Rude Hand Gestures in Scotland / Britain / UK

Here is a list of all the rude hand gestures and things you should never do in Scotland, Britain or the UK including; England, Wales and Ireland.
So sit back, relax and try not to get mortally offended as I take you through my list.
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[@WeeScottishLass]

Slight amendment to what I said in the video: UK includes Northern Ireland and Britain is England, Wales and Scotland. However I am sure most of these gestures go for most English speaking nations, but let me know in the comments below =D

[@jacksonokane4176]

WeeScottishLass the reverse peace sign is the same in NZ but my family's very British so its hard to tell if its my country or not

[@jacksonokane4176]

shlibber ye true half of kiwi culture is like this

[@amberhiggins6327]

New Zealand was part of the British Empire. People from the UK settled there were in was apart of the Empire. That's why the British is on the New Zealand flag.

[@amberhiggins6327]

shlibber, I once new a Women from New Zealand. In the 90's I new the U.S was Fascinated with New Zealand and its culture.

[@michelleflood8220]

shlibber same in Australia I'm of Irish descent myself !!

[@graemegardner8962]

The two finger gesture is known as the Agincourt salute. During the Hundred Years War between England and France, English bowmen would use the two fingers to show the French that they still had their two fingers as when captured by the French, the French would cut off their fingers. hence the two fingered salute.

[@amberhiggins6327]

The 2 fingers gone means that can't shoot a bow either and sometime they were Welsh in the English army.

[@graemegardner8962]

I was aware of Welshmen in the English Army. They were rather essential to victory.

[@randomcrap4230]

I knew it had something to do with cutting off the "shooting" fingers but couldn't remember what. Thanks!

[@arindam77]

Graeme, read a different version of this story, the captured English Longbow men archers had their index fingers removed by the french, At a later date those released POWs were again fighting in the English ranks and they managed to shoot arrows with their thumb and middle finger, hence the middle finger salute.

[@laurenmacdougall4569]

I heard a similar story, but when a bowman was captured their middle finger were cut off. So to insult the other side you'd show your middle finger ("plucking" finger) as a f**k you! Lol

[@BarryEuphorik]

Yup, a lesson I learned when I was a kid was the whistle thing. A workman wolf whistled at my mum who then stopped and shouted up to him "What's wrong? Have you lost yer dug?". Probably a little bit different to the whistle that you talked about but still rude all the same... but my mums response was brilliant.

[@kentcarter6547]

What a perfect reply! High five to your mom!

[@daniellinares2446]

I just realised that in the Trainspotting poster, Begbie (Robert Carlyle) does that backwards peace hand gesture and now it makes total sense. Thanks!

[@michaelwarner4047]

My son left me hanging once, called him a jerk. He was 10.

[@NikkiM.]

Good man.

[@writer15131]

"You're probably tring to hit your screen." *said after I already hit the screen three times*

[@agoogleuser4443]

When you first held your hand up for a high five, I thought you meant you were going to wave at someone. I couldn't figure out why it would be rude to wave in the UK, as it's very friendly here in America. Glad you clarified that one

[@bethanymacdonald1389]

The odd thing is in Greece it's bad

[@markjones952]

That's a good idea for a video, Mosco. Tipping standards in Scotland.

[@kirithekitsune3599]

Basically, the two fingers sign comes from the battle of Agincourt during the 100 years war with Britain and France, and the french would cut off the bow firing fingers of British longbowmen when they captured them so if they escaped, their deadly long bows couldn't be fired.

[@thedukeofskull1383]

High five... A friend tryed to high five me a couple of times so I ticked the palm of his hand. We both started laughing about it 😀. I use to try to avoid "high fives", I practice "iron palm technique", I use sand bags to build my hands to break bricks with a slap. 😋😋😋

[@jodiipodiigames]

The backwards peace sign used to be the go to pose for American tween girls. I have plenty of pictures of myself doing that gesture from my Myspace days. Oops 😂

[@ShawnRavenfire]

I remember seeing a lot of pictures of girls doing this, with the accompanying duck-face pursed lips. It comes from the Crips, who used it to identify fellow gang members, but non-gang-members just misinterpreted it as a trendy pose.

[@jodiipodiigames]

Shawn Ravenfire exactly haha

[@slade307]

Going further back in time, I seem to recall some dances from like the 60s that involved moving the backwards peace sign across your eyes. Even Adam West as Batman did it.

[@saoirsepaddy]

I never heard of this The backwards peace sign used to be the go to pose for American tween girls I been all over American ! Maybe only in your Town you guys use backwards peace sign for tween girls

[@arrowsplayground]

scott ford it's actually normal here. Idk where you traveled

[@bradleyanderson4315]

Two gestures that can get you in trouble in some countries are the "okay" sign and the thumbs up. In the US showing the palm of the hand and pushing it slightly forward can mean "stop right there" "or "don't come any closer". Holding the side of the right hand forward with the flat left hand over it, forming a T, means time out or wait a minute.

[@whatever-wb4vu]

That was the most proud middle finger I have ever seen

[@user-yj3kn4fe7h]

My understanding is the middle finger, what is sometimes referred to as 'The Bird'(at least in America and Canada) was derived from English longbow archers essentially flipping off enemy troops after loosing a volley. The middle finger is the primary finger for firing a bow. It usually resulted in archers middle being cut off if the enemy managed to capture them.

[@neonknight27]

in the us, snapping your finger is sometimes used to discreetly get someones attention, like a kid who is misbehaving or is otherwise behaving inappropriately but the current setting doesnt allow you to call their name. it carries a connotation of scolding most of the time

[@reagandedman9013]

Usually people will say high-five!! When they are wanting to give you a high-five but in America that could also mean stop or "I have had enough" or something in that area it could also mean that you are done talking to someone and you are saying "talk to the hand"

[@MrZarewna]

I could never talk to waiter/waitress like "Hey John, could you give me a beer?", not even "Excuse me waiter, could you come here for a moment?". For me it's mostly "Excuse me", I know right, as if they are nothing but a excuse :D In Finland people mostly just watch waiter until they see that you are looking and they'll come. If nobody notices you watching them, then you'll try to gesture with a wave and say "excuse me". That's just our culture. Also it's really hard to go visit any other countries where you need to tip, because we don't do that. It's always weird if somebody actually tips you, almost rude like "You think I don't make enough money myself?".

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

yes also eating with our hands is considered rude - unless we live in a culture that lives off the land. Funny how being civilized means being separated from the truth of ecology.

[@kaylamcook696]

I hadn't heard that snapping and whistling were rude but I know I definitely find them offensive. It's pretty demeaning to have someone try to get your attention that way. I would never do that to another adult, to a child, or even to a pet. It's just so rude but for some reason it is a really common thing to do in the US and apparently elsewhere too. I must say I am guilty of the pointing thing but not in a rude way and only to people I know well, sort of in a joking way, in the same way that I would only do the middle finger to a friend in a joking manner.

[@TheMaru666]

Kayla M Cook in spain ia also very rude to call the waiter that way .

[@thatredmanguy]

Snapping you're fingers to get someone's attention can be pretty rude in some parts of America as well.

[@mrclarkson3812]

Thats funny in 2002 ,my 3 kids / wife visited London and drove up to Lincoln England...My family rented a car in London,and drove North...In London ,you are either getting cut off/cutting someone off/or not moving....I adapted to this :),cutting people off....And I was told my English friend linda when we arrived,the English are so cool !!!You can cut them off and they don't get mad,they give you the peace sighn...My English friend Linda explained,that was not the peace sign... Wow,we always run into something odd when overseas or out of region..

[@lazyperfectionist1]

I understood the rest of these fine, but then you put up your open palm and I was puzzled. But then you mentioned that it was for a high five and I understood.

[@Inconcvable77]

Thanks for doing this!! Didn't know about the " peace" sign difference.

[@rymara1]

Haha in America it's basically the same, except in restaurants most people will be patient and wait until their server is passing by and say something like "excuse me when you have a moment could I get a coffee" or try to make eye contact with them instead of yelling their name. Once in awhile there's some rude snob but not often. We generally tip 15% or whatever we can afford. But if the server sucks there will be no tip and maybe even a complaint to the manager.

[@adamtrusty28]

I was taught the middle finger stems from the archer thing, that the French would cut off the index finger of captured archers so the archers would flip the middle finger basically saying look we can still use the middle finger to shoot you

[@tinamarie2121]

I am sooo tempted to get my hair cut like yours.

[@borxofficial9594]

I never give someone else a high five, handshake, or anything having to do with touching bc I just find it weird and I'm not a social person and I would fuck it up anyways.

[@tlfreeland7941]

The middle finger is a phallic gesture. The finger is the penis and the folded down fingers are the balls. Originated in Greece and later Rome. Meaning....self explanatory.

[@gdcompton1920]

So did I!

[@djmarrs61]

I thought the middle finger gesture originated from long ago when people used their middle finger to wipe their bum, sans any kind of toilet paper. Showing someone that finger was therefore an insult.

[@waterspigot8404]

Actually, the origin of the middle finger is similar to the archers using the two fingers. When men would use gun at that time, the middle finger was the trigger finger. When the enemy (whichever seemed to be causing the most problems at the time) would capture soldiers, they would remove this finger so the men couldn't use their guns and therefore were useless. SO, when a group of soldiers would come across a small band of them or ride past a town, they would show their middle finger to give warning to anyone around that they still had their trigger finger intact.

[@agoogleuser4443]

Not sure where you guys are from, but in the American south, flipping the bird means "go to hell."

[@peterpike]

Maddy -- That's definitely a myth. Having been at a shooting range dozens of times and having fired revolvers, shot guns, rifles, and handguns....there's not a single weapon that would not have been *more* difficult to use if I tried shooting it with my middle finger. All you have to do is look at the trigger and ask yourself, "If I pull that with my middle finger, *where am I going to put my index finger*?" The ONLY location is to press it against the barrel. When you pull the trigger on a weapon, it causes an explosion of gunpowder to propel the bullet. Explosions produce HEAT. The barrel of a weapon is made of metal. Metal gets hot fast. If you have to put your index finger against the barrel to fire the weapon, after a few shots you're just burning your finger. For that matter, you don't even need to fire a real weapon to know that it's easier for you to use your index finger to pull the trigger. Just get a water pistol or a bb gun and try shooting ten times quickly with your middle finger and then ten times quickly with your index finger. Unless you've had tendon injuries, it's going to be easier to use your index finger. Which actually brings up the last point. If you do lose your middle finger, you can still pull the trigger with your index finger with no difficulty whatsoever. Cutting off the middle finger of enemy soldiers would hardly make them useless, but it would make them hate you more.... No, As Tracy said, the middle finger is a phallic symbol. That's why it's rude. It's also why it's meaning is synonymous with the F word.

[@whiskeycowboy1335]

with you flipping the camera off, and asking if we're annoyed... I couldn't be annoyed because your accent is absolutely the best thing ever!!! cheers to ya!

[@Alaaxx93]

Im moving to Scotland soon im from the middle east and i know nothing about the Scottish culture, these videos are very helpful

[@williamrodriguez-pupo1221]

I Thought the hand held up was "Talk To The Hand" Insult!

[@PaulKettlebones]

The backwards peace sign originated from the English longbowmen after they defeated the French at Agincourt. As the French knights were retreating as I recall.

[@JEMCochran49]

I learned about the peace sign thing in Hong Kong. I was walking by some construction workers and flipped them the peace sign...or so I thought. They became very agitated and flipped me back in what I perceived to be hostile in intent. After describing the interaction with a fellow shipmate, he explained the difference.

[@JEMCochran49]

shlibber I was actually there when they were a British possession.

[@donovanfoto3263]

That first one is the Hawaiian Good Luck symbol. That goes back to 1968, the crew of the US PUEBLO was captured by North Korea, in international waters. During the captivity they would 'salute ' each other with this as a joke against their captors saying it was the Hawaiian Good Luck gesture.

[@drifterafloat]

I was taught, by my pastor actually, that to point at someone like that is actually an attack. I think this is pretty appropriate because it is usually combined with some sort of verbal assault. From that day on I've never pointed at anybody in that manner.

[@jacktribble5253]

Being from the South Eastern US, Pointing the index finger is an insult and a threat gesture. And the closer you get the more of a threat it becomes. If you actually tap the sternum with the index finger you have instigated a physical conflict. One that could easily end in the fatality of the bully in question.

[@JHowOfficial]

This is embarrassing to say, but I wanted to learn these things as I'm going to England for two weeks and don't want to accidentally be rude without realizing it lol I couldn't remember if the two-fingered flip off was real or not, and it is, so good thing I looked it up. Great video! Earned a sub

[@amartyadav]

I'm moving to Scotland in 6 months. I'm an Indian. Your video really helped! Thank you so much!

[@masonsturm3377]

From Houston, TX here. I knew them all, but I have to say that I love what you said about learning the waiters name! I always use their name and if they don't tell me or don't have a name tag, I always ask... I've waited tables before, and people can be so incredibly rude! I feel the same way about tipping... even if the service wasn't that good, I still tip well... always 18-20% AT LEAST! Stop being rude AND cheap, people! You only make yourself look like an ass! Lol. Not to mention, these wonderful people have to not only put up with your crap for barely a few dollars an hour (have no idea how much waiters make in the UK), but all the while resisting the urge to do something rude back... I mran, these people have control over your food before you ever see it hit the table. Why would you try to piss them off? *steps down off of soap box*

[@mrhinton7333]

Very nice set of gestures, Mosca. Lets add that the reversed two fingers standing for peace also stood for Victory over evil- see old films of Winston Churchill throwing this against the Nazi's. I also see that the Agincourt/Hastings finger myth is alive and well (ancient greece: circa 500 BC used in several plays and writings) [Sorry as a historian that's a particular pet peeve of mine.]. As to the "stop" or sometimes "talk to the hand" gesture being the start of a "high five": over here trying to force someone into physical contact is not only rude but disrespectful, (and legal assault in some cases); unless offered only among friends. Ignoring (pointedly) an attempted inappropriate hand is not rude, it's a deliberate put down to an offensive unwanted contact, or a strong disagreement with what is being celebrated (like offering it on a goal for your team, to someone who's a fan of the opposing team- now THAT'S RUDE!).

[@thomasginn1839]

Great vlog. I knew most of them. I had heard of the peace sign one but didn't know the full story. I actually went for the high five. Keep up the great work.

[@godofmanchester4330]

The clicking of the fingers for attention is just as rude as calling a teacher “miss” or “mister” in school. Also does it count if you do that when you don’t remember something like if I can’t remember something, I click the fingers

[@davidnesbitt3205]

The one finger comes from the bounty placed on long bowmen by the French. The English would show two fingers to taunt the frogs to show they hadn't been caught or one finger to condem the frogs for their punishment.

[@ronbagwell5793]

Just spent the night listening to your blog's. Loved them all. I could listen to you for hours..oh yeah, I just did. Your also the cutest thing ever I've seen on a blog. BTW. I am of Scottish and Irish descent. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see the next one.

[@TheJohno95]

The middle finger seems to be pretty universal. When I was a kid we called it "shooting a bird." One of the first things they teach us in the hospitality industry is to never point with gesture with an open hand. So, we have that in common. Pointing is rude. I used to have a cat that could "high-five", but when I wanted to, she would leave me hanging until I was just about to give up. But if she wanted to, up came the paw! And I love using the two finger gesture here in the U.S. *lol* If someone has pissed me off, it's a way of flicking them off, but them thinking they're getting the peace sign. Works for both of us. Someone at work caught me, though. An Aussie told them what was up. I just played dumb. I know what's up, though. *lol*

[@Cheezitdafuzz]

This is so hilarious! I was busting up through the whole video in the middle of my break room. Absolutely brilliant! 😀

[@hezziattubeyou]

Yup so true it really makes my blood boil when people snap their fingers to get my attention when I'm at work. Makes me feel about a foot tall, so degrading and rude.

[@bierce716]

Sometimes it's situational. For example: it's perfectly ok to point and laugh at a comedy club, but it's not ok to point and laugh when you're in bed.

[@RaffyPadDT]

I'm from the Philippines. 😁 Ever since I learned about the backhanded "peace" sign from you, I never used them anymore. I love your videos so much, btw! Keep it up! Edit: I keep forgetting the waiters'/waitresses' names, so what I usually do is to quietly raise my hand to hopefully get their attention.

[@xGhouI]

I was aware of most of these except the back wards peace sign.

[@jdmeaux]

A flat palm upright usually means "speak to the hand 'cause I don't want to hear what you say". Plus the High Five. JD

[@a.j.whelpley2551]

jdmeaux i thought "talk to the hand" involved fully extending ones hand in the face of a person.

[@WeeScottishLass]

jdmeaux it depends on the rest of the body language, you'll rarely be facing forward with a smile on your face for 'talk to the hand'

[@saigonoi9558]

Very helpful video mosco

[@dielauwen]

The peace sign was also used as VICTORY in past times.

[@saoirsepaddy]

You right did your homework Churchill & President F.D.R use Victory sign during WWll

[@jasonsummit1885]

In the description you mentioned Irn-bru i love that stuff, it is one of my favourite sodas!😀 They had it at our Highland/Celtic festival, next time it comes through i'm buying a case of it😀👍

[@ibosquez5238]

Oh I see, it's a soda and I thought it was a beer brand. So it's not a beer.

[@gingythescot1161]

I. Bosquez nope, just any other fizzy drink, if you want a Scottish beverage then try buckfast or scotch

[@ourbrother8565]

Where are the most beautiful places to visit in Scotland? I know you may have have already covered this in another video and if so just let me know the name and I'll watch it. I am visiting for the first time next year and I want to make sure I know, which places to go and which places to avoid. Thank you so much and I enjoy your videos they are helpful.

[@sarall1399]

I'm trying to learn english, because I fell in love with this amazing Country some years ago, I really love the english and scottish culture/people/accents, I went to Edinburgh this May, and I would like to return to Scotland as soon as possible! And thanks to you Mosco, I'm trying to comprehend Scottish accent, which was difficult for me at the beginning. Sara (from Italy )

[@awkward-stranger]

There was a battle and before the battle, the French said they were going to cut off the bow finger of the soldier. The Eglish won and when the French prisoners were matched by the Eglish flipped them the finger showing that they still had their bow fingers.

[@flashcardsyahoo]

A close up of the image on Mosco's shirt is here:embed.pixiv.net/decorate.php?illust_id=45053728 The shirt is available at redbubble...The kanji 十二色相環 means circle of twelve colors and it's pronounced "juu ni shiki sou kan."

[@cheyennebywater9613]

I did not know about the piece sign one, that was new to me

[@robsutherland5744]

The reverse peace sign was the only one I didn't recognize Mosco. Thanks as always.

[@robsutherland5744]

shlibber I'm not sure what that means....

[@robsutherland5744]

shlibber I thought everyone hated Sutherlands

[@robsutherland5744]

shlibber I thought everyone dislikes Sutherlands

[@robsutherland5744]

shlibber That makes me feel better. I always felt somewhat defensive about my family origin. Very proud to be Scottish.

[@robsutherland5744]

shlibber No I didn't. I should research it a bit more. Thanks for your comments.

[@waterspigot8404]

Actually, the origin of the middle finger is similar to the archers using the two fingers. When men would use gun at that time, the middle finger was the trigger finger. When the enemy (whichever seemed to be causing the most problems at the time) would capture soldiers, they would remove this finger so the men couldn't use their guns and therefore were useless. SO, when a group of soldiers would come across a small band of them or ride past a town, they would show their middle finger to give warning to anyone around that they still had their trigger finger intact.

[@slade307]

Back in the 70s or 80s, I kinda remember the middle finger meaning "Up yours!" or "Shove it!" I know what it means now.

[@hellsbells8689]

Yeah it meant Shove It Up Your Arse or Go Fvck Yourself. It still does.

[@scottwilkinson8378]

Think the archery "vickie" has been debunked, but it was that captured archers would have those two fingers cut off and so the gesture would be to the Frenchies that you still had two viable fingers with which to send arrows winging their way.

[@HarleyQuinn-yg1id]

For your description Irn Bru is AMAZING and Tablet aswell!!!

[@amberbrignone787]

Awesome video!!!

[@bcaye]

Snapping fingers, the hand job, the hand and pointing at people is considered very rude in the US as well. As well as the middle finger, but we don't have the reverse peace sign, which I do knmow and have used to my advantage.

[@smitentertainment]

Thank you. Finally clear.

[@tmr4342]

In Australia, giving someone the middle finger is known as flipping someone off or giving them the bird.

[@hootmanwillie]

there's one I never understood, Its where one finger is put on your cheek just below the eye and pulled down a little bit while looking at the person you're aiming at. It looks rude but I'm not sure what was meant. In Canada, when some kid flips me off for no reason, I get angry, but I usually shrug it off.

[@andykasperianjr.9874]

have you done a vlog on Scottish food, like the good stuff and the not so?? :-)

[@lennyserauskas2224]

Great video Mosco once again I couldn’t stop laughing 😂😂😂 I was surprised by the peace sign definitely didn’t know that since in USA it is used a lot especially by the girls taking selfies ( my daughters learned this when we lived in Japan) Otherwise, I understood the rest pretty easily. It’s amazing how hand gestures mean so many things in different countries I have travelled quite a bit and we would definitely learn them so we didn’t offend our host nation counterparts, like the Okay sign in the Middle East means the same as the middle finger 😳 Great video once again keep it up!!!

[@roradye]

Hi, Lass! Love from Asia! Love your videos

[@jaggy5095]

I pissed myself laughing at the end

[@WeeScottishLass]

AttackOnScotland is that a picture of Scotland from hetalia in your dp!?!?

[@nancyholmquist2690]

The backward peace sign used to mean Victory.

[@britishjohn62]

Thanks for the guidance, and with high fives, especially when I’m playing football (soccer in America) if my teammate scores a goal I’ve got to do a high five, because it really would be rude because, if I score a goal, I would want the same “honor,” so I should do it to them same way

[@robertpatrick9128]

The high 5 went out with the dinosaurs.I didn't know people still did that.Interesting...

[@robertpatrick9128]

It was passe at the turn of the century.No one 'high five's' anymore unless you are over 40.

[@southernshenanigans3069]

Lots of people still high five

[@markexter5128]

Saw a hand gesture and now I know what it meant. Thank you. I love you accent. I will be back just to listen.

[@SheelaNaGig]

you can also use snapping for those swanky poetry slams 😉

[@8daudio316]

I'm guess no ads are going on this vid

[@WeeScottishLass]

There are... for the time being... You just wont always get one each time you watch ^^ it's random... don't worry I'm keeping an eye on it, in the next 24 hours it will go yellow and stop advertisement as they've done with ALL my other vlogs so far.

[@nancylindsay4255]

Hey, it's useful education, showing us what's NOT acceptable. Nothing wrong with that!

[@TheMaru666]

The clapping fingers thing is also rude here in Spain to call someone .

[@WinStunSmith]

I’ve found that rude hand gestures, among close friends, can often be used in jest and to show affection. It’s that way in America, especially among countercultures. Not sure about the rest of the world, though. Is it like that with Scottish people? As for the “high five,” it’s the same here! Lol...even when people HATE IT (and they do), they MUST reciprocate, or suffer! LOL

[@TheMorbiusGamingYT]

I haven’t seen any comments about it, but I love you necklace!

[@tkdspirit76]

I'm from America and I didn't know about the two finger F you. Thanks for sharing these. Love your stuff!

[@thedukeofskull1383]

Pointing of the finger... I have studyed " Kung Fu" For over 38 years and I might have the answer to this. There is the "praying Mantis" style, they use the first finger in their fighting, they strike pressure points on the body. The pointing jesture is almost the way the strike is used. And some styles use the first finger to send internal energy out to do harm. This was originally used for healing purposes.

[@user-yj3kn4fe7h]

Actually the middle finger originated with the English longbowmen. After loosing a volly they would extend the middle finger as that was the main finger used. Often when captured by the enemy the finger would be cut off.

[@carolinegray5297]

Good video sense of humour I didn’t know the first one

[@bloemundude]

The middle finger has had pretty much the same meaning since its use in Ancient Rome and Greece around 500 B.C. Who ever said the ancients didn't teach us anything useful?

[@morgan8330]

The gesture of the middle finger originated during the French and american war, when Americans would capture enemy archers and torture them. Eventually chopping off there middle fingers before sending them back to there peoples, so they couldn't use there bows anymore due to the injury.

[@mrs.dalton3738]

Funny and informative at the same time. I LOVE your videos! I am from America..Oklahoma and California. I did not know that snapping for your waiter is rude in the UK! Good to know, Scotland is my first choice when my Husband and I start traveling.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

In the U.S., it seems like people point at each other when they're giving a compliment, or when they're glad to see someone.

[@chiefsean16]

I seem tae use the first wan quite a lot. Ye missed oot the "git it right up ye" sign though.

[@rebornlove1628]

chiefsean16 I bin using them since I was a Wee lass

[@neilbridgens8132]

Cape town, south africa,, enjoy your show.

[@brianwoods9552]

I was brought up to be courteous and respectful. I recall being in Moscow (USSR at the time) eating lunch with a group of 12-15 persons. To summon the waiter I whistled at him. Everyone in my group immediately looked at me like I was crazy. I turned to them and said, "Well, if you're gonna blame me, then how do you say... Excuse me, sir. Could you please come over here in Russian???" There was no response from anyone.

[@gabrielcastilhosdeganivideos]

Hi lass! Nice video. The first one means the same here in Brazil. And pointing people is not good either.

[@carlfritzler8460]

Lets talk about other things that are rude everywhere and that's referring someone other than their name. Unless you know me don't ever refer to me as "HEY YOU" or "SON" I'm not your son. And address me as "BOY" is absolutely unacceptable I'm a man not boy. Love your videos Great job Mosco

[@nannyturtle7342]

I have flipped many a person off while driving. Omg! People really drive crazy.

[@eilidhforbes3127]

In the North of Scotland, we try to catch a waiters eye or call "excuse me" we don't necessarily call their name

[@matthewrichards489]

Learned a thing. I knew the two finger thing was the inverted peace sign, didn't know it had anything to do with archery. That's as interesting as the fact that you drive on the left because of jousting/mounted combat.

[@rivkahlejewessofmoscow7614]

Wee Scottish Lass, absolutely brilliant and I laughed my way through, well done. But slight difference on the middle finger verve’s the non peace sign used so successfully by Winston Churchill during WWII. His “V” for Victory, well, the posh people really thought lol it meant that. How cute. Quite funny actually, and as Winny was quite good at getting his message across to everyone, as this was intended for the normal person, it really meant, up your bum, and in this case it was being sent to Hitler. The average person in the UK loved him for doing this because they knew what it meant and he’d do this obscene gesture all smiles beside a smiling King who thought honestly it meant V for Victory. I don’t think anyone thinks that the late Queen Mum was fooled for a moment and probably found it hilarious as well, but she was a very special and one of a kind woman. Not to mention the only person Hitler feared. As to the Middle Finger it does mean the F Bomb and started during the assault on France by Henry V of England and BTW the UK still owns and rules France. As Henry V grabbed France and married the Kings daughter to her French disgust and bore him male children whole became Kong’s of England, it’s yours. But I digress, Henry V brought with him, a secret weapon, a long bow made of Yew Wood which only comes from England of course and it shoots far longer than anyone else’s at that time. On a long bow, the main pull finger is the middle finger, so if the cowardly French, ever, during this onslaught came across an Englishman, they chopped off his middle finger. You know where this is going, as the banter before battle ensued, the English would show off their middle fingers to the French saying basically f you, we are still able to pull our bows and we will crush you, and so the did and this is how the middle finger gesture was born. Any references to it earlier are poetic license and historical revision to fulfill someone’s needs. I believe, lol, the French reaction to the middle finger was to fart in their general direction 😂😂😂

[@realism51]

Just wanted to chime in on the two finger salute. You are correct with it stemming from bow use. For many years the English Long bowman was considered the deadliest on the battle field and whenever one was captured, first thing the enemy would do is to cut off their first two fingers. Hence showing someone that gesture is akin to saying "F- off, I've got my fingers" as far as the Americans switching to the one finger salute... who knows, maybe the forgot half their history :)

[@mrhinton7333]

NO we remembered history while some people make up the other half. "The rude digit" or "impudent digit" in documentation goes back to ancient Greece; 500 BC.

[@TearsForTheDead]

The middle finger is also from the bow thing. I did a research paper on the origin of common hand gestures. Anglo saxon archers would have their middle fingers cut off when captured, so that they would not be able to draw back an arrow. In response archers would then display the middle or both fingers at the enemy as a way of saying "look what I still have ya fucker".

[@hammerfistfightclub]

Flipping ppl off was to show that they can still pull back a bow string because they still have their fingers...as they use to cut off the middle fingers of enemy bowmen