Flicking the bird

[Chedney Honks]

When did you last flip someone the bird?

As kid I loved flipping the Vs, I did it all the time, sometimes doing it with both hands and then overlapping the two middle fingers of each V to make an extra mini V to really say YEAH YOU CAN FUCK OFFFFFFFF. Anyone ever done that?

Older I get, the more I go with the bird. It's more dismissive. It's like, it's actually slightly more physical effort than the Vs, but it seems like less effort. It's more of a take it or leave it kind of gesture. I don't give a shit what you do with this information but you can swivel. One of my favourite things about driving is letting that bird sing.

Any other good gestures? Lot of the continental European ones are ridiculous, very 'maternal' focus.

[flotemysost]

Did it on Tuesday to an antivax soapbox bozo during this incident. Do it quite frequently (as a pedestrian) to drivers who jump red lights or cat call. I suppose it's an instant way of feeling like you're clawing back some sort of power in situations where you might feel otherwise a bit helpless or downtrodden but can't think of any cut-throat ripostes on the spot.

[Cold Meat Platter]

My use of the Vs was heavily influenced by The Young Ones when I was at school in the 80s and they were the default offensive gesture for the majority of kids.

The bird always seemed like a much more American way of gesturing but as time goes on I have begun to appreciate it more and more, as I think it contains a more genuine offensive sentiment which the Vs lack, although perhaps that's because I associate it with childishness due to my own early experiences with obscene gesticulation.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Bet you say "ass" instead of "arse "too.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Yeah, the finger, really good rude gesture. However the thumb MUST BE TUCKED.

[holdover]

Not sure about the last time but my favourite was as a 10 year old in Inverness. Me and a pal were in the back seat of his mum's car and there was a cyclist behind us who we were waving to for ages, trying to attract his attention and get him to wave back. We were both quite innocent kids. But when he finally did wave back we both, with no pre-planning, instantly switched from waving to giving him the vs. His cheery smile evaporated and he looked all sad. Great guilty laugh.

[ImmaculateClump]

I do an elaborate mime of their grandad with a pipe, and then them rubbing their eyes crying, and then back to the grandad, one hand with the pipe and the other backwards karate chopping my belly to signify that he's doing them up the arse.
If there's time I'll do policemen turning up, the grandad being led away in handkuffs, then them crying, drinking a big bottle of whiskey, injecting smack, that sort of thing.

[canadagoose]

Someone was being a loud, obnoxious drunk prick outside my window so I did it to them. They didn't see me. I was just highly frustrated and it was either that or yelling at them.

[AllisonSays]

I gave a bus driver the finger in, god, 2002 I think, and he reversed, snapped my child bus pass in two and told me I could never use the service again. I shaved my head the next day and continued to get it to school for like three more years at least but since then I have never given anyone the 'bird' outside of my own home.

[Ferris]

You flip the bird or flick the Vs. I wonder why that is.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Train driver flipped me the bird at gowerton rail station

[Bennett Brauer]

I've been doing it like this, which explains the blank looks.

[Cold Meat Platter]

You don't see that 'PHWOOOOOAAR' gesture much these days.

[dissolute ocelot]

Does it count if you're in a car and nobody can see you? If not, last time was when I was about 12.

[Ferris]

It is one of the delights of the expat that I can gesture the Vs and innocently request 2 of something in a shop or whatever and the locals have no idea.

[Dex Sawash]

Every day at work, kind of like the circle game.

[flotemysost]

You don't see that 'PHWOOOOOAAR' gesture much these days.

What's that? The "miming weighing a hefty pair of tits in both hands" one?

One of my friends used to do the "wanker" gesture but with the imaginary cock between thumb and index finger (implying that the cock is very small). Probably hard to decipher that one from the window of a swiftly moving vehicle.

[Cold Meat Platter]

What's that? The "miming weighing a hefty pair of tits in both hands" one?

No, the bisection of an arm with the opposite arm, using the hand to clasp the elbow region whilst repeatedly flexing and extending the forearm of the gripped arm with a clenched fist while scrunching up your face.

[touchingcloth]

The middle finger gesture originates from Agincourt when English fingerers used to taunt the French by demonstrating they still had the ability to finger their wives and sons.

[thenoise]

I always go with the traditional British "two-fingered salute". And I always accompany it with a loud raspberry noise.

[Pink Gregory]

Got the old 'GET YOUR AIR CUT' the other day out of a car, and I flipped out; bellowed at them 'fuck off' and 'wanker', because it's the best I could think of, then they had the temerity to flip *me* the bird, despite them being the fellow inviting me to this exchange, so I regret that it was a reverse flip.

[Chedney Honks]

Yeah sound like you got flipped. Bad luck buddy. Happens to the best of us.

I might start uploading pics to my Insta of me flipping the bird and smirking with my tongue out like a rebellious teen pop singer. Would be great as a 40yo man if that became my thing. Weekend away with my wife at a stately home or spa resort. Bird. Dinner on the terrazza in Florence. Bird. Contemplating infinity at the Orangerie. Bird. Exploring the souks in Marrakesh. FUCK OFFFFFFFF. Hay-on-Wye book fuck. EAT THIS YOU FUCKS DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA

[Sherringford Hovis]

In our efforts to remain European, thumbing our teeth at people should replace flicking the Vs. Its continental overtones would rub Mediterranean salt in the Brexshitters' thin-skinned wounds.

[ImmaculateClump]

You don't see that 'PHWOOOOOAAR' gesture much these days.

You don't.

[ImmaculateClump]

I do an elaborate mime of them skipping down the road holding hands with their significant other, then a drunk driver driving along, back to them, their wife gets hit, him shrieking, hands over the mouth, then later on, drinking a big bottle of whiskey, injecting smack, that sort of thing.
If there's time, I'll do them crying in the bath, taking a load of tablets and slitting their wrists.

[Jerzy Bondov]

In our efforts to remain European, thumbing our teeth at people should replace flicking the Vs. Its continental overtones would rub Mediterranean salt in the Brexshitters' thin-skinned wounds.

We can't do thumbing our teeth because we'll cut our thumbs on our disgusting misshapen british chompers

[TrenterPercenter]

Trained myself to be the fastest flip in the West Midlands when I first started driving; you've got to get in there before their supraorbital even registers it's first pump.

You cut me up (fuck you)
You took my parking space (double atomic fuck you to hell)
You ran over my dog and have demolished my bay window (fuck you and your dead dog in the face)

I'm no good at it anymore as I'm now just constantly shouting "James O'Brien is a heaving cock-end!" into my radio and haven't kept up the muscle memory.

[Rolf Lundgren]

Two fingers are always better than one - "Go on, fuck off!"

[Mobbd]

I flick my bird every second Tuesday.

I love the 'v's. I try to flick them with the energy of that Gallagher boy in the opening titles of Brass Eye.

[Icehaven]

I prefer jerking my fist in the air at them while shouting/mouthing 'wanker'. It's more direct.