Holding up your two fingers can mean lots of different things. The other gestures for drinking, e.g. The British gesture - the two-fingered "v" with the palm facing inward - is a "double phallus", Dr Morris quips. The image makes the claim that the gesture derives from English soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt, France in 1415. "I expressed my displeasure to him, let's put it this way," Deepak Obhrai told a Canadian newspaper. This should make a kind of knot with those two fingers, with the index finger straight and the middle finger twisted around it. You should also ensure that the remember taps are slower and/ or gentler than the crazy taps. Having said all that, the V sign is a particularly annoying gesture, even when done accidently, so visitors need to be very careful when ordering two drinks or two stamps in the UK, making sure they turn their hand around to make the peace gesture. Put your right hand in front of your stomach with the palm facing down and twist your wrist clockwise and anticlockwise to make a screwing motion with your hand (without moving your arm up and down or side to side). Could it have been a variation on the single middle finger that also involves a speedy upward motion? It can also mean 'peace'; for example 'Peace . Moonman recently wrote in about the history of hand gestures. Two-finger salute - Wikipedia This is the closest thing to a specifically British gesture, being used in only a couple of other countries and being misunderstood and misused even by Americans. Beachcombing would bet that Churchill hadnt the slightest idea and that no one who did know dared tell him. Move your finger in a circle at right angles to your body, starting by going up and away from your body and then coming back down and towards your body. For example, if two colleagues are arguing and you think that the conversation isnt going anywhere, you can make this gesture. It is saying, 'this is a phallus' that you're offering to people, which is a very primeval display.". The gesture has the same meaning as the British slang insult, "wanker", or might indicate a failure or waste in other countries. However, particularly with children it could also be because crossing your fingers is supposed to take away the sin from lying. By: Alex Case UsingEnglish.com is partnering with Gymglish to give you a free one-month trial of this People in service situations such as department store staff should therefore be careful not to shrug when asked questions (however unreasonable those questions may be). However, some people also use it to get their fists ready to punch someone with, so it could also mean If you say one more thing about my sister, Im going to kill you. Dont you think thats a bit too much? Mime shooting yourself in the head with your index finger and middle finger as the barrel of the gun and your thumb as the hammer. Instead, it is usually better to say Just a moment/ minute/ second/ sec/ mo while you hold up your right index finger to show the one meaning of the a in that phrase. It wasnt Beethovens Fifth! You can also do the same thing if you have failed at something or only managed to do something ridiculously short and/ or easy. (I cant believe you have messed this up again) or Youve really put me in a difficult position, but sometimes also at yourself as in I cant believe I did that, similar to the face palm above. Another variation of the middle finger is used, where all the fingers but the middle one are spread wide while moving the hand back and forth in the axis the middle finger creates. "The middle finger is the penis and the curled fingers on either side are the testicles. Putting your closed fists on your hips only has the annoyance meaning, perhaps emphasised by putting your fists on your hips quite aggressively, frowning, breathing out through your nostrils, or even your face turning red. When did the middle finger become offensive? - BBC News Find out the real meaning of gestures in Britain - Learn English The Top 10 Hand Gestures You'd Better Get Right - Language Trainers To make the gesture, start with just your index finger up and your hand sideways. It is often a sign of satisfaction, almost like patting yourself on the back. This article goes through the most common rude gestures in the UK, starting with ones which are least likely to be understood by people from other countries. Even this should not be overused, and although you may come across British university professors who emphasise almost everything in this way, it obviously loses all impact and can become annoying if you use it too much. It is most often used by someone at the back of the presentation room to tell the presenter that they have to bring their presentation to a close. Yet, I have not come across any account where it is mentioned and I cannot believe that it would be down to British reserve and embarrassment that it is absent, for there are accounts by ordinary soldiers as well as officers, yet nary a mention have I come across, suggesting that the gesture could be quite modern. The 'middle finger salute' did not derive from the defiant gestures of English archers whose fingers had been severed at the Battle of Agincourt. However, some people do knock themselves on their forehead as a kind of joke. British Vs. American Gestures? - englishforums.com Indeed, as he walks up and down the stairs he feels as if his head is banging on the walls on either side. This means What an obviously stupid thing to say or do, often aimed at yourself (as in I cant believe I just did that) but sometimes at other people (as in You idiot.