Rick Steves Warns Tourists To Avoid One Common American Gesture While In Great Britain

Picture the scene: You've just touched down in London with your friends. You head to the banks of the Thames — or one of five free, iconic destinations with London skyline views — and grab a local to snap a photo of your group. Instinctively, you throw two fingers up in a "V" shape (you never know what to do with your hands), and notice the photographer's brow narrow. You don't know it yet — as you didn't heed travel guru Rick Steves' warnings — but just like the moutza, a gesture considered incredibly rude in Greece, you've just used the one common American gesture that tourists should avoid in Great Britain.

That's right. Instead of a harmless "V for Victory" or "peace," you've just told the unsuspecting Brit where to go — and it's nowhere pleasant. In fact, the two-fingered salute is comparable to flipping the bird (raising the middle finger) in the United States and many other countries. This unique cultural quirk is also normal in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Thanks to Hollywood and cultural give-and-take, the middle finger has been absorbed in the United Kingdom, too, so don't assume it's fine to do that either. Brits just have more options for obscenities.

It's important to distinguish that the "V" sign with the palm facing inward is the offensive variation. Doing the same with your palm facing out is still viewed as "peace" or "victory." Amusingly, wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was photographed doing both variations, sparking suggestions he was giving veiled insults to Nazi Germany.

Why is the common American gesture offensive in Great Britain?

The two-fingered salute has been around for a long time. The earliest possible use of the gesture stretches back to the 16th century, but it doesn't appear definitively until the early 20th century in a remarkable 1901 recording of a steel factory in Rotherham.

Its origins are widely attributed to events during the Hundred Years' War. Between 1337 and 1453 (The Hundred-and-Sixteen Years' War wasn't as catchy), countless battles raged between the English and French, including the Battle of Agincourt — the site of which you can visit on a day trip from the underrated, artsy French city of Metz — and the Siege of Orleans, where Joan of Arc wrote herself into history. At the time, English archers' superior longbows were pivotal in their country's success. When they were captured, the French would cut off their fingers, preventing them from ever firing a bow again. The archers, aware of their fate if caught, would often taunt the French in siege situations by throwing two fingers up at their enemies.

While it's true that the French cut fingers from English archers, they would typically take three, the number needed to pull the immensely powerful longbows. While the gesture may have stemmed from this period, it's by no means definitive and has likely been assimilated into British culture as a patriotic myth to fan the flames of a rivalry that still exists today. The real roots of the symbol may remain shrouded in mystery, but its modern-day usage is crystal clear. Keep those palms facing out unless you're looking for a skirmish.

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