The Bird (Give The Bird)
Hey, a term that hung on for a looooooong time and comes from the 1920s, but was still in use into the early 1970s in some places. Which is why I have to differentiate between this “bird” and the “bird” that is flipped via a finger beginning in the late 1950s/early 1960s (this is a bit hard to pin down.) The obnoxious noise implies a degree of derision or disapproval without being overtly obscene (though that noise… well, you know.)
Give the bird: (v) blow a raspberry/”Bronx cheer”; make a derogatory sound with the lips. (not the flipping of a middle finger.)
I have no idea why the New York City borough of the Bronx gets the nod for this noise, but there it is. Maybe folks from the Bronx are just particularly good at expressing their disgust without actually saying a word. Given that we’ve just emerged from a highly-charged Presidential election cycle here in the United States, I have no doubt there are plenty of people giving others the bird today (of both varieties.) All together, now: put your tongue between your lips and make a very rude noise!
