ADULTS ONLY - 18+

RUDE HAND GESTURES

Every hand gesture on this page is considered extremely rude and offensive. In addition, every hand gesture is sexual in its origin. One observation is that the gestures refer to acts of sex that have often been considered "perversions". In particular, two acts seem to dominate - those of masturbation and anal sex.

The "wanker”, "Dick Head", "the Fig" and "Middle finger" all have Masturbatory origins. The "V-sign", "bum Jab", Your Anus and "Fist you" are all connect to anal penetration.

Once the true origins of these signs are understood, their offensive nature becomes clear. In the case of masturbation, organised religions have decried and punished its practice for centuries if not millennia. Even in modern time’s masturbation, "self abuse" or "wanking" is an embarrassing subject seen as the act of a person who has failed to have "real" sex. This is fundamentally ridiculous as recent honest surveys have discovered that more than 90% of men and 80% of women regularly engage in this intimately private act.

With regard to the second category the connotation is even clearer. Not only has religion been opposed to anal sex of any kind, the act itself is often (but not always) unpleasant and humiliating for the person on the receiving end. It is seen as the ultimate submission. Sodomy takes its name from the Biblical city of Sodom where, according to the Old Testament, its inhabitants were more than obsessed by the act. When the people of Sodom eventually tried to "sodomise" some Angels that had visited the city, God lost his patience and destroyed the city and all living there.

It is worth noting that "anal sex" is once again becoming acceptable in many modern cultures. For male / female couples it is a way of having intercourse without the possibility of pregnancy, for male to male relationships it is the very basis of physical sex.

Either way, an insult that is based on a person’s most intimate and private acts has a tremendous ability to insult and offend. Some psychologists believe that this is based in many people's essential dishonesty about their sexuality and the cultural training that screams "perversion".

Wanker: The fist is clenched loosely as if an invisible phallus is between the fingers and palm. The hand is then jerked backwards and forwards. This rude gesture mimics the act of male masturbation. It is most commonly used in a male to male situation about a third person. Strangely, in this case it tends to imply a "fool" and has a toned-down sexual connation. When used by a woman to insult a man the slur is far more serious and tends to suggest that the man is either unfit or incapable of having true sex with a woman. It is common in the United Kingdom

The Middle Finger: This gesture has often been described as a representation of the male penis and, as such, means "fuck you". In actual fact its origins lie in the standard formation used when a man uses his hand to penetrate and masturbate a woman's vagina. It is also very similar to the hand formation that a woman uses to masturbate herself. In this case the middle (longest) finger is used for clitoral stimulation or vaginal penetration while the other fingers may be clenched as indicated on the left or extended to "cup' the pudenda. Its modern meaning is "fuck you!"

The Bum Jab: This is the rude variation of the thumbs up hand gesture. In this case the thumb is angled forward and closer to the index finger. The fist is held at waist height and jabbed forward simulating the thumb's penetration of an invisible anus. One (dubious) story is that Roman rulers would "bless" a marriage by having intercourse with the bride and groom. Should the ruler have reservations about penetrating the man with his phallus he would use his thumb. This can be seen acted out by Malcolm McDowell in the "uncut version" of the 1979/80 film "Caligula". It broadly means, "I can fuck your ass".

Your Anus / Asshole: "Often confused with the "OK" hand gesture, the rudeness of this sign varies quite considerably from country-to-country. In Mediterranean lands and the South Americas its use is likely to get you seriously injured. However, it is not uncommon to see it used in America as a way of one man telling another that they're "talking out of their Ass". The key difference between this hand gesture and the OK sign is that the middle, ring and little fingers are curved rather than extend straight. It is easy to see how people that are unfamiliar with the "OK" sign might react badly to its use.

You've Been Cuckolded, Uocchio e maluocchio: This is reasonably common in Italy - and Naples in particular. The hand is held up and the fingers are extended as shown. The wrist is swiveled back and forth. In Naples it is usually used by women to a insult a man and implies that he has been "cuckolded" or in simpler terms - his wife (girlfriend) is having an affair. Shown by one man to another it is considered very serious "Fighting Talk" and is one of the worst hand gestures that can be made. Its inappropriate use will usually result in physical violence.

Finger and Balls: This is essentially the same rude hand gesture as "the middle finger" except that the index and ring fingers are pulled back to suggest two testicles. The little finger is often separated from the hand formation and extended to the side. Unlike the Middle finger gesture that has masturbatory origins, this sign is meant to represent a man's penis. However, the meaning of "fuck you" or "up yours" is the same for both. An interesting point is that it is quite a hard gesture to master (try it yourself) and thus has the added intensity of being intended rather than responsive.

The V-Sign: This is a distinctly British gesture that other nationalities may fail to recognise. One story of its origin is that the at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) the Deputy of the French king, Constable Charles d'Albret threatened to cut off the fingers of the much feared British longbow archers after he had defeated them. It was not to be. Tthe outnumbered archers slaughtered the French, won the battle and then waved their two (drawstring) fingers at the retreating enemy. This story ties in with its common meaning of "Piss off". Its origin is actually more likely to have been from the act of double penetration masturbation.

The Forearm Jerk / Fist Your Ass: This rude hand gesture is "super-sized" variation of the "middle finger" or "fuck you" sign. The fist is raised and the opposite hand slapped onto the forearm suggesting full sexual penetration. It is often seen as a taunt to fight and not just an insult. A variation is when the middle finger is extended too. This is a broadly American / Portuguese evolution of a rude hand gesture that may have originated in Central Europe. One source claims that it is also called the bras d' honneur, or the arm of honour, which is a euphemism for a gross sexual insult.

The Fig: The mano fico (literally ‘fig hand’) is believed to be of Roman origin and originally meant good luck or fertility. The sexual connotation derives from the hand’s similarity to a woman’s vagina (fica is often Italian slang for “vulva”), The tip of thumb is supposed to represent the clitoris. As can be seen from the above picture, the fist forces blood to the thumb thus making it a darker (clitoral) red. However, used today its meaning is generally equivalent to “fuck you!” This hand sign is highly insulting to Turks and Italians. Asian Indians may well see this as a threatening gesture.

Your Anus / Asshole: Resembling a sphincter, this rude hand gesture is very similar to "The Shell" but is held at head or shoulder height and then jerked forwards and backwards. It generally means that the insulted person should "talk to (or lick) my Ass". As a rude hand gesture it is no longer common. An unverified source claims that it was used by 17th and 18th century horsemen who would make the gesture over their shoulders at the those behind them thus indicating that all slower riders can only see the horse's arse. If so, This would make it the earliest form of "Eat my Dust!"

All images used are of models that have assumed poses for photographic purposes. Thesee images in no way imply any negative characteristic about these individuals.

 “It's a rather rude gesture, but at least it's clear what you mean.”
Katharine Hepburn (1907 –2003) Iconic American actress