Usage
The meaning of the V sign is partially dependent on the manner in which the hand is positioned: * If the palm of the hand is facing inward toward the signer (i.e. the back of the hand faces the observer), the sign can mean: ** An insulting gesture in Australia,As an insult
The insulting version of the gesture (with the palm inward ) is often compared to the offensive gesture known as "Origins
A commonly repeated legend claims that the two-fingered salute or V sign derives from a gesture made byVictory sign
Second World War: V for Victory campaign
On 18 May 1939, the French daily, ''Le Monde Quotidien'' had a headline of, 'V pour victoire'. On 14 January 1941, Victor de Laveleye, former Belgian Minister of Justice and director of the Belgian French-language broadcasts on theVietnam War, victory, and peace
Protesters against theAs a photography pose
Japan
The V sign, primarily palm-outward, is very commonly made byChina, South Korea and Taiwan
In China, South Korea and Taiwan, the V sign is a popular pose in photographs. It is used in both casual and formal settings. For the most part in these countries, the gesture is divorced from its previous meanings as a peace sign or as an insult; for most the meaning of the sign is "victory" or "yeah", implying a feeling of happiness. It is used in both directions (palm facing the signer and palm facing forward). The pose is gaining significant popularity in South Korea due to the common usage amongst K-pop idols and young people – especially inElsewhere
In the United States, the usage of the V sign as a photography gesture is known but not widely used. The original poster for the 2003 film '' What a Girl Wants'' showed starRisks
In addition to the risks due to different interpretations of the V-sign in different cultures, it has been suggested that fairly close photographs of palm-out V-signs may be a security risk, as people's fingerprints can be clearly identified, allowing misuse. At a distance of 1.5m or less, 100% of a fingerprint can be captured, and 50% at up to 3m. Criminals could copy the fingerprint to use with door-access and payment systems. It is also possible for law enforcement to identify people this way; Carl Stewart was arrested in 2021 after police identified his fingerprints in an image he shared on EncroChat. Sufficiently detailed fingerprint information could only be harvested in "very demanding" conditions; to check that a V-sign photograph is not a security risk, it could be examined at high zoom.Specific uses
* In Argentina, the V sign, besides "victory", is linked to the political movement of Peronism, associated with the return ofSee also
*References
Notes Bibliography * * *External links
* Photos of the V sign: *