NationStates Jolt Archive

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...

Calm down dear, it's only a gesture.

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/churchill.jpg

Consider your point defeated.

which V sign i know of two

The symbol comes from World War two, it meant "victory", citing with V for victory, then it somehow managed to mean peace in the 60's during the Vietnam war...how that happened I haven't a clue...

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/churchill.jpg

Consider your point defeated.
You know he actually meant to give the horns?

Yeah, Churchill was fucking metal. :D

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...

Is it seeing people's fingers that gets to you? Or peace itself? I'm confused. :confused:

it's just a sign.

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/churchill.jpg

Consider your point defeated.

thats one of the ones i know
cant show the other one

*grins wickedly, does the V sign with the back of her hand toward the viewer.*

There, feel better?

*sighs*

I shouldn't but here we go:

the Modern "V" sign was really first used in WWII to synbolize victory. It was used (as shown) by Churchill and other popular leaders to remind people that despite the dark times, the Aliies would win against fascism. Not a bad use, really, for a sign that has meant everything from "let's have sex," to "piss of, mate".

In the more modern era, Richard Nixon used to sign to remind the AMerican people that Victory in Vietnam was still achievable and important (he was sort of aping Churchill, right?) And the peacenicks stole the V sign, and gave it a new meaning: It became the "peace" sign. Nowadays, instead of meaning victory, the hippies peace sign has become the standard of modern culture, with people from Lenny Kravitz to John Kerry using it to show how cool they are. I believe George Bush has given it once or twice, but of course, nobody pays any attention to him and his intent to make it the victory sign again fell on deaf ears.

peace out mang!

You know he actually meant to give the horns?

Yeah, Churchill was fucking metal. :D

Well, he had the drinking and smoking down to a tee :p

*grins wickedly, does the V sign with the back of her hand toward the viewer.*

There, feel better?

thats the one
it has a older date then the Churchill one

it's just a sign.

A sign! :eek: The End Times! :eek: Think of the Children!

thats the one
it has a older date then the Churchill one

English longbowmen, apparently.

Anyhoo, the OP referred to the peace version, so that's why I posted Churchill.

English longbowmen, apparently.

Anyhoo, the OP referred to the peace version, so that's why I posted Churchill.

dam those who have taken a good thing and change the meaning

I think I still hold deeper contempt for people who crook their fingers slightly in that V sign and then place that hand strategically behind an unsuspecting victim who's also being taken a picture of. In German, we call that 'jemandem Hasenohren machen', which might roughly translate to 'making someone a rabbit's ears' and it seems to be highly amusing, as far as occurance rate in group pictures are to be taken as an indicator of that.

English longbowmen, apparently.

Anyhoo, the OP referred to the peace version, so that's why I posted Churchill.

English longbowmen, yeah, except that story is almost certainly untrue. Look up "V Sign" in Wiki and scroll on down to "Mythic Origins." Ironically, it may have originated among the French, since the first known reference to it is in Rabelais.

English longbowmen, yeah, except that story is almost certainly untrue. Look up "V Sign" in Wiki and scroll on down to "Mythic Origins." Ironically, it may have originated among the French, since the first known reference to it is in Rabelais.

Screw Wiki, I'm hanging onto my longbowmen story, much more interesting

The symbol comes from World War two, it meant "victory", citing with V for victory, then it somehow managed to mean peace in the 60's during the Vietnam war...how that happened I haven't a clue...Hmm.. Well, in Dutch it works out nicely, as peace is "vrede" which starts with a V. I never really thought about why the rest of the world does it. Frankly, I don't care, it's a nice sentiment if they wish everyone peace, even if it's idiosyncratic(?).

English longbowmen, yeah, except that story is almost certainly untrue. Look up "V Sign" in Wiki and scroll on down to "Mythic Origins." Ironically, it may have originated among the French, since the first known reference to it is in Rabelais.
That'd be Wikipedia, the one fount of all true knowledge? :rolleyes:

Considering that the "first definitive known reference" is a 16th century French satirist, doesn't mean that that definitely is the first reference - especially when it goes on to give another possible source, this time from the Hundred Years War.

dam those who have taken a good thing and change the meaning

LOL a bicylist running a red light flashed it at me when I had to brake hard to preserve his fool life... I guess he didn't think a 'Yank' would know what it meant.

He rapidly learned that he was QUITE wrong about that.

LOL a bicylist running a red light flashed it at me when I had to brake hard to preserve his fool life... I guess he didn't think a 'Yank' would know what it meant.

He rapidly learned that he was QUITE wrong about that.

what a dum ass
good that you showed him, you know what it meant

That'd be Wikipedia, the one fount of all true knowledge? :rolleyes:

Considering that the "first definitive known reference" is a 16th century French satirist, doesn't mean that that definitely is the first reference - especially when it goes on to give another possible source, this time from the Hundred Years War.

No, just the most easily accessible font of knowledge. :p

Yeah, there is that reference in Froissart but it's unclear what we was referring to.

I have to admit I have an ill-definied dislike for this story. It seems too pat an answer, I suppose.

I preferre this 'V' sign

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week615/pics/p_feature_nimoyexplaining.jpg

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~ifilm/IMG-Kes.jpg

I preferre this 'V' sign

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week615/pics/p_feature_nimoyexplaining.jpg

pah. I say that's the stupid one.

English longbowmen, apparently.

Anyhoo, the OP referred to the peace version, so that's why I posted Churchill.

Indeed. During the wars of the medieval era between England and France. The English longbowman was a very highly trained individual with a deadly skill. They put the shitters up the French knights.

So when the French captured an English bowman they would cut off the two fingers used to draw the bow.

The English...ever pithy...came up with the two fingered salute to show that they still had theirs and pity any Frenchman who came within range.

Too many teardrops for one heart to be cryin'
Too many teardrops for one heart
To carry on
You're gonna cry ninety-six tears
You're gonna cry ninety-six tears
You're gonna cry cry, cry, cry, now
You're gonna cry cry, cry, cry
Ninety-six tears c'mon and lemme hear you cry, now
Ninety-six tears (whoo!) I wanna hear you cry
Night and day, yeah, all night long
Uh-ninety-six tears cry cry cry
C'mon baby, let me hear you cry now, all night long
Uh-ninety-six tears! Yeah! C'mon now
Uh-ninety-six tears!

Indeed. During the wars of the medieval era between England and France. The English longbowman was a very highly trained individual with a deadly skill. They put the shitters up the French knights.

So when the French captured an English bowman they would cut off the two fingers used to draw the bow.

The English...ever pithy...came up with the two fingered salute to show that they still had theirs and pity any Frenchman who came within range.
Nah, untrue (and my source isn't Wikipedia, but I can't find it or remember what it was at the moment. Sorry ><).
Why would they just cut off the fingers, not kill them outright? Because of the ransom.
How much ransom would they expect for a mutilated, useless soldier? Bugger all, that's what.

Doesn't work. Sorry.

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...

You do realize that the flippin' the bird is evolved from a V formation of the fingers, correct?

Nah, untrue (and my source isn't Wikipedia, but I can't find it or remember what it was at the moment. Sorry ><).Snopes ?

Why would they just cut off the fingers, not kill them outright? Because of the ransom.
How much ransom would they expect for a mutilated, useless soldier? Bugger all, that's what.

Doesn't work. Sorry.They weren't murderers you know, it was just war. Any captive were made harmless, and send on their way.
It was like that in much of history as I understand (I remember it being mentioned in stories about Alexander the Great as well)

Snopes ?

They weren't murderers you know, it was just war. Any captive were made harmless, and send on their way.
It was like that in much of history as I understand (I remember it being mentioned in stories about Alexander the Great as well)

Wiki referred to Snopes, actually.

You do realize that the flippin' the bird is evolved from a V formation of the fingers, correct?

No, not really. Seems the Romans used the digitus impudicus, just the one.

Nah, untrue (and my source isn't Wikipedia, but I can't find it or remember what it was at the moment. Sorry ><).
Why would they just cut off the fingers, not kill them outright? Because of the ransom.
How much ransom would they expect for a mutilated, useless soldier? Bugger all, that's what.

Doesn't work. Sorry.

Longbowmen were viewed as illegal weapons platforms, as per the fact that they violated the code of chivalry. They were viewed as mercenaries, paid to fight, using an illegal weapon, instead of nobility who were doing it for some sense of honor or another.

Beyond that, longbowmen were worthless for ransom because they were not of the nobility, Knights were ransomed because their families were rich, but longbowmen weren't. They were common English Freemen, and worthy of punishment in the eyes of the French.

You get used to it. Aim a camera at any group of Japanese and they will automatically make the V-sign. I think it's genetic now.

Snopes ?

They weren't murderers you know, it was just war. Any captive were made harmless, and send on their way.
It was like that in much of history as I understand (I remember it being mentioned in stories about Alexander the Great as well)

I thought it was a book, but not one I have here. This might be my memory playing up at twenty to one... The bit on Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.htm) looks similar and is going to say everything I know/care about the matter anyway (and this goes for Andaluciae too ;) ).

You do realize that the flippin' the bird is evolved from a V formation of the fingers, correct?

Nope, it's the reverse. The middle finger is old, and oddly enough, it still has the same meaning.

You get used to it. Aim a camera at any group of Japanese and they will automatically make the V-sign. I think it's genetic now.
Not just Japanese - all Asians.

That's what the OP is refering to. Anyone who hasn't been around masses of Asians doesn't know what they're missing out on. You should be very thankful for that.

http://www.filminamerica.com/Movies/V/v-poster.jpg

V. For Victory!

Screw Wiki, I'm hanging onto my longbowmen story, much more interesting

You can keep your archers, and I'll stick with the female pudenda.

i just noticed this. When we "invaded Bosnia" we would wave the "v". One block of people would cheer, the next would throw rocks. It was weird.

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...

Is it that much of a ruckus for you?


Here is a suggestion: gouge your eyes out. You won't have to see anyone do it again.

You know he actually meant to give the horns?

Yeah, Churchill was fucking metal. :D

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=59464&stc=1&d=1165656226

Yeh, some guy made the point of some guy using it, well one of our greatest presidents *cough* did the double V! As he left the presidency, now that defines cool.

im just so annoyed when people do that v sign in pictures, what could possibly compel them to do that? i just want to know. it's so stupid and im mad at people for doing that. And heres what i fear but i think it might be true that goes on in the minds of the people who do that: that it's actually cool. :confused: :eek:
you mind must of imploded to find it cool, yet people always do that. frankly i find doing the middle finger a more intelligent gesture in pictures than a v sign.
i wonder if i can make the peace sign illegal in my country...
http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/churchill.jpg

Consider your point defeated.
Quite but the other one is better.

The earliest use I know of any 'V sign' is from ancient Greece. I think it originated from the cult of Pan or something. It was meant as a fertility gesture. If you made the v-sign rabbits ears it meant you found them sexually attractive and you were imploring Pan or some god to make this person more fertile. I think.

ah yes, just checked wiki. I remember more. The v sign is to imitate Pan's horns. Pan was known for having a 'sexual prowess'. So the sign was performed by women so that hopefully Pan would sort out any erectile dysfunction the guy might have.

I also like the English Longbowmen story.