Middle finger
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- This article is about the human digit. For information on the vulgar gesture, see The finger.
The middle finger (or the long finger) is the third digit of the human hand and usually the longest finger, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is also called the third finger, digitus medius, digitus tertius, or digitus III in anatomy.
See also
The finger, a vulgar gesture involving the middle finger. It can mean "Fuck You", and in some cultures it is considered very rude.
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"Long Finger" is a common slang Irish phrase meaning "to procrastinate" or to put something off until the last minute.
It is said that the gesture itself originated in the middle ages amongst English archers. As archers were taken as prisoners, their middle fingers would be cut off to prevent them from properly using a bow ever again. So, when entering battle, the English archers would many times flash their middle fingers high in order to intimidate the enemy, who were to be attacked by the most famous archers of that time. Since then, the connotation of this gesture has been changed, but maintains its general standpoint.