|
More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
|
V-sign
|
|
(victory sign) One of the trade marks during World War II of Winston *Churchill, who held out the first two fingers of his right hand in a V for Victory with the palm towards the crowd (the same gesture with the palm inwards and a flick of the fingers is a traditional symbol of contempt and provocation). The opening bar of Beethoven's 5th symphony also became a V-sign; having the same rhythm as the letter V in the morse code (...–), it was used by the BBC from 1941 as the identifying signal for its radio transmissions to occupied Europe.
|
|
|
|