In Western culture, the middle finger, as in giving/showing someone the middle finger is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent in meaning ‘up yours’. It is performed by showing the back of a hand that has only the middle finger extended upwards, though in some locales, the thumb is extended.
The gesture is usually used to express contempt but can also be used humorously or playfully. It dates back to ancient Greece and it was also used in ancient Rome. Historically, it represented the phallus. In the early 1800s it gained increasing recognition as a sign of disrespect and was used by music artists, celebrities, athletes and politicians.
