A gesture of contempt made by putting the thumb between the first and second fingers in a closed fist; also a type of fig or fig tree.
From Spanish and Italian 'fico' meaning 'fig,' from Latin 'ficus.' The insult meaning comes from the resemblance of the hand gesture to a fig's shape. This offensive gesture was especially common in Mediterranean and European cultures.
The 'fico' insult traveled across medieval Europe and was so insulting that Shakespeare even referenced it in Romeo and Juliet! Different cultures had similar rude hand gestures—humans have always had creative ways to be disrespectful.
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