# Pull my finger, or Talk to the hand **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240 "2003-12-01T10:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/1 "2003-12-01T10:59:53Z")
“Talk to the hand”. “Pull my finger”. How did these two phrases originate? I know what they mean, but I’d like to get the history if someone knows it. As in, what book, TV show, movie, pop-culture-item they were spawned in, how they entered mainstream usage, whether they were part of a fad that is now dead (cf _1920s style death rays_), and so on and so forth. All information is welcome. Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/2 "2003-12-02T00:54:09Z")
Oh come on! Surely _someone_ has something to say? Information, a smartass remark even? \ ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/3 "2003-12-02T01:04:29Z")
Well, I distinctly remember the “Pull my finger” line from Beavis and Butthead, where Butthead asks Beavis to [pull his finger](http://www.yelochili.com/sons/famous_snd/beavis&buth/Finger.wav) and promptly rips a loud gaseous anal emission. Can’t help you with “Talk to the hand”. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/4 "2003-12-02T01:50:12Z")
I’ve heard ‘pull my finger’ most of my life (born 1965). ‘Talk to the hand’ I first heard around '99. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/5 "2003-12-02T02:23:39Z")
“a fad that is now dead” ? The Happy Schnapps Combo’s [Pull My Finger](http://my.execpc.com/~sjkrautk/album4lyrics.html) polka (1996) still gets plenty of airplay in some parts of the country. ---
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/6 "2003-12-02T03:06:03Z")
If I remember John Goodman’s interpretation of Babe Ruth correctly, Ruth was the genius who first made “Pull My Finger” popular among the intelligentsia. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/7 "2003-12-02T07:25:21Z")
Interesting so far. Never knew the “pull my finger” reference was quite that old. I don’t mean what I seem to be saying about your age there, **bup**! Anyone know more? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/8 "2003-12-02T07:54:25Z")
I was born in 1962, and I recall the ‘pull my finger’ silliness when I was in grade school. ‘Talk to the hand’ I don’t recall seeing until the most recent 2 years, maybe even more recently. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/9 "2003-12-02T08:02:34Z")
> [@](#): > > If I remember John Goodman’s interpretation of Babe Ruth correctly, Ruth was the genius who first made “Pull My Finger” popular among the intelligentsia. I don’t have any real references for this, but it seems like some avuncular type in Sumerian times _HAD_ to have come up with the connection between pulling your finger and breaking wind. I mean, people didn’t just start farting, and there have been wacky uncles and randy granddads since time immemorial. That one has to be ancient. Much like the ever popular “You go, Girl,” “Talk to the Hand” came into being because of the Ricki Lake show, I believe. Those crazy loud black girls on that show did more to suburban slang than anything else ever did, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/10 "2003-12-02T18:12:14Z")
I had heard “Talk to the Hand.” in late 1995. I am in Chicago. It was a black women thing. They would put their hand in front of them, palm forward, and say “talk to the hand, 'cause the ears are not listening.” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/11 "2003-12-02T18:30:13Z")
Given a choice I think I’d rather talk to your hand. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-my-finger-or-talk-to-the-hand/216240/12 "2003-12-03T01:15:33Z")
So that takes care of “talk to the hand”. Thanks, **Mr. B** , **Markxxx**. Anyone for a specific “pull my finger” answer?? (And **lieu** , given your propensities and reputation on the boards, I’m thoroughly shocked at your choice!)