# The Middle Finger **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2000, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-finger/7395 "2000-02-17T00:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Okarra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4da419/32.png) [@Okarra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okarra)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-finger/7395/1 "2000-02-17T00:22:00Z")
Where did the gesture of showing someone you’re mad at “the finger” come from? ---
**Author:** ![Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nu_Vo_Da_Da)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-finger/7395/2 "2000-02-17T00:29:00Z")
What is the gesture by which you show that you’re mad at “the finger” again? (I think I missed this one in American gestures 101) ---
**Author:** ![Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nu_Vo_Da_Da)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-finger/7395/3 "2000-02-17T00:31:00Z")
As for “the finger” itself, I do believe that Cecil has already covered this one… [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980904.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980904.html) (if thats what you were really asking) ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-finger/7395/4 "2000-02-17T04:30:00Z")
how did the term ‘the birdie’ or ‘the bird’ originate?