When I was about 13, snide young men would sometimes hold up the index and ring fingers, saying, “Read between the lines.” Sort of a digital minced oath.
I’m not sure the knights would do so - the bow was a ‘low’ weapon more fit for peasants, whom the mounted nobility sometimes to rode over in their rush to charge the enemy. The archers themselves might make such a sign, but if such a sign was visible then they were likely within range, where casting insults would not be as effective as casting arrows with a 6 inch spike on the end.
Is that genuinely where the gesture originated?
No, that is not where the gesture originated. There are a number of theories, but that one is a joke.
According to Desmond Morris, in all liklihood the gesture uses the two fingers to represent spread lags. Seeing as how variations of the gesture involve flicking the tongue between the “legs,” this appears to be a valid explanation.
For contemporary examples of the gesture, reference the opening credits for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4 - 7. Spike makes the gesture towards Xander from a chair, with appropriate facial expression. 
A few years ago during a Man United-Leeds match, David Beckham displayed the v-sign to a group of Leeds supporters (who had been singing, um, rather derisively about his wife and his son Brooklyn). Beckham undoubtedly belongs to that same mental age group as Liam et al, but I seem to remember the FA got in a bit of a huff about it (I don’t recall if they fined him or not).
So all the hippies making peace signs back in the sixties were rudely insulting British people everywhere?
Palm in = rude, palm out = peace.
I think the middle and index finger are considered as rude as just the middle finger when raised and shown with the palm towards the person throwing the insult in the UK :dubious:
Or other interpretations - I don’t think this guy intended it as a particularly peaceful gesture. Not to mention this guy.
To make use of the rude gesture version, it helps to accompany it with an upsweeping motion of the hand, or at least that seems to be the way it is usually depicted, rather than just holding the two fingers out.
According to Uncle Cecil, the middle finger as an insulting gesture goes back to the Roman empire.
My WAG is that the second finger was used to tone down the gesture and by kids who would say ‘But, I didn’t give Bobby the finger. See, I have two fingers up.’
Anyone heard the story about Churchill using the v-sign during World War Two?
He apparently used it in public to signify v for victory. His aides later politely pointed out that the sign had another slightly more rude meaning. Churchill said he knew exactly what it meant and fully intended the double meaning for the Germans benefit.
Not sure if it’s true, though.
Indeed he does! Until now, I didn’t know what that meant. Thanks.
Er… Yes? :dubious:
I don’t think I would deny that, and neither was my post implying such. Though to be honest, I’m not sure what you’re saying.
Follow my link above.
Sorry I didn’t know when you labelled one a UK gesture and the other a US gesture if you meant they originated or were only offensive in those places.
As you implied :dubious:
Yes - I know Churchill used the v for victory sign - try this one with the palm inwards. The question I was posing was whether the story about the aides, et al, was true.
The story I heard was that he started using it the ‘rude’ way, but after a while he was advised to turn his hand round by 180 degrees to avoid insulting the British public (see previous Churchill picture).
as far as the thrid finger for emphasis goes, there’s a joke here in north America, where you waggle all 5 fingers on one hand (palm in) towards someone and say, “What’s this?” and they say, “I don’t know.” Then you flip them just the middle finger and say, “Five of these!”