culture clash

[RP33]

I read on a website that had lists of specific things that differ throughout certain cultures that in England, giving the "peace" sign or the "v for victory" is equivalent to giving someone the finger in the US..

any truth to this?

I give the peace sign to everyone haha

[Gandalf]

Yes, the 'V' is one of my favourite English things. Here in Korea the 'V' is used in all photographs because they just dont know what to do with their hands when being photographed. Of course I merrily use the 'V' in photos as a way off expressing my British heritige. Nothing like a good old fahioned 'v' with a nonchalent sneer engrained upon the face!

[RP33]

Yes, the 'V' is one of my favourite English things. Here in Korea the 'V' is used in all photographs because they just dont know what to do with their hands when being photographed. Of course I merrily use the 'V' in photos as a way off expressing my British heritige. Nothing like a good old fahioned 'v' with a nonchalent sneer engrained upon the face!

so the "v" is perceived in a negative way in england??

[Gandalf]

Yes, the 'V' is one of my favourite English things. Here in Korea the 'V' is used in all photographs because they just dont know what to do with their hands when being photographed. Of course I merrily use the 'V' in photos as a way off expressing my British heritige. Nothing like a good old fahioned 'v' with a nonchalent sneer engrained upon the face!

so the "v" is perceived in a negative way in england??

Yeah, its a kind of "fuck off" gesture. Not a polite thing to do really.

[RP33]

Yes, the 'V' is one of my favourite English things. Here in Korea the 'V' is used in all photographs because they just dont know what to do with their hands when being photographed. Of course I merrily use the 'V' in photos as a way off expressing my British heritige. Nothing like a good old fahioned 'v' with a nonchalent sneer engrained upon the face!

so the "v" is perceived in a negative way in england??

Yeah, its a kind of "fuck off" gesture. Not a polite thing to do really.

ahahah that is awesome..

the hippie in me gives the peace sign to everyone, i don't even know why i do it, it's almost a habit.. anyone who i have a good conversation with at work, i give them the peace sign when i say bye.. anytime when im driving and someone lets me pull out of a road and stops for me i give them the peace sign..

i'd be in trouble if i came to england

[Andre]

The fingers face the other way around though,peace one way get fucked the other.

[X]

It depends which way round you have it.

If you give a 'V' sign, with your palm facing the other person ... that is OK because it signifies V for victory and it the Churchillian symbol.

The older type, which is the V sign with the back of your hand facing the other person actually means 'fuck off'. This dates back to the battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Just before the battle, the French had captured some English troops and amputated their first two fingers before releasing them - this prevented them from ever drawing a bow again.

On the morning of the battle, the English army (which was mainly formed of Welsh mercenary longbowmen) first used the V sign as a gesture of defiance, meaning 'look we still have our fingers and we will use them to kill you'

Thus endeth the history lesson from X