Is this accurate, pertaining to Great Britain?

The “V Sign”
The age-old ‘V sign’ comes in two formats: one with the palm faced outwards, and one with the palm inwards. In America the two hand signals mean the same thing – ‘victory’, as popularised by Richard Nixon, or ‘peace and love’, which seemed to become the primary meaning after anti-Vietnam protesters used it during the 60s.
However, if the outside of your hand is facing your target, you’re giving somebody a long-established insult in Great Britain and many English-speaking countries such as Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Winston Churchill famously used the ‘incorrect’ version of the V sign during the early years of the war, switching round later when he’d been told by his advisors that he wasn’t exactly giving the lower social orders a positive message. The V sign is also considered rude in Italy, especially if you place your nose between the two fingers, making the gesture resemble a crude vagina.
I myself have almost seen a fight start as a result of an American tourist ordering drinks in an English pub: when asked how many pints he wanted, he simply stuck two fingers up and looked straight into the eyes of the barman – perfectly normal on the other side of the Atlantic (it’s actually the signal for the number 2 in American Sign Language), but it’s fighting talk to the British.

 

If I remember rightly the use of this symbol by the English (as opposed to the British) was during the Agincourt period.
Apparently the English archers would give the French a two fingered salute to show they still had the fingers required to loose off their arrows; from what I've read, if the French didn't execute captured English archers they would chop off their 'firing' fingers.

 

aarhh, 'flicking the V's'

Not done that for a while, a great English "up yours" expression of mild indignance, we need a smilie that does that.

 

The “V Sign”
The age-old ‘V sign’ comes in two formats: one with the palm faced outwards, and one with the palm inwards. In America the two hand signals mean the same thing – ‘victory’, as popularised by Richard Nixon, or ‘peace and love’, which seemed to become the primary meaning after anti-Vietnam protesters used it during the 60s.
However, if the outside of your hand is facing your target, you’re giving somebody a long-established insult in Great Britain and many English-speaking countries such as Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Winston Churchill famously used the ‘incorrect’ version of the V sign during the early years of the war, switching round later when he’d been told by his advisors that he wasn’t exactly giving the lower social orders a positive message. The V sign is also considered rude in Italy, especially if you place your nose between the two fingers, making the gesture resemble a crude vagina.
I myself have almost seen a fight start as a result of an American tourist ordering drinks in an English pub: when asked how many pints he wanted, he simply stuck two fingers up and looked straight into the eyes of the barman – perfectly normal on the other side of the Atlantic (it’s actually the signal for the number 2 in American Sign Language), but it’s fighting talk to the British.


yep thats right mate. My mate who emigrated to Virginia like to use the V in the US much to the confusion of the recipiant. Normally accompanied by by shouting 'Ave two!!!'.

Kev

 

The V for Victory sign was adopted in the all the western occupied countries as a passive sign of defiance.This passive action was carried out from the suggestion by the British Government via its BBC news broadcasts to occupied countries.

The sign daubed on walls or any surface irritated the Germans so much that they tried to adopt the slogan.Of course the Nazi rallying call remained "Sieg Heil" but the use of the V for Victory was known to be a slogan whose "intellectual rights" were known to be owned by the Allies.

 

when I was in HS, we had 8 or 10 English exchange students in our town (about 7000), mostly staying with my classmates (there were 36 of us). The first week they were here, one of them innocently told one of the locals to go get pissed, f***ed or something to that effect, it's been so long I have about forgotten exactly. Apparently, it has entirely different meaning here than there and were it not for the immediate intervention of one of the hosts, there was about to be a full fledged, grade-A, South Alabama butt-kicking admininstered to the English visitor.

He was trying to ask them if they wanted to get drunk or if they were already drunk by using English slang, when he would have been better off using the direct wording.

 

He was trying to ask them if they wanted to get drunk or if they were already drunk by using English slang, when he would have been better off using the direct wording.

I guess it's an easy mistake to make if you don't know the local slang and culture. In other countries, things we find an insult, they actually acknowledge as a greeting.

 

The V for Victory sign was adopted in the all the western occupied countries as a passive sign of defiance.This passive action was carried out from the suggestion by the British Government via its BBC news broadcasts to occupied countries.


I'd forgotten that the wartime BBC broadcasts were preceded by a Tum, Tum, Tum, Tuum drumbeat. Dot, Dot, Dot, Dash would be the morse code for V.

 

One thing I have noticed about continental Europeans, especially Southern Europeans is that they tend to stand closer together and touch each other more when talking. We Americans don't get that intimate when conversing and other than a handshake or similar introductory greeting, we don't touch each other.

I was raised you never shake a woman's hand unless it is offered, then you don't really "shake" it, you just more or less hold it or give it one gentle shake. Nowadays, that has changed somewhat, especially in the business world, but I still don't shake a woman's hand the same way as man's.

 

One thing I have noticed about continental Europeans, especially Southern Europeans is that they tend to stand closer together and touch each other more when talking. We Americans don't get that intimate when conversing and other than a handshake or similar introductory greeting, we don't touch each other.

I was raised you never shake a woman's hand unless it is offered, then you don't really "shake" it, you just more or less hold it or give it one gentle shake. Nowadays, that has changed somewhat, especially in the business world, but I still don't shake a woman's hand the same way as man's.


Americans like to hug each other. Something I avoid like the plague!

I will never forget the Queen visiting Atlanta. She was taken to a low income housing site and taken into the home of a black woman. This woman proceeded to envelope old Liz in a huge hug!

One does not hug the Queen!

 

Yes, that is true, but once the hugging is all over, we stand further apart than the French, Italians etc.

My family hugs each other, but I don't like to hug people I don't know and really don't like to hug men. Now, women, that's a different story.:p

I shake hands but I really don't like too, considering how many people I see digging for gold up in their noses and how many don't wash their hands after a visit to the toliet. What irks me is for someone to come to my table when I am eating and expect me to shake their hands. YECK! I always act like my hands are greasy so maybe the won't shove their butt-wiping paw in my face wanting me to get that snot, turd or whatever transferred to my hand.

 

I'd forgotten that the wartime BBC broadcasts were preceded by a Tum, Tum, Tum, Tuum drumbeat. Dot, Dot, Dot, Dash would be the morse code for V.

Yes accompanied with Beethoven's 5th.

 

This thread should get the prize for The Most Disconnected Thread of the Month.

 

Pan-European..

 

See? Nazi sentries can at least count up to two despite the syndrome.

 

Beethoven's fifth symphony starts with the morse V. THe symphony was used as the theme music for the 1970s WW2 drama Manhunt




The archers fingers story if probably a myth to explain gesture local to the British Isles. Scots and Irish understand and use it too.

 

The ducks said hello to me either that or pell mell