# Giving people the finger- What is the verbal equivalent ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167 "2006-06-18T12:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/1 "2006-06-18T12:36:16Z")
I tend to agree with Seinfeld about giving the finger. Why would another person feel bad when another person shows you one of their fingers ? What do you think is the verbal equivalent of the finger? F\*\*\* you ! Or is it stonger, or weaker ? I gave the finger to a guy just the other day. I am usually a pedestrian. I have no licence to drive. I had to cross the road. There is a pedestrian-only traffic light. So I pressed the button and waited ages for the light. Amazingly a break came in the traffic and I crossed before the crossing signal. When I was on the other side, finally the light changed for me and traffic had to stop for no-one actually crossing. A guy starts screaming his head of at me on the other side of the road. Finally I work out he is miffed that he had to stop even though I had already crossed. So, I gave him the finger. To me it is just my finger. But I know that to this asshole, he would get royally pissed off by me giving him the finger. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/2 "2006-06-18T12:56:38Z")
“Fuck you.” or “Up yours.” I’d be very surprised if there’s a third interpretation that’s not derivative of these two. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/3 "2006-06-18T14:15:51Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] “Fuck you.” or “Up yours.” I’d be very surprised if there’s a third interpretation that’s not derivative of these two. [/QUOTE] “Sit on it” would have been the slightly more politically correct version a few decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/4 "2006-06-19T00:36:19Z")
I’d say “Up Yours” is the more general Upward Thrust Hand with All Fingers Pointing Skyward. The middle finger’s much more serious, so I’d definitely say an **FU** equivalent. More serious? Maybe Double Middle Fingers, or MF combined with Other Hand Across Elbow Crook. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/5 "2006-06-19T01:38:34Z")
Oh no. It means **FU** to most anyone I know and I’ve seen people go seriously physical with someone for flipping them off. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/6 "2006-06-19T01:41:27Z")
FU, but being non-werbal, there is absolutely no comeback or one-up on this that I have ever heard pulled off well. Thats why people get pissed off. ---
**Author:** ![madhatter56](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@madhatter56](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madhatter56)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/7 "2006-06-19T06:27:28Z")
> [@](#): > > “Fuck you.” or “Up yours.” I’d be very surprised if there’s a third interpretation that’s not derivative of these two. obviously the derivative of “fuck you” and “up yours” has to be… “Fuck Up” … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/8 "2006-06-19T11:12:36Z")
In Spanish it’s “que te den po’l culo”, “someone fuck you up the ass”. I once saw a construction worker give another one the finger and the second one replied “dude, I’m gay!¡ :p” “OK, so I hope nobody gives it to you up the ass then, damnit!” ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/9 "2006-06-19T12:21:54Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] In Spanish it’s “que te den po’l culo”, “someone fuck you up the ass”. I once saw a construction worker give another one the finger and the second one replied “dude, I’m gay!¡ :p” “OK, so I hope nobody gives it to you up the ass then, damnit!” [/QUOTE] I am not sure I understand you here, You are saying that a gay man would not be offended by anyone giving them the finger ? Is that what you are saying ? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-people-the-finger-what-is-the-verbal-equivalent/361167/10 "2006-06-19T12:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] I am not sure I understand you here, You are saying that a gay man would not be offended by anyone giving them the finger ? Is that what you are saying ? [/QUOTE] I think the idea is that the gay guy (whether or not he was really gay) scored a direct hit with a comeback for a gesture that is typically difficult to give a good comeback to. So the guy giving the finger feels deflated at the rather non-angry response. That, and it’s funny.