Definition:
The reversed V-sign is a hand gesture that involves raising the index and middle fingers, with the back of the hand facing the recipient of the gesture. Sometimes the two fingers are widely spread, other times they are not. The gesture is made in the same way as flipping off, but with the index finger raised as well. The gesture carries the same symbolism as flipping off, meaning “fuck you.”
Etymology:
The exact origins of the gesture are unclear, but one popular theory is that it dates back to the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. English longbowmen were said to have made the gesture to show that they still had their bow-drawing fingers intact after battles.
Description:
The gesture is popular UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The reversed V-sign symbolizes a vagina, as does the V-sign, although the reversed V-sign is much more commonly used when making the “I-Lick-Pussy” gesture, where you stick out your tongue between the fingers of the reversed V-sign.
The reversed V-sign is synonymous with the “two-finger salute,” though many do not believe it is.
The symbolism of the V-sign with the palm facing outward, also known as the V-sign or peace gesture, represents peace. Therefore, the reversed V-sign carries the opposite symbolic meaning: war. This hints that the word “peace” actually means “war.”
In the TV series “Rick & Morty,” Season 2, Episode 6: “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” the episode opens with Rick, Morty, and Summer in Rick’s spaceship, ready to leave an alien planet. When Rick attempts to start his spaceship, it fails, leading him to realize that the battery is dead. Rick reveals that the battery is actually a “microverse” (a small universe contained within the battery that powers the car by harnessing the electricity generated by its inhabitants). Rick and Morty enter the microverse to fix the battery. Inside, they meet the inhabitants, who worship Rick as a god since he created their universe. When Rick and Morty enter, the inhabitants flip them off, as Rick tells Morty that he told them flipping someone off means “peace among worlds.” Rick learns that Zeep Xanflorp, one of the scientists in the microverse, has created his own “miniverse” to generate power, which leads to Rick’s battery losing power. When visiting Zeep’s miniverse, Zeep shows the inhabitants the peace sign, while telling Morty that he told them it means “peace among worlds.” Click to watch the video clips.
This is a good illustration of how curse words (and all symbols, for that matter) are just something we humans have made up. It also hints at how the word “peace” in our world can actually mean the opposite: “war.”