n
the act of holding up the first and second fingers of the hand so they are spread to form a V. With the back of the hand towards the body this expresses ‘victory’ (as used by Winston Churchill during World War II ), or peace (as used by hippies and others during the 1960s). In Britain, however, when it is made with the back of the hand towards another person and an upward movement of the fingers, this sign is very offensive, showing extreme anger and dislike.