Giving the V sign often has a different meaning to giving the
middle finger.
In
Ireland, the V sign is often used as a greeting among close friends, or a general
response to a minor insult. When used towards people who aren't used to this practice, it is necessary to quickly explain the difference between this and "
the bird" before you get a smack in the teeth. The
explanation I usually use seems to protect me (most times) from general body-directed
harm.
Put basically, the middle finger is an
insult, the V sign is a
taunt. Imagine you are driving a car and a guy stops really hard in front of you. You scream "SHIT!!" and slam on the brakes, holding up your middle finger to show your
anger. Then you see you've just
smacked off the car behind you, so you take off fast, giving the driver behind a hearty V sign while laughing
insanely. "HA HAA HA HAAA" you say.