Meaning of the victory sign

When we went on a vacation to museum, national park, ancient ruins, and many other wonders of the world, we love to take pictures as memory. When taking picture, everyone has his or her own post. The most common one is the Victory sign; also know as “the V sign.” Like many people, I use the victory sign as my signature. I use it every time I take a picture and see people around me use it too, but I never pay attention to it. I know little of this hand gesture.

I look it history up on Wikipedia; it wrote that victory sign began with Belgian politician and resistance leader Victor de Laveleye in January 1941. He was using the V to mean victoire - victory in French, and vrijheid - freedom in Netherlands. The BBC became aware of the gesture and began a campaign to encourage its use in June 1941. This was taken up and popularized by Winston Churchill who was frequently photographed making a V-sign, and it became a common gesture of the Allies.

The 'V-sign' is made by straightening the index and middle fingers of the hand so that they stick up in a V-shape while the other fingers and thumb are curled against the palm. The sign can be made with the palm turned outwards, away from the signaler, or with the back of the hand facing out. With the same hand gesture, but place on someone head become bunny ears. Since the victory sign is made by our fingers, we are very close to it. It represents our pride and happiness. The victory sign is simple and look cool. It gives a easy feeling and less serious.

The V-sign can have many mean. To a Blind person, it is a V in the sign language. It also means victory, representing one pride and glory. Lastly, it mean peace which is commonly in the 70’s by the Hippies who against the Vietnam War. It also means the number five in Roman. The victory sign has been weaken it meaning because today, people using as a post when taking a picture. It a simple hand gesture that we think little of it. When we using the Victory sign, we never think of it meaning or take notice of it history because it become a popular hand gesture or post in picture. Now days, we rarely see people use this as what it represents in the past like victory or peace.

By doing some research on the Victory sign, I learned that in England, Ireland, Austria and New Zealand the victory sign can also mean “fuck off.” For people in England, there is a significant difference of meaning depending on which way around the hand is held; with the palm facing out the gesture can mean 'victory' or 'peace' but with the palm facing in the meaning is an insult, meaning something like 'get stuffed', but more strongly worded. Sometimes foreigners visiting the countries mentioned above use the "two-fingered salute" without knowing it is offensive to the natives. In the article, 1971: 'V-sign' costs rider victory, a show-jumper Harvey Smith was disqualified for making a televised V sign to the judges after winning the British Show Jumping Derby at Hickstead. It is worth noticing that use of the V-sign these days may be seen as cheeky and playful rather than a deadly insult, and is generally perceived as being less aggressive than the similar middle-finger-only gesture known in the United States as 'flipping the bird'. However, there are people who still take it seriously. For example, a British man abused three middle school students for making a victory sign on the bus. It turns out the boy is point a Victory sign at his friend palm forward, but he sit on the back of the bus so the man saw his Victory sign as palm inward. It all was a misunderstanding. You can read more on this article, V-sign led to assault on school bus teens.

The problems arise from the different meaning of the victory sign in America and England is due to culture. In the New Keywords, Boas says. “As different culture as set their own value, only serious misunderstanding and social harm can be the result.” What Boas said is true because each country or nation has their own laws, moral and activity that are right in their country but wrong in another. Body language ( non-verbal communication) is one of the most powerful social forms of expression in the world. However, the use of body language is not standardized globally, but locally such as to a particular country, continent or region. The use of body language is one of the most variable forms of expression in the world, just as spoken and written languages are. Take insults, for example, we know forms of communication that say, “in your face, jerk!” citizens of Australia often extend the thumb as if to say yes , except as if to mean to say “you idiot!”

Thus, next time be more careful to use the Victory sign in England, Ireland, Austria and New Zealand.