# Moving Pinky Finger: Could It Have An Unintended Meaning? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2022, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405 "2022-09-11T22:18:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/1 "2022-09-11T22:18:07Z")
I’m working on a small graphic design piece for a charitable cause. The illustration would be a closed hand with its extended pinky finger making a motion like a checkmark. I’m wondering if moving a pinky finger in such a manner might have some cultural meaning I’m unaware of it. For example, I’ve checked the American Sign Language alphabet and know that an extended pinky can be a letter “I” or “J”, but I don’t know if a moving pinky might suggest a particular word. Maybe a flying pinky has a known meaning in some culture or sub-culture. Maybe comedians or influencers make pinky checkmarks to indicate that they’ve scored some type of point? In the U.S. if you mime drinking from a cup while extending your pinky it implies excessive refinement or pretension. That shouldn’t apply to my graphic, but is there some other meaning that might come into play? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/2 "2022-09-11T22:34:38Z")
Extended pinky is an insult indicating a small penis. I doubt that this connotation would come into play here unless the charitable cause is free psychological counseling for men with small penises - although I guess then it actually makes sense as “small penis okay”! Pinky finger making a checkmark does strike me as an _odd_ gesture, but maybe the context makes it work. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/3 "2022-09-11T23:19:21Z")
I immediately thoughts of the sign language J, as the motion sounds similar. I could drawing a J tail first with the pinky and moving fist looking like a checkmark. Though the pinky finger itself doesn’t move independently in that sign, it’s possible that might be a bit of shorthand (pun noted). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/4 "2022-09-12T01:26:40Z")
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.” ― Omar Khayyám ---
**Author:** ![Gryphea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@Gryphea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gryphea)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/5 "2022-09-12T15:47:07Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Extended pinky is an insult indicating a small penis hence all the fist fights in English tea-rooms ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/6 "2022-09-12T18:11:49Z")
In Japan, the extended pinkie is a sign meaning “girlfriend,” often the mistress of a married man. If any of your marketing is going to Japan, that could be awkward. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/7 "2022-09-12T22:06:21Z")
Maybe the charity has a fund raising goal of … ![](https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMXB0YzFvM3BwNWJxcnp4ZHp3Y3p1ZzZpa254N3kyZTJ5YXNjeDh5eiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/sEULHciNa7tUQ/200.gif "Austin Powers Doctor Evil GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY") > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > In Japan, the extended pinkie is a sign meaning “girlfriend,” often the mistress of a married man. I How is this gesture used? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/8 "2022-09-13T03:12:10Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > How is this gesture used? I think usually you have the lightly closed fist with the pinkie out, with the hand rotated so the pinkie is closer to your body. It’s usually a confidential sort of gesture, just to show you know (or just as a question), not a public accusation. At least that’s the way I’ve seen it used. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-pinky-finger-could-it-have-an-unintended-meaning/971405/9 "2022-09-13T04:16:41Z")
I guess I meant the context more than the mechanics of the hand. Like a wink? “Where’s Harold? He said he would come by to watch the game with us.” _pinkie_ “Oh, that dog.”