Thoughtless for the Day

In the comments section of yesterday's post, my good friend Doc (whom I still have to thank for the wonderful "Exporting Jobs = Treason" t-shirt he gave me) posted the following excellent question:

Hmmm, wonder where the 'finger' comes from?

"The Finger" is, of course, a representation of the phallus (although a much, much smaller representation in my case). Since it's nearly impossible to determine which ancient civilization first flipped the bird we're going to attribute the invention of the semi-international symbol for "fuck you, Charlie" to the Greeks simply because, over 2,500 years ago, Aristophanes referenced The Finger in his play Clouds

The Romans not only picked up the practice of giving The Finger from the Greeks, but they also dubbed the middle finger the "digitus impudicus" (indecent finger). In fact "the Philly Salute" even turns up in Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars in a episode wherein August exiled a performer for treating the audience to "an obscene movement of his middle finger."

So, remember, the next time you're flipping off that that sploodgerag who cut in front of you without even signaling, you're helping to carry on a proud tradition of the Classical World! And if there's one thing we here at RATYHTL are all about, it's tradition.

Phun Phact: In 1995 Jimmie Wayne Jeffers was executed by lethal injection for the 1976 killing his ex-girlfriend. As he as he was being strapped to the table he presented his middle finger to the warden. According to some witnesses, Jeffers finger remained raised as he expired.