Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Three three tre

Different cultures have differing customs. One small custom that differs in different countries is how you show the number three using your fingers.

In the USA the three center fingers are the ones that signify three.

In the UK (so a British lady told me) it is the middle finger, ring finger and the pinkie finger.

So how do they show three in Italy...thumb first and then pointer finger and lastly middle finger. I think that makes perfect sense.

5 comments:

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Excellent observation; I always thought the Italian way was weird until I thought about how we indicate six, using the thumb of the other hand, then seven with the thumb and index finger...so actually, the Italians are more consistent at least. Who woulda thought ;)

Crafty Green Poet said...

I do it the Italian way, even though I'm British. How odd! Mind you I once took a quiz that told me I had an Italian soul...

Anonymous said...

I must be Italian too! Actually, I'm English by birth, but live in the US of A.
I can't do the 'American' three at all...something to do with tendons in my hand.
Igh61

Anonymous said...

Chance made me come here (I was looking for the english name of finger).
I'm a french, and we show three like Italians. But the most interest way to count on the fingers is the chinese way in my opinion. You can count until 10 on one hand:
http://www.chine-nouvelle.com/ressources/compter-avec-les-mains.html
;-)

Gabriel said...

Great pictures. I found them just by chance, and I'm going to use them to illustrate my post for today, making sure that I give proper credit to their author (i.e., you)