using it at concerts. The rest, if you believe the story, is history.
Not sure how true that is though...