sycopahnt sign fig responses recent enquiry word sycophant sign fig interesting varied view instead summarizing responses forwarding minor editing figs first introduced greece expensive therefore prestigious status symbols fig tree big deal waiting tree come fruitbearing age pick fruit even bigger deal security often low electric street lights often non fig owners indulged stealing figs probably daredevil act decreed anyone caught stealing figs crime rewards given revealed phanein fig syko thieves course since pilferers probably less happy finked fig owners term fig revealer shower took negative connotation one thing steal badly get caught eservedly botching quite another told goes lore sycophant came still used modern greek english swear authenticity least taught primary athens jenny dalalakis mcgill university linguistics email bgbi musicb mcgill ca sign fig highly insulting hand gesture used far know italy perhaps places made making fist thumb inserted index middle fingers gesture represents th e female genitalia photograph someone making sign fig appears book gestures book ten fifteen years ago illustrating explaining various gestures insulting ones number cul tures dante inferno sign fig sign disrespect case aimed god presumably forbidden apple fig thing sign fig mean gesture quite common many european cultures put thumb first 2 fingers originally symbol sexual intercourse therefore obscene sign fig one euphemisms female genital know viennese dialect dictionary sign used current hereabouts widely used whereas italy esp russia greece forget current russian lost original obscene meaning means simply something like pretending work hell though indecent still indecent according barbara monahan dictionary russian gestures one widely used gestures soviet union indecent vulgar really nonverbal equivalent strong p 86 among adults insulting etymology sycophant sukon fig phainen show story one time supposedly law export figs athens sukophantes often turned violators unpopular law personal gain toadies widely despised word sycophants originally informers fig exporters sign fig also known latin name manus ficus apparently still mediterranean equivalent north american giving finger insult formed placing thumb index middle fingers closed fist interestingly american manual alphabet handshape representing letter avoided manual alphabets many countries replaced similar less offensive handshapes according _ hand book _ linda lee james charlton prentice hall 1980 fica fig sign ancient copulatory gesture thumb thrust forefinger middle finger hand simulating penis thrust woman labia called fica fig inserted thumb size shape fig ancient symbol abundance carried sense virility fecundity mano fica page 70 nt know anything semantic evolution word informally see present meaning sycophant would apply kind person would hang around sidelines action trial making rude gestures accused deriving right associating people power judging case seem vaguely remember high school days sycophant someone kept eye fig trees make sure one stole fruit someone taken court allegedly stolen figs sycophant would provide evidence pushing aside fig leaves showing figs removed unfortunately remember crime cut fruit fig trees intended offered gods could possible reason precious cann remember really incidentally sycophantis modern greek means one presents court public unfounded accusations someone probably relates fear ancient athenians someone might throw accusations would nt able cope since sycophant testimony questioned way phantis greek agent mean sign person presents something makes something known example ierophantis means someone unravels sacred signs gods e seer prophet modern greek got verb sycopha nto abstract noun sycopha ntia one last bit ethnographic detail least used common practice greece cut figs trees without considering issues tree farm belongs believed fig trees grow without special care therefore belong anybody thanks opportunity switch back mother tongue sykophantes ist ein verbales rektionskompositum aus phaino sukon point figs das zum erstenmal bei aristophanes acharner 559 425 v chr auftritt sein urspruenglicher sinn ist schon der antike umstritten vgl lidell scott v sykophantes ist ein verbales rektionskompositum aus phaino su kon point figs das zum erstenmal bei aristophanes ach 559 425 v chr auftritt sein urspruenglicher sinn ist schon der antike umstritten vgl lidell scott v orig used denouncers attempted export figs athens acc plu solon 24 2 523b citizens entrusted collection figs part public revenues etc modern explanations mere guesses ebenfalls bei aristophanes pax 1350 findet sich der erste beleg fuer suykon pudenda muliebra und das feminum sukopha ntria mit komischer bedeutung eine frau die ihr su kon sehen laesst plut 970 eric partridge _ origins _ let know bit stuff clearly expressed oed jon origins eric partridge orig informer denounced sold contraband figs stole fruit sacred figtrees ancients explained rogue addicted indecent gesture thanks richard blucher blucher umbc2 umbc edu