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Glite Dictionary
to flip the bird

to flip the bird

1 9.9
To show anger by holding up the middle finger at someone
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : mostrar el dedo medio (vulgar)
  • After hearing the rude comment, she decided to flip the bird in response.

You know who flipped the bird to your your boy Trudeau.

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Examples

  • The issue of what you're describing is simply people flipping the bird to the court.

    Blog text (6)

  • Is it A, eating a baby, B, flipping the bird, or C kneeling during the national anthem?

  • So it was safe to flip the bird at the US.

    Blog text (29)

  • You know who flipped the bird to your your boy Trudeau.

    The Rich Dad Channel

  • The court has the inherent authority to haul you before it... if you flip the bird to the court, you're going to get shit on.

    Blog text (6)

  • Jay throws his guitar at him as well, yelling and flipping the bird as the van drives off.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Millions more like you flipped the bird and didn't vote out of protest because a Conservative didn't get the nomination?

    Blog text (34)

  • Fitch essentially flipped the bird to the whole world—and I kinda dig it.

    Blog text (15)

  • Dad Defiant tweeted this and it's a meme of Baby Yoda flipping the bird and it says the tolerant left.

    I've Had It

  • When he got cut off in traffic, he couldn't help but flip the bird at the driver.

Synonyms

to thumb one's nose at
vsto flip the bird
  • Informal
8 9.2

To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs

is the specific obscene hand action rather than rule-defying contempt
to raise a middle finger
vsto flip the bird
  • Offensive
8.3

To show anger or insult someone by lifting the middle finger

is an informal idiom for the same obscene hand gesture
to cock a snook
vsto flip the bird
  • Archaic
9.9

Show openly that you do not respect someone, often by a rude gesture

is a specific obscene hand action rather than general disrespect or defiance
to give a snook
vsto flip the bird
  • Archaic
9.9

To show you do not respect someone by putting your thumb to your nose and wiggling your fingers

focuses on a different rude hand motion not the single upright finger gesture
to make a snook
vsto flip the bird
  • Offensive
9.9

To put your thumb on your nose and wiggle your fingers to show disrespect

is a different insulting motion rather than the single upright finger insult

How Rude

to flip the bird
  • Offensive
1 9.9
thumbs up
46 2.7
wave
127 1.0
to smile
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

flip the bird infinitive
flipped the bird past
flipped the bird past participle
flipping the bird present participle
flips the bird third person singular

Morphology

flip + the + bird

The literal meanings of 'flip' (to turn or toss) and 'bird' (an animal) do not lead to the idiomatic sense of making an obscene middle-finger gesture; the phrase is culturally specific and historically conventionalized. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words but has not encountered the idiom would not be able to predict this meaning, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Flip the bird comes from the rude act of showing the middle finger as a clear insult. One popular story says people have used the raised middle finger for centuries to offend or show anger, so flip the bird now means 'make a rude gesture' to show contempt.