Flipping someone off in WWII Britain.

[window_of_time]

I am working on a story set in WWII Britain, specifically involving the RAF. There is one character who flips off another. I have already done research into the proper offense gesture, but I have been unable to find whether the verb "to flip off" was in use at this time

Comments

[lil_shepherd]

It's not a phrase in any wide use in this country now, never mind in the 1940s...

[birdsedge]

What she said. It's very American siunding to a Brit ear. My advice would be to avoid it.

[naath]

No. And even in the 21st century it's an Americanism, although people do sometimes use it (and it is widely understood).

[felix_felicia]

I mean... it's easy enough just to say "he made a rude hand gesture" and not have to worry about timing at all. Unless you want to have them discuss it, although I'm sure you could still get around that. I believe that "flip off" is mostly an American thing though (and does it even apply to the two-fingered salute? Or would they have been gesturing with a middle finger in the 1940s?)

[likeadeuce]

Does 'gave the two-fingered salute' convey basically the same idiom?

[felix_felicia]

Well, yes, though I don't know how early that phrase might have been used. And it sounds more natural (to me, anyway) when used with an indefinite article - i.e. "he gave him a two-fingered salute" rather than "he gave the two-fingered salute".

[steepholm]

I don't think anyone used the middle finger in Britain at that date. (It still feels distinctively American to me, aged 49.) Gave the V sign, or gave two fingers, would both be better.

[azure15]

In short, no. 'Flip off' isn't actually that widespread even now.

'Giving the finger' might work better.

[syntinen_laulu]

But 'give the finger' is 1960s American (according to the Collins Dictionary of Slang).

[azure15]

Really? That's pretty interesting.

[reapermum]

OED has it back in the 40s and American.

[reapermum]

I've just checked in the OED, the earliest they have for "flip the bird" is 1968, for "flip off" 2001, described as North American Slang. And that is only as a Draft Addition 2002 to the on-line version of the dictionary, it hasn't made it into print.

Mind you their citations for "two fingers" only go back the same time, but that is in the dictionary proper.