It is performed by showing the back of a hand that has only the middle finger extended upwards, though in some locales, the thumb is extended. Extending the finger is considered a symbol of contempt in several cultures, especially in the Western world.
Many cultures use similar gestures to display their disrespect, although others use it to express pointing without intentional disrespect. The gesture is usually used to express contempt but can also be used humorously or playfully. The gesture dates back to ancient Greece and it was also used in ancient Rome. Historically, it represented a phallus. In the early s, it gained increasing recognition as a sign of disrespect and was used by music artists notably more common among actors, celebrities, athletes and politicians; most still view the gesture as obscene.
In more contemporary periods, the bent index and ring fingers on each side of the middle finger have been likened to represent the testes.
The middle finger gesture was used in ancient times as a symbol of sexual intercourse, in a manner meant to degrade, intimidate, and threaten the individual receiving the gesture. In ancient Greek comedy , the finger was a gesture of insult toward another person, with the term katapugon also referring to "a male who submits to anal penetration" [ 12 ] or katapygaina to a female.
Socrates called one who made the gesture "boorish and stupid. In Latin , the middle finger was the digitus impudicus , meaning the "shameless, indecent or offensive finger".
