In former Persia, mainly Iran and Iraq, a gesture involving exposing only the thumb in a vertical orientation-a thumbs up-is used instead of the finger to express roughly the same sentiment – roughly equivalent in meaning to 'shove it up your ass/arse,' 'up yours,' or 'go fuck yourself.' Thumbs up In some Arab countries, this gesture serves the same purpose and meaning of a raised middle finger. In Iraqi and Assyrian culture, abruptly thrusting the palm of the hand to someone means they are worthy of shame and are dishonourable. In some African and Caribbean countries, a similarly obscene gesture is extending all five digits with the palm facing forward, meaning 'you have five fathers' (thus calling someone a bastard). In Iranian culture, a similar gesture is used to represent 'Dirt on your head', a verbal insult that is often used, suggesting the death and subsequent burial of the receiver. The insult of this is equivalent to the finger. In this gesture, the thumb sometimes touches the middle finger. Another variation of the middle finger is used, where all the fingers but the middle one are spread wide while moving the hand back and forth in the axis the middle finger creates. The middle finger is still used though, and it is considered more insulting. In Greece, the five fingers are spread wide and the palm is pushed towards someone in a gesture known as the Moutza. The common words for cuckolded in Italian, Greek and Spanish are cornuto, κερατάς ( keratas) and cornudo respectively, literally 'horned'. This usage of the gesture implies cuckoldry in the person it is directed towards. Unlike the first usage of the gesture, this obscene usage of the gesture involves pointing the two fingers upward or directing the gesture towards someone and swiveling the hand back and forth. The second usage of the gesture, also found in Italy and other Mediterranean and Latin countries (including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay) is instead obscene, disrespectful, and insulting. This usage of the gesture may also be employed when confronted with unfortunate events or even when such events are mentioned, and it is usually performed with the fingers pointed downward (or simply not directed towards someone) to distinguish the apotropaic usage of the gesture from the obscene usage of the gesture. The first, more innocuous usage of the gesture in Italy and the Mediterranean is deployed for apotropaic or superstitious purposes, as a way to ward off bad luck or the ' evil eye'. It is especially common in Italy and the Mediterranean region, where it generally takes on two different meanings depending on context and positioning of the hand. The sign of the horns, or corna in Italian ('horns'), is a gesture with various meanings depending on culture, context, or the placement or movement of the gesture.

Middle finger up