[sully777]

I never knew fingers signified aggression.

"That man is angry at the oil cans. Stay away from the oil cans." --Steve Martin in The Jerk

[isthisnickcool]

I give this story the finger.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

since when is a finger story breaking news?

SMACKS YOU OVER THE HEAD WITH A ROLLED UP NEWSPAPER

[Husker24]

Okay, are you supposed to look at your hand palm up or down, to count the fingers?

[martin_fierro]

Discuss.

[nuconvert]

He hates cans!

[nuconvert]

I'd say, if he gives you the finger, he's probably mad.

[CaptSkip]

Not "Breaking News" and already posted.

[Tuba Guy]

[CaptSkip]

My bad, here... The Secret to Man's Aggression: in His Finger?

[Bushforlife]

Perhaps we should do the measurement of all newborn males. That way we can identify potential aggressors, label them as such, and chronically medicate them so as to initiate a new more feminine non-aggressive brave new world.

The social scientists Strauss and Gelles, whose studies show that in cases of domestic violence that the physical violence is initiated 50% of the time by the woman, are examples of aggressive troublemakers who should be among the FIRST to undergo compulsory measurement and medication.

Sarcasm off.

[G.Mason]

J.C. picture ping

[hollywood]

Wood-shop teachers were excluded from this study, I hope.

[xander]

I smell doo doo!

[RightWhale]

"More testosterone, relatively longer ring finger,"

2nd, 4th, ring finger. Which fingers are the talking about?

[mhx]

Breaking my finger?

[Lunkhead_01]

Here in Boston, a/k/a Bozotown, you can tell an aggressive male (or female) by the length of the middle finger they are aiming in your direction.

[CitizenM]

Hmmmm, I think this theory is about as right as the one that says "The size of a man's shoe is equal to the size of his....." ahem, well you know.

[Swordmaker]

Not too long ago, the length of this digit was supposed to indicate a prediliction toward homosexuality... too short: gay... long: you like girls. Now it's aggression... busy finger.

[april15Bendovr]

Giving the Finger

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers.  Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the Renowned English longbow and therefore be incapable of fighting in the future.

This famous weapon was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").

Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew!  "PLUCK YEW!"

Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the ne-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter.  It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."

And yew thought yew knew everything.

[willyboyishere]

The Jerk----one of the greatest movie comedies EVER!
---don't remember the thing about the oil cans, though,
my favorite line in the movie is when the tough motorcycle daredevil "Patty Bernstein" tells Navin she will try to guess his weight, so she clutches his butt with both hands, and feels around, and at length, he laughs and says "WOW! You're really trying to be accurate!"