# the origin of the middle finger

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 6, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995 "2002-12-06T19:25:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DuhCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@DuhCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DuhCow)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/1 "2002-12-06T19:25:21Z")

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where does the middle finger come from? (and please don’t say from the middle of your hand or something equally lame) someone on my dorm floor said it originiated in medeival times when the archers were the most important part of an army, and the opponent would capture them and cut off the two fingers that they used to shoot arrows. then, archers that hadn’t been captured would hold up the two fingers to mock them. does anyone know the answer?  
emma

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**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/2 "2002-12-06T19:38:21Z")

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sounds like you got the 2 finger bit right???  
when i did archery we drew with 3 fingers. but i was not at agincourt:D  
i reckon the middle finger has its origins in the way one cleaned ones trou apre excreta and signified disdain…?🆒

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**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/3 "2002-12-06T19:43:07Z")

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Not derived from archery.

[http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.htm](http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.htm)

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/4 "2002-12-06T19:45:45Z")

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[The Master](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980904.html) knows the answer.

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**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/5 "2002-12-06T19:46:03Z")

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[Here’s what Cecil had to say.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980904.html)

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/6 "2002-12-06T19:46:40Z")

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I thought it came from women pleasuring themselves with their longest digit.

Occam’s razor, people.

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**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/7 "2002-12-06T19:47:22Z")

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Damn. I was almost the first that time - **Earthling** your post wasn’t there when I previewed, honest!

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**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/8 "2002-12-06T19:52:41Z")

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[the fewer the better](http://www.penpens.demon.co.uk/books/ockham.html) 🙂

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**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-middle-finger/140995/9 "2002-12-06T21:16:26Z")

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[http://heritage.stsci.edu/2000/06/keyholenebula/0006t.jpg](http://heritage.stsci.edu/2000/06/keyholenebula/0006t.jpg)

[The finger may have predated us all.](http://heritage.stsci.edu/2000/06/index.html)