# How do you display fingers on one hand to show a count of three? Poll! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2024, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119 "2024-08-01T17:43:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/21 "2024-08-01T21:15:16Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > This begs the question of how one counts to five on their fingers. Is “one” always the index finger? I start with the index finger and work my way over to the pinkie (4) and the thumb is the last (5) to be counted. And if I’m counting backwards, it’s 5, lower thumb 4, lower pinky 3, lower ring finger 2, lower index finger 1 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/22 "2024-08-01T21:19:42Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > And if I’m counting backwards, it’s 5, lower thumb 4, lower pinky 3, lower ring finger 2, lower index finger 1 Hi, Phil! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/23 "2024-08-01T22:46:14Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > This begs the question of how one counts to five on their fingers. Is “one” always the index finger? Well, if I know I am going to go on to five, I will, definitely every time, start with the thumb, not in the middle somewhere. Think about it: you will have to raise the thumb sooner or later anyway. So I would say “one” is always the thumb (except for freaks like @solost… 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/24 "2024-08-01T22:55:17Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Officially in ASL it’s thumb, fore finger, middle finger. I used to use the 3 middle fingers until I learned the sign language version and then I switched to that. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/25 "2024-08-02T01:19:54Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > So I would say “one” is always the thumb (except for freaks like @solost… 😛 ) But at a sporting event, everyone can see I’m clearly saying ‘ **We’re #1**!’ [![](https://res.cloudinary.com/forallpromos/image/fetch/f_auto/v1617826308/https://www.4allpromos.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/420x420/images/products/541878/415-FNP111180.jpg) ](https://res.cloudinary.com/forallpromos/image/fetch/f_auto/v1617826308/https://www.4allpromos.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/420x420/images/products/541878/415-FNP111180.jpg) You, on the other hand (heh), who knows… ‘good luck’?..‘can I catch a ride after the game’? 🤣 [![](https://files.ekmcdn.com/superfunstuffc/images/thumbs-up-big-foam-hand-7-colours-26612-p.jpg) ](https://files.ekmcdn.com/superfunstuffc/images/thumbs-up-big-foam-hand-7-colours-26612-p.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/26 "2024-08-02T03:57:58Z")
I voted. Slight Hijack, Mods can spoiler if you want… My High School Geography/History teacher was the football coach. A real knucklehead. His entire summation of World War Two was, _“Don’t get near the tanks! Everybody likes to shoot at the tanks!”_ And the rest of the period was spent on how to order beers in Germany. Exactly like this poll. I don’t think he ever figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/27 "2024-08-02T05:39:55Z")
You are not alone. Me two. 😉 FYI, Chinese and Japanese have a whole different way of finger counting to 10. AND, these two Asian countries are not the same. ---
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/28 "2024-08-02T05:45:46Z")
I mis-answered (wrong button) but I use my index, middle, ring fingers to indicate, but thumb, index and middle (and more) to count. I very rarely count with my fingers. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/29 "2024-08-02T05:53:26Z")
Thumb, index, middle for me. Holding index, middle, ring up feels more awkward to me. I also do two with thumb and index finger. “One” I usually do as index, not thumb (which thumb-starting counting systems would do.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/30 "2024-08-02T06:48:32Z")
Index, driving, and ring fingers. That’s how I used to do it. My hands have become pretty arthritic and it’s hard to get more than two fingers to form into anything but a claw or a fist. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/31 "2024-08-02T11:21:24Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > But more generally, Europeans apparently start with the thumb. I’ve been in Switzerland for more than 20 years. Sometime after Inglourious Basterds came out in 2009 I started counting with my thumb. It’s interesting to see my Chinese colleagues use their fingers for keeping track while counting. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/32 "2024-08-02T11:28:11Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I used to use the 3 middle fingers Can you teach me how to do this? I think it will be useful when driving. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/33 "2024-08-02T12:50:02Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Index, **driving** , and ring fingers. (Bolding mine) I’ve never heard of the middle finger referred to as the ‘driving’ finger. Is that a regional thing? Or just you maybe? Anybody else call that finger their driving finger, or heard of it? I’m always curious about regionalisms and colloquialisms. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > > [@hogarth](#): > > > > I used to use the 3 middle fingers > > Can you teach me how to do this? I think it will be useful when driving. 😉 🎶 Three little birds, flipped in my car window… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/34 "2024-08-02T13:19:39Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > I’m probably the only one who picked choice #3. > [@China\_Guy](#): > > You are not alone. Me two. 😉 You two had better be careful of that, you don’t want to be [accused of being a white supremacist](https://decider.com/2021/04/28/jeopardy-fans-split-over-contestant-hand-gesture/). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/35 "2024-08-02T15:26:24Z")
> [@solost](#): > > (Bolding mine) I’ve never heard of the middle finger referred to as the ‘driving’ finger. Is that a regional thing? Or just you maybe? Anybody else call that finger their driving finger, or heard of it? I’m always curious about regionalisms and colloquialisms. It’s just a joke. First indirect reference I recall was someone saying “I broke my middle finger and couldn’t drive for 3 weeks.” I’ve used it here on the board before and in real life. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/36 "2024-08-02T16:51:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s just a joke. First indirect reference I recall was someone saying “I broke my middle finger and couldn’t drive for 3 weeks.” Oh, durrrr. I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that, especially since in the _very same post_ I commented on Cheesesteak’s middle finger driving joke. 🤦‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/37 "2024-08-02T17:32:00Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > This begs the question of how one counts to five on their fingers. Is “one” always the index finger? I start with the index finger and work my way over to the pinkie (4) and the thumb is the last (5) to be counted. starting with left hand 1: thumb 2:thumb+ index 3: idem+middle 4: idem+ring 5: idem + pinkie 6: idem +thumb right hand and so on… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119/38 "2024-08-02T17:48:11Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > I was taught this way for umpiring baseball. Two was always index - pinky. Yup. I’m starting back up reffing football this year, but well before I got into it myself, my dad taught me this way when I was a kid. He was a football umpire for decades. I don’t use a closed fist for “4” off the field, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-display-fingers-on-one-hand-to-show-a-count-of-three-poll/1005119.md?page=1)