įor the lying connotation of crossed fingers, it is believed that early Christians made the cross when they told a lie because it supposedly protected them from the wrath of God. Soldiers made the cross with two of their fingers because it was sometimes impossible to create the symbol with another soldier.
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Whichever explanation is true, the gesture became common during the 14th century when soldiers fighting the Hundred Years’ War crossed their fingers for luck and protection. Then they would cross their index fingers with their thumbs touching. Each made an “L” sign with the thumb and index finger. Back then, two people created the cross symbol differently. Christians were persecuted at the time, so they created several secret symbols, such as the cross, for identification. Others say that the gesture first appeared after Christianity reached Europe. If two people made wishes while creating a single cross with their index fingers together, they believed that the good spirits would be inclined to grant their wishes. A common superstition was that good spirits lived at the intersections of crosses. Some say that the gesture first appeared in pre-Christian Europe.Įurope was a hotbed of superstition at that time. Its origin is disputed, which isn’t surprising as its dual use could indicate two different origins. 7 Crossed FingersĬrossed fingers are used for luck or to indicate a lie or preplanned ploy to renege on a promise. In the 17th century, the Quakers adopted the handshake over concerns that bowing the head or removing a hat did not show equality. Whichever is true, the Quakers were the first to use the handshake as a form of greeting.
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An artifact from the ninth century BC even depicts King Shalmaneser III of Assyria shaking hands with the king of Babylon to seal their alliance. They even moved their hands up and down-just as we do today-to make weapons hidden in their sleeves fall out.Īnother likely origin indicates that the gesture may have begun as a sign of sealing an oath or promise. Men in close contact shook their right hands to prove that they did not have weapons on them. Many agree that the handshake started hundreds of years ago when men moved around with weapons. Like other frequent hand gestures, its origin is somewhat disputed. Ī handshake is the most common hand gesture out there. The British Navy salutes with the palm downward because sailors often had dirty palms. military salute is based on the British Navy salute. military that salutes with the palm facing downward, British soldiers salute with the palm facing outward. The British army later formalized the gesture and turned it into the salute that we know today. Junior soldiers started slapping their hats to greet senior soldiers because removing the hats was a chore. This became an issue in the 1700s when British soldiers started wearing elaborate hats. A third undisputed theory claims that British soldiers created the salute.īefore the 18th century, British soldiers removed their hats to greet higher-ranking soldiers. This is disputed because there is no evidence that Roman soldiers raised their hands in greeting.Īnother theory claims that the gesture originated in medieval Europe when fully dressed knights raised their visors with one hand to show approaching knights that they were friendly. One theory claims that it first appeared in ancient Rome when soldiers raised their hands to greet other soldiers. The origin of the salute is somewhat obscure. The gesture became popular and replaced yelling as a method of showing discontent with a person. At that time, it took on its modern meaning. Italian immigrants introduced the gesture to the U.S. When used to depict a penis, the fingers on either sides of the upright finger represented the testicles. By the 1700s, the gesture meant sexual intercourse or a penis. The term spilled over into ancient Latin where it was called digitus impudicus (“shameless, indecent, or offensive finger”).
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It was used to ridicule a man penetrated during gay sex. The sign did not mean any of these when it originated in ancient Greece.
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It can mean anything from f-k you to f-k off, go f-k yourself, and shove it up your a. The infamous middle finger is one of the most offensive hand gestures out there. Many have changed meanings so much that you may be surprised by their origins. Interestingly, most hand gestures never started with the insulting, neutral, or positive meanings they have today. In fact, the meanings of some hand gestures seem fairly straightforward-like the infamous middle finger. One area of body language isn’t that difficult to interpret. Facial expressions and how someone holds their body are supposed to tell us what a person really means, even if it conflicts with that person’s words. Many people have studied body language to figure out what an individual is saying nonverbally through unconscious gestures or movements.