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Harvey Smith sign

(British) The V sign (of contempt or insult).

ˈhɑɹvi ˈsmɪθ ˈsaɪnDocumented since 1970s1970sGen Xhistorical50 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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Born ~1971 · no dated citations yet
1971BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(British) The V sign (of contempt or insult).

Origin: After Harvey Smith, a British show jumping champion, who made a V sign to the judges in 1971 after a near perfect round. Smith had previously been in an argument with one of the judges, who had said that he (Smith) would not win. Having proved the judge wrong, Smith made the insulting gesture, although in the ensuing controversy he claimed that it had been a V sign of victory. [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/aug/15/harvey-smit…. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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