Five Fingered Salute

[Douglas G. Wilson]

> >    "Five fingered salute" does not appear in Jonathon Green's CASSELL
> > DICTIONARY OF SLANG or the HDAS.  Both have many other "five finger"
>citations,
> > however.
>
>
>More relevant, dare I say, are the listed 'salutes': one- and two-finger,
>jailhouse, one-gun, Italian, Australian, Queensland, Barcoo and Salmon Arm.
>But I've never encountered the 'five-fingered' version nor can I envisage
>quite what it means. It sounds like a clenched fist, but while that can be
>aggressive or celebratory, it has surely never been derogatory (or at least
>in UK/US). Or a hand, waving in dismissal? If someone could enlighten me, I
>shall be happy to give it a home.
>
>Jonathon Green

I have heard the expression, but I've forgotten what it meant (if I ever knew).

By analogy with "one-finger salute", all five fingers would be expected to
be extended, I think.

Quick Google shows at least two distinct senses: (1) the cocking of a
snook; (2) something like a wave of the hand.

-- Doug Wilson