Do you point with your middle finger?

[TuffGirl]

I have a coworker who uses her middle finger to point at things, like on a screen or piece of paper. I'm not seriously offended by it but I think it's strange. She's a New Jersey raised white girl, so I don't think it's a cultural thing. She does it as if it were natural to her. I've noticed other people point with their middle finger over the years and always wondered why people do this. Anyone have any ideas or thoughts???

 

[wahoyaho]

Not having to move their arm as much?

 

[jinduy]

hm feels totally unnatural to use the middle finger other than for aggression

 

[OUCaptain]

Originally posted by: TuffGirl
I have a coworker who uses her middle finger to point at things, like on a screen or piece of paper. b]I'm not seriously offended by it[/b] but I think it's strange. She's a New Jersey raised white girl, so I don't think it's a cultural thing. She does it as if it were natural to her. I've noticed other people point with their middle finger over the years and always wondered why people do this. Anyone have any ideas or thoughts???

So are you mildly offended by it? I'll do it sometimes but I don't make a point of it.

Why would offense even be in your mind? The middle finger is just as useful as the rest. Just because it's used to flip people off doesn't make it bad. It's like referring to a female k9 as a bitch.

 

[Cheesetogo]

Do you mean with all other fingers closed? Or with the other fingers just relaxed a bit, with the middle one directly pointing?

 

[Rumpltzer]

I worked at Disney. They teach you not to use any finger to point at anything; instead, they want you to use your whole hand. For some reason, people think that they're being pointed at when it's a finger, but a whole hand finds no offense.

I demonstrated this to myself when I was working at Disney and someone asked how to get somewhere in the park. I pointed out a direction with my finger, and a guy in a line thought I was pointing at him and talking to another guest. I apologized to the victim and I've only used the "whole hand" point since then.

 

[BassBomb]

is she holding a pencil?

 

[Itchrelief]

Yes, but usually when my hand is already face-down and all fingers are flat on a surface. At that point, it's more work to curl all 3 other fingers away to use the index finger instead of just using the middle finger which is already sticking out further than all rest. Sometimes I end up having to move the ring and pinky fingers to be a little bit less ambiguous, however. So I guess it's more of a 2-fingered point in that case.

Oh, pics of coworker?

 

[imported_Imp]

Sometimes, but I quickly 'correct' or feel ashamed afterwards.

 

[nageov3t]

no, feels weird and unnatural.

I do use it for scratching an itch or something, though.

 

[JMapleton]

You point with your pointing finger, not your middle finger you troglodyte.

 

[MBrown]

No.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I just sort of wave in the general direction while grunting inarticulately.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
I worked at Disney. They teach you not to use any finger to point at anything; instead, they want you to use your whole hand. For some reason, people think that they're being pointed at when it's a finger, but a whole hand finds no offense.

I demonstrated this to myself when I was working at Disney and someone asked how to get somewhere in the park. I pointed out a direction with my finger, and a guy in a line thought I was pointing at him and talking to another guest. I apologized to the victim and I've only used the "whole hand" point since then.

My friend who worked at Disney (World) said he was instructed to point with index and middle together in case there might be somebody from a culture where one finger was offensive.

IIRC

 

[Q]

I did when I was in kindergarten then the girl I liked told on me so I cried and have hated her ever since.

 

[dbk]

GEORGE: Hey, when you order from the waitress, get her to point to the menu. I want to see what finger she uses.
JERRY: Uh, say, I wanted a side order of fruit but I didn't see it on the men
WAITRESS: Oh, you're getting it (pointing to menu with index finger), it comes with your breakfast special.
JERRY: Right you are.
GEORGE: I didn't get the special, but I'd also like the fresh fruit too.
WAITRESS: (scratching cheek with middle finger) I'll check.
GEORGE: (after waitress walks away) I don't believe it, she did it again!
JERRY: Oh, she had an itch.
GEORGE: She had an itch. She could have used any one of those fingers. That finger was meant for me.
KRAMER (laughing) Yeah, she knew what she was doing.

 

[yh125d]

No, and everyone I've met who does do this has had a learning disorder. Connection or coincidence?

 

[pontifex]

depends. do i make the full middle finger position like i was flipping some off? no
if i'm looking at something on a screen and pointing something out, i might lower the 2 fingers around it and have the middle one extended.

 

[Leros]

Yes, its the longest one, so naturally its the pointer finger for me.

 

[BrownTown]

I use it sometimes, it IS the longest one, so kinda makes sense. I've see others do it to (some so it exclusively), don't see where you should take offense to it though.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Not usually, unless I'm holding something like a pencil.

Some people use their little finger to point, that is kinda odd to me.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Do you point with your middle finger?

No.

 

[TuffGirl]

Originally posted by: dbk
GEORGE: Hey, when you order from the waitress, get her to point to the menu. I want to see what finger she uses.
JERRY: Uh, say, I wanted a side order of fruit but I didn't see it on the men
WAITRESS: Oh, you're getting it (pointing to menu with index finger), it comes with your breakfast special.
JERRY: Right you are.
GEORGE: I didn't get the special, but I'd also like the fresh fruit too.
WAITRESS: (scratching cheek with middle finger) I'll check.
GEORGE: (after waitress walks away) I don't believe it, she did it again!
JERRY: Oh, she had an itch.
GEORGE: She had an itch. She could have used any one of those fingers. That finger was meant for me.
KRAMER (laughing) Yeah, she knew what she was doing.

Hey I remember that Seinfeld episode! Maybe that's what's made me wonder about the middle finger pointing behavior for years.

Thanks everybody for all your posts and votes. They're very interesting!

Keep the votes coming

 

[Finalnight]

I have only seen people age 50+ do this.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Leros
Yes, its the longest one, so naturally its the pointer finger for me.

Me too.

My daughter seems to have learned it from me and got in trouble in first grade for innocently gesturing toward something with her middle finger and had a few dirty minded little classmates tattle on her.