: 1 8 5 2 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 9 0 8 ▁death s ▁Category : Che es em akers ▁Category : Progress ive ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁of ▁Ontario ▁MP P s <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁fig ▁sign ▁is ▁a ▁m ild ly ▁obsc ene ▁gesture ▁used ▁at ▁least ▁since ▁the ▁Roman ▁Age ▁in ▁Italy ▁and ▁Southern ▁Europe ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁region , ▁including ▁in ▁ ▁Turkish ▁culture , ▁and ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁adopted ▁by ▁S lav ic ▁cult ures . ▁The ▁gesture ▁uses ▁a ▁thumb ▁wed ged ▁in ▁between ▁two ▁fingers . ▁This ▁gesture ▁is ▁most ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁w ard ▁off ▁the ▁evil ▁eye , ▁ins ult ▁someone , ▁or ▁den y ▁a ▁request . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁orig ins ▁in ▁Southern ▁Europe ▁or ▁Latin ▁Europe , ▁the ▁gesture ▁was ▁imported ▁to ▁Latin ▁America . ▁In ▁Brazil , ▁use ▁of ▁this ▁gesture ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁w ard ▁off ▁evil ▁eye , ▁je alous y , ▁etc . ▁Or n aments ▁with ▁this ▁symbol ▁are ▁often ▁worn ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁luck ▁charm . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ancient ▁Rome , ▁the ▁fig ▁sign , ▁or ▁man u ▁f ica , ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁p ater ▁famil ias ▁to ▁w ard ▁off ▁the ▁evil ▁spirits ▁of ▁the ▁dead ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Lem uria ▁rit ual . ▁ ▁The ▁hand ▁gesture ▁may ▁have ▁origin ated ▁in ▁ancient ▁Indian ▁culture ▁to ▁dep ict ▁the ▁ling am ▁and ▁y oni . ▁ ▁Among ▁early ▁Christians , ▁it ▁was ▁known ▁as