Dont read if you havnt seen Inglorious Bastards!

[Brain Matter?]

In Inglorious Bastards the british bloke gives himself away buy holding up three fingers insted of two fingers and a thumb.
Is this a real german thing or is it made for the movie?

What things do you do that might not go down to well in another country?

 

[conor]

I work with a Polish girl (same neck of the woods as Germany), and after I saw the film she gestured three to me in the same way the Gestapo agent did in the film. She hadn't seen the film yet. I didn't get a chance to ask her about it, but I asked some other Polish girls I work with how they would gesture a three, and they all did it using a thumb and two fingers! It must be an Eastern European thing.

 

[skunkape]

I haven't seen the film yet, but I read the screenplay about a year ago. The story I got was, Tarantino left his laptop that he was working on the script with laying around vulnerable. So, naturally, some jackoff gets on and uploads it to the net. Maybe true, maybe not...but it was a great read. I hope it is as cool on screen as it was in my imagination.
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[Brain Matter?]

I haven't seen the film yet, but I read the screenplay about a year ago. The story I got was, Tarantino left his laptop that he was working on the script with laying around vulnerable. So, naturally, some jackoff gets on and uploads it to the net. Maybe true, maybe not...but it was a great read. I hope it is as cool on screen as it was in my imagination.
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Its not (its just ok)

 

[dusty]

Dont stretch and raise your arms over your head in Portugal it's very rude for some reason. I found that one out personally. Also in one of the scandinavian countries I have heard that you can be arrested for being drunk and disorderly if you smile at someone in the street?

Oh yeah and just try giving away free CD's in Austria, no one will accept them. We got follwed by undercover cops for that one.

Mark

 

[PhantomAce]

In Inglorious Bastards the british bloke gives himself away buy holding up three fingers insted of two fingers and a thumb.
Is this a real german thing or is it made for the movie?

What things do you do that might not go down to well in another country?

There's a WW2 film from the 1960's,(The Great Escape?). Where a similar thing happens with the way cigarettes are held.

Europeans hold them by thumb and forefinger facing upwards. While Americans hold them "loosely" by forefinger and middle finger. The escaped Americans needed to watch these little details or else!

 

[conor]

There's a WW2 film from the 1960's,(The Great Escape?). Where a similar thing happens with the way cigarettes are held.

Europeans hold them by thumb and forefinger facing upwards. While Americans hold them "loosely" by forefinger and middle finger. The escaped Americans needed to watch these little details or else!

I'm European (Irish). I hold my first three fingers forward. Just saying.

 

[Jose Collado]

Straying from the finger gestures a little but I've found words can be a little more unacceptable depending where you're from. For example, the "C" word here isn't a bad word. You can call your best friend one. In fact, it can be used in various situations without being overly offensive.

 

[Schuyler]

Europeans hold them by thumb and forefinger facing upwards. While Americans hold them "loosely" by forefinger and middle finger. The escaped Americans needed to watch these little details or else!

I remember that. And when the escapee meets the beautiful woman, she's doing the forefinger/middlefinger schtick--a dead giveaway--that he didn't get.

 

[Schuyler]

And, while we're on the subject, there is a correct way to give the finger, and I know for a fact that Swedes don't get it because the guy in Stockholm who gave me the finger, the inglorious bastard, gave it wrong. Here's the deal:

Middle finger up, of course. The tip of forefinger and tip of ring finger touch the first joint of the middle finger in such a way as to create a gap into which a pencil can be stuck and held behind the middle finger.

Got that?

If you are simply sticking up your middle finger and holding down the ring and forefingers to get them out of the way, you are doing it WRONGLY and deserve scorn and derision sent your way. You would never survive my Hood if you did that.

 

[dyingsun]

The german way to say 'fuck you' is still sticking out your middle finger.

 

[PhantomAce]

And, while we're on the subject, there is a correct way to give the finger, and I know for a fact that Swedes don't get it because the guy in Stockholm who gave me the finger, the inglorious bastard, gave it wrong. Here's the deal:

Middle finger up, of course. The tip of forefinger and tip of ring finger touch the first joint of the middle finger in such a way as to create a gap into which a pencil can be stuck and held behind the middle finger.

Got that?

If you are simply sticking up your middle finger and holding down the ring and forefingers to get them out of the way, you are doing it WRONGLY and deserve scorn and derision sent your way. You would never survive my Hood if you did that.

It's been my experience in traffic the popular technique nowadays is the latter. A lost art indeed.:

 

[Schuyler]

The german way to say 'fuck you' is still sticking out your middle finger.

Yeah, but you gotta do it with finesse. Just sticking up your middle finger is sloppy and gauche. Always go for the class act. When others recognize your superior technique, they will follow. Why, I'll bet you could turn this around in a generation!