Dictionary

flip the bird en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Possibly from the resemblance to the sign for flamingo in American Sign Language. *

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive, colloquial, idiomatic) To make a rude or obscene gesture (at somebody); particularly, to extend the middle finger.
   • The vaunted Attitude era was built, in many ways, on a level of crudity never before seen in wrestling. You had guys flipping the bird, women nearly naked in the ring and guys telling each other to “suck it.” 2007, R. D. Reynolds, The Wrestlecrap Book of Lists!, page 350:
   • I accidentally bumped into him, and he flipped me the bird.
   • 2008, Vanessa Grigoriadis, Everybody Sucks, American Society of Magazine Editors (compilers), The Best American Magazine Writing 2008, page 9, This summer, she took some time off in Maine, and before she went posted a picture of herself on Gawker in a bathing suit flipping the bird — "At least I didn't put up the ones of myself in a silver-lame bikini. That would have been a little much," she said, laughing.
   • He held his right hand up in front of his face and flipped the bird. 2005, Vince Flynn, Consent to Kill, page 135:
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see flip, bird.

Forms

Relateds

🖕 · middle finger salute

Synonyms

give the bird · give the finger · flick off · flip off

Translations (15)

de den Mittelfinger zeigen (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · pl pokazać środkowy palec (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · sv peka finger (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · fr faire un doigt d'honneur (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · de den Stinkefinger zeigen (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · fi näyttää keskisormea (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · sv ge fingret (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · es sacar el dedo (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · es hacer la peineta (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · pt dar o dedo (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · cmn 豎中指 /竖中指 (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · oj nimiskam (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · fr faire un doigt (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · it fare un gestaccio (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger) · ru показа́ть сре́дний па́лец (to make a rude or obscene gesture, particularly with the middle finger)

wikipedia: American Sign Language