Winston Churchill’s favorite gesture — what it really means

The English often use the popular "victory" gesture, which literally means "victory." Legendary politician Winston Churchill loved it so much that raised two fingers can be seen in many photos of him. However, this popular gesture also has another meaning.

This was reported by Znaj.UA.

What raising two fingers means

Winston Churchill frequently used the victory gesture, but he did it in different ways. Sometimes he raised two fingers with the palm facing himself, and other times with the palm facing outward. It might seem like a simple inconsistency, but in fact, it was intentional. In England, a gesture with the back of the hand facing others is considered offensive.

With this bold move, Churchill often surprised his aides and delighted British citizens. The two fingers raised with the back of the hand facing outward symbolized the Prime Minister’s defiance against Adolf Hitler’s fascist ideas. To this day, in Britain, that version of the gesture is considered rude, so it should not be confused with the classic victory sign.

The history of the victory gesture dates back to the Hundred Years’ War. English archers used two fingers—the index and middle—to draw their bows. The French, England’s adversaries, would cut off these fingers from captured archers. To mock them, the English archers would show the intact fingers after winning the Battle of Crécy, signaling that their fingers were safe and the enemy defeated.

Another version suggests that before the Battle of Agincourt, the French threatened to cut off English fingers. After France’s defeat, the English triumphantly raised two fingers, irritating their opponents. Over time, this symbolic V-shaped gesture came to represent victory.

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