The Middle Finger In Demand!

A finger capturing our imagination for the first time, appears in the epic Ramayana.

The chariot in which king Dasaratha was chasing his enemy, began to wobble.  Kaikeyi, the queen who was with him, noticed that one of the wheels was about to come off.  Quickly, she inserted her finger in place of the missing axle-pin, avoiding a mishap.  Pleased at her presence of mind, Dasaratha promised to fulfil two of her wishes.  Years later, on the eve of the coronation of her stepson Rama, Kaikeyi reminded Dasaratha of the promise and demanded: 'Make my son Bharata, the king.  Send Rama to the forest for fourteen years'.

To date, the finger that brought 'Sooryavamsha' the oldest and biggest of the dynasties in ancient India to an earth-shaking climax, remains a mystery!

The finger that is shedding its secrecy however, is the middle one.  Our cricketers were the first to popularise it.  Other celebrities soon followed. The last to enter the 'finger-club', as repeatedly seen on the national TV channels a fortnight ago, was the son of a senior politician under investigation in a disproportionate assets case.   He 'gave the middle finger', and we took it without a murmur!

Those uninitiated in matters pertaining to the middle finger might ask, 'why all this hue and cry?'   Well, the reason is the phallic connotation it carries.  Holding up the middle finger, also known as 'flipping the bird' or 'flipping someone off' is meant to suggest, '**** off' or 'up yours'!

According to experts, there are over two dozen ways of doing it, all but two being innovative variants.  The basic way is to hold up your fist, and then extend the middle finger full stretch.  You can also show your palm with all five fingers open, and then bend the middle finger through 90 degrees.  Give it a suggestive jab and you push home the message!

If you were the target, how would you respond?  Take it lying down?  Turn your face away?   Or return the compliment?

Disclaimer:

The above is intended solely for informational purposes and not as a recommended gesture or expression in one-to-one or group interactions. Any attempt to the contrary in part or full could invite public rebuke and/or wrath, and this blogger shall not be responsible for its consequences.