# How Do You Show Three Fingers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759 "2010-03-08T19:39:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/1 "2010-03-08T19:39:06Z")
A minor plot point in recent movie is the fact that one culture stereotypically manually indicates the number 3 by showing their ring, middle, and index finger while making a circle with their thumb and pinkie; another culture does so by showing the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, while holding the ring finger against the palm. How do you do it? As for me, I’ve always done the index, middle and ring finger. Born and raised in the Midwestern US. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/2 "2010-03-08T19:42:24Z")
Index, middle and ring fingers here. But I had to think about it. Middle, ring and little finger might also work. I definitely wouldn’t use my thumb. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/3 "2010-03-08T19:42:45Z")
Grew up doing the ring, middle, and index finger way. Many years ago, I took a year of American Sign Language and changed to thumb, index finger, and middle finger. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/4 "2010-03-08T19:59:44Z")
I answered with the US-index-middle-ring because that’s what I do most. There are times when I’ll hold up pinky-ring-middle for no special reason. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/5 "2010-03-08T20:09:56Z")
Depends on whether I’m counting or showing. If I’m just trying to indicate the number to someone, I use first, middle, ring. If I’m counting, it’s thumb, first, middle. ---
**Author:** ![davekhps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@davekhps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davekhps)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/6 "2010-03-08T20:11:17Z")
Ahhh, someone also watched (in my case, re-watched) _Inglourious Basterds_ recently… ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/7 "2010-03-08T20:43:28Z")
I use Middle, Ring and Little finger, basically making a splayed OK sign. I have very little flexibility in my hands and this is easier as when I use my thumb, it can be interpeted as a two. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/8 "2010-03-08T20:59:07Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > A minor plot point in recent movie Hmm, this recent movie didn’t happen to win any major awards, did it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/9 "2010-03-08T21:23:18Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > Ahhh, someone also watched (in my case, re-watched) _Inglourious Basterds_ recently… I was wondering who was going to come crashing in and unnecessarily name the movie, thereby lessening the tension of the scene for those who haven’t seen the movie yet. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/10 "2010-03-08T21:26:19Z")
Thumb, index, pinky. Because I fucking _rock_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/11 "2010-03-08T21:29:57Z")
I actually haven’t seen the movie. But I am pretty sure that I picked up the habit of counting that way in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/12 "2010-03-08T21:31:04Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > I was wondering who was going to come crashing in and unnecessarily name the movie, thereby lessening the tension of the scene for those who haven’t seen the movie yet. I was wondering how long it was going to take. Less than ten posts. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/13 "2010-03-08T21:32:13Z")
[Joel Plaskett’s latest album cover](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ef/Plaskett_Three_album_cover.jpg) demonstrates that, in Nova Scotia at least, index-middle-ring finger is more common. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/14 "2010-03-08T21:32:31Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I use Middle, Ring and Little finger, basically making a splayed OK sign. > > I have very little flexibility in my hands and this is easier as when I use my thumb, it can be interpeted as a two. I do this about half the time too, but since it wasn’t an option I chose index, middle, ring, which is the other way I do it. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/15 "2010-03-08T21:43:03Z")
Ever since I took American Sign Language, I do it with the thumb, index, and middle. Since I teach high school math, the kids comment on it sometimes, but it usually goes unnoticed until I sign numbers higher than 5 for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/16 "2010-03-08T22:31:57Z")
Pinkie, ring, middle. It’s easier. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/17 "2010-03-08T22:35:40Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Pinkie, ring, middle. It’s easier. Me too. I make the “OK” sign, with thumb and index making a circle, and extending the middle, ring, and pinkie. I was a baseball catcher for a very long time and that is how it’s done when signalling the pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/18 "2010-03-08T22:52:37Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Pinkie, ring, middle. It’s easier. Me too, showing the back of my hand. ---
**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/19 "2010-03-08T22:57:47Z")
I show “the shocker” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/20 "2010-03-08T23:01:11Z")
I learned while in Europe to start with the thumb, even if you are indicating the number 1, and count upward from there. But then, there’s the whole fork/knife thing too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759.md?page=2)