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Flip the bird

Flip the bird

Meaning

To aggressively raise your middle finger at someone as a sign of displeasure.

Examples

I stopped the car a little too close when he crossed the road and he flipped the bird as a response.

Where did it originate?

USA, mid 20th century.

Where is it used?

Mostly USA.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Flip the bird

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