# Finger counting poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370 "2002-06-22T01:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/1 "2002-06-22T01:45:33Z")
When you count on your fingers, do you: A) Start with the index finger and end with the thumb. B) Start with the thumb and end with the pinky. C) Start with the pinky and end with the thumb. I do **A** , but I don’t know anybody else who does it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/2 "2002-06-22T01:47:27Z")
A) Start with the index finger and end with the thumb. Anything else is just sick. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/3 "2002-06-22T01:50:19Z")
Also **A** … but what is “3” - the ring finger or pinkie? me, its the pinkie, just easier to do ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/4 "2002-06-22T01:57:33Z")
B. Sometimes A too. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/5 "2002-06-22T02:01:42Z")
I go from 1-5 on my left hand, starting with pointer and ending with thumb, but from 6-10 on my right hand, starting with thumb and ending with pinkie. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/6 "2002-06-22T02:16:38Z")
Start with index finger, end with thumb. Use the left hand if and only if I need to keep up with multiples of 5 or 10 for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/7 "2002-06-22T03:01:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PlanMan \* > \*\*Also **A** … > > but what is “3” - the ring finger or pinkie? > > me, its the pinkie, just easier to do \*\* I use the ring finger as “3”, but you’re right, it’s easier to do the pinkie first. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/8 "2002-06-22T06:42:38Z")
A. I tap each finger in a row with my thumb, then on 5 I just pop my thumb up. Left hand first. ---
**Author:** ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/9 "2002-06-22T11:40:42Z")
I start with the right pinky and fold the other four down when I reach five and extend my thumb. Then to count six, I extend that same pinky without folding down the thumb, add in the other three fingers in the same order to get to nine, and start the same system to count tens on my left hand. I think I started doing it in college, when I had to count people in a class and frequently forgot which multiple of ten I was on. I just kept doing it, and now it’s more or less automatic. I have to explain it to people every now and then, but they mostly just don’t want to ask what the hell I’m doing. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/10 "2002-06-22T13:36:52Z")
/slight hijack/ Last year sometime, two employees in my company were standing in my office. Employee “A” is missing his right thumb. Employee “B” has a “twin thumb” on his right hand. I have the standard number of thumbs, one on each hand. SO, one COULD say that, ON THE AVERAGE, everyone in my office had two thumbs! I had to share that vaguely-oogy story when I saw a thread about fingers. /here endeth the hijack/ ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/11 "2002-06-22T13:47:07Z")
I’m about the same as **racinchikki**. The only difference being I do the 1-5 on my right hand, starting with pointer and ending with thumb, but the 6-10 on my left hand, starting with the thumb and ending with the pinkie. I figure as long as I’m not stomping a hoof and whinnying, I’m not that strange. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/12 "2002-06-22T14:04:00Z")
Well, sometimes I count in binary on my fingers, so that makes it crazy. (Really, I do…) The rest of the time, I do B. I learned to do A, and did for a while, but B is just easier. ---
**Author:** ![white-tigeress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@white-tigeress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/white-tigeress)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/13 "2002-06-22T16:28:00Z")
I use the thumb then count towards the pinkie finger. I have never thought of doing it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/14 "2002-06-22T21:29:15Z")
I can count up to 15 on one hand thus Thumb-1 Back to thumb and then figer next to it -2,3 and so on ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/15 "2002-06-23T03:42:13Z")
I was in third grade when chisenbop (a korean teachnique of finger-math) was briefly in vogue and we were taught that and I can’t bring myself to do anything else (from pinky to thumb for 5, thumb +pinky=6 (all consecutive fingers put down stay down until 5 or 10 is hit, so you can look at your hand and see where you ended up), and when you get to your thumb again the left pinky goes down for 10-- 10s are counted in the same way on the left hand) ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/16 "2002-06-23T04:20:10Z")
I start with my left big toe, and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/17 "2002-06-23T04:33:58Z")
Since I probably have a pen in my right hand when doing math without a calculator, I’ll count on my left hand and go pinkie to thumb in an “inward” fashion. Of course if I have to count to eleven I unzip my pants. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/18 "2002-06-23T05:07:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\* > Of course if I have to count to eleven I unzip my pants. 🙂 \*\* I can count to thirteen when I do that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/19 "2002-06-23T05:09:01Z")
I was gonna say 10 and a half, but I didn’t feel that much honesty was helpful ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370/20 "2002-06-23T19:42:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HerMajestyLorna \* > \*\*Well, sometimes I count in binary on my fingers, so that makes it crazy. \*\* Damn, I thought I was the only one. b. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-counting-poll/115370.md?page=2)