There's an urban legend about the origin of the middle finger. According to lore, the French would cut off the middle finger of Englishman after defeat. The English longbow, made from the yew tree, was the ultimate weapon of the time. Once the middle finger was removed, the English would be unable to pluck the bow. However, as the story goes, when an Englishman defeated a Frenchman, they would stand above them, with middle finger extended. "I can still," he would declare, "pluck yew. PLUCK YEW!"
The middle finger has evolved to become one of the most recognizable and versatile non-verbal words in our language (and I'd assume other languages as well, though I speak none of them). The middle finger can communicate the entire spectrum of emotional responses. Perfect for most every situation.
Here's a list of the many underused uses of our most versatile finger:
When you’re annoyed
To let your finger say what your mouth cannot
Just playing around
To stick it to the man (behind his back)
To rebel against authority
As an exclamation to your point
To get the last word
When you no longer have to give a shit
When you’ve just had enough already
To say ‘bye’ to a best friend
When you’re wrong and still don’t GAF
You absolutely love your children, but sometimes…
If you’re suffering from creator's block
When you’re all thinking the same thing
Despite the results, you know you’re right
To let the people know how you really feel
When you can’t really be THAT mad
You’ve got nothing to lose
To tell the world exactly how you feel
When you’re cold, and wet, and tired
When you can finally say what you really feel
When you know you’re wrong but won’t admit it
When they couldn’t hear your insult
When you’re too tired to argue
Just minding your business and someone interrupts
To politely declare your irritation
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