# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/41 "2010-03-12T05:55:05Z")
For those of you that know ASL, what’s the difference between the ASL “6” and the ASL “W”? ---
**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 12, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/42 "2010-03-12T05:57:27Z")
> [@ragerdude](#): > > For those of you that know ASL, what’s the difference between the ASL “6” and the ASL “W”? The “W” is held while the six is a quick touch along with context. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/43 "2010-03-12T06:03:58Z")
US non thumb, but immediately clued the scene from my own military days and thought, dude you are sooo busted. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/44 "2010-03-12T08:26:25Z")
I did say “index, middle and ring” but there is a caveat: I do it like that if I only have to show 3. If I’m counting, it’s “thumb, index, middle.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/45 "2010-03-12T08:53:22Z")
I didn’t vote, as it depends upon where I am. In the US, no thumb. In Germany, thumb plus two. You only have to go to a bar in Berlin and try to order TWO beers (American style with fingers) to very quickly learn you have ordered THREE. After you pay for three, you never make that mistake again…although to be quite honest, it was not exactly a problem to get rid of that third beer, but still… ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/46 "2010-03-12T11:36:50Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I didn’t vote, as it depends upon where I am. > In the US, no thumb. > In Germany, thumb plus two. Ditto this. Also, I saw the film in question, and knew as soon as the guy flashed with his hands that he’d be caught out. I even wondered if the average American would realize why, since they don’t explain it until a bit later. The other dead give away for me is the way Europeans (or at least Germans) eat with their knife and fork. Americans cannot generally eat that way - no idea if Brits or Canadians can. Maybe when I help QT with his next film we’ll use that one. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759/47 "2010-03-12T11:58:14Z")
No thumb here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-show-three-fingers/531759.md?page=2)