I’ve seen it used as a sign of encouragement: pinkie finger and forefinger up, thumb holding down the index finger and ring finger.
It’s not the Shaka sign, with thumb and pinkie finger up.
What’s a forefinger? The best I can come up with is that it’s the same as the index finger.
I assume you’re not talking about the rock n roll sign, right?
On the off chance, you’re thinking of this:
It’s The Shocker. I’ll let you do the research on that one.
Shock and yeow!
mmm
“Hook ‘em Horns!” if you’re around U of Texas fans.
Yeah, “forefinger” to me is the same as “index finger.” I assume you meant “middle finger” where you wrote “index finger.” (Or Canadian English has a different way of naming fingers.)
Anyhow, I always think of it as “rock on!”
“Live long and Rock On!”
Not to be confused with the Hawaiian Shaka sign or the ILY sign.
From the OP…
A similar gesture signifies “I love you” in American Sign Language. It is the the signs for I, L and Y combined.
Maybe people who put the thumb inwards are doing it wrong.
Its not just the shape of the fingers but also:
- was the arm held up or extended?
- palm in or out
- still or motion.
Considering how easy it is to inflect the meanings are of someone doing a simple V [go for victory; go fuck yourself; two beers; peace out] we need the nuance please.
When I have that sign made towards me when I am condemned to be taken by the Devil.
Those too inept to gain entry into a Star Trek convention need all the encouragement they can get.
It sounds like most of us think forefinger and index finger are synonymous, and don’t quite understand what you are describing. Could you post an image of your hand making the gesture? Also, what population demographic is using this gesture? Teens, gang members, sports fans, stock brokers?
Or “Too Sweet” in wrestling circles.
I have two comments:
It’s weird to see a five fingered cartoon hand, they really do draw them with four fingers most of the time.
And, I have a photo of myself displaying the shocker with minor internet celebrity Tron Guy who appeared very unexpectedly as a manufacturer’s, um, exhibit, I guess, at an amateur radio festival. Upon googling, this photo appears to have been in 2007, I think my meet was around 2010: See the last photo at the bottom of the page. He’s a fun guy and is definitely in on the joke.
I think that the OP made a mistake. It should read:
“pinkie finger and forefinger up, thumb holding down the middle finger and ring finger”
He wrote ‘index’ instead of ‘middle’. Just a minor brain fart that I didn’t even notice. I got what he is describing, and didn’t spot the error.
And if you still can’t picture it, it looks like this:
