ENGLISH
REFERENCE

the finger

idiom
Meaning

An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.


Examples
SIMPLE

The angry driver gave me the finger.

CONTEXTUAL

He lost his temper during the argument and gave his neighbor the finger.

COMPLEX

After the player received a harsh penalty, he turned toward the referee and defiantly gave him the finger.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all fingers and thumbs

    Of a person, clumsy or awkward.

  2. 02

    burn one's fingers

    To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.

  3. 03

    fat finger

    A supposed cause of typographical errors, especially keyboard errors, caused from erroneous key presses or typing errors on touchscreen devices.

  4. 04

    finger in the pie

    A share in the doing of something; involvement.

  5. 05

    finger to the wind

    An attention to or focus on or awareness of current or prevailing trends, public opinion, or shifting circumstances.

  6. 06

    fucked by the fickle finger of fate

    Victimized by bad luck.

  7. 07

    get one's finger out

    To proceed with the matter in hand.

  8. 08

    get one's fingers burnt

    To suffer relatively minor, adversive, and unexpected harm.

Last updated April 17, 2026