When was thumbs up invented

However, scholars of Roman texts disagree about the meaning of the gestures. The original Latin texts are difficult to interpret. Roman texts, notably by the 2nd century poet Juvenal, are ambiguous.

Lines of his have been translated thus:. Now they give shows of their own. Once again the whole story of the thumbs up 'approval' sign is based on misunderstanding and mistranslation. The Latin phrase used by contemporary ancient Roman authors was ' pollice verso ' or verso pollice meaning 'with a turned thumb'. It does not mean a down-turned thumb but one that is moved in some unspecified way; no particular direction can be assumed. The exact gesture described by the phrase and its meaning are the subject of much scholarly debate.

From historical, archaeological and literary records it is uncertain whether the thumb was turned up, turned down, held horizontally, or concealed inside the hand to indicate a defeated gladiator's fate [2]. What that fate might be was decided not by the crowd but ultimately by the editor , the man hosting, and paying for, the spectacle.

A defeated gladiator would raise the right index finger, ad digitum , in the customary appeal for mercy to the editor [3]. The crowd, however, would have loudly voiced their desires with cries of ' mitte!

With potentially thousands of voice all roaring together the editor might struggle to discern the most popular decision. So, to attract the editor 's attention, and influence the outcome, hand gestures are known to have been employed. The large canvas shown below depicts Vestal Virgins signifying to a murmillo [4] their desire for the death of the fallen gladiator, a retarius or 'net-man'.

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The last thing a sweaty sportsman wanted was a thumbs-up. While in modern times it has a positive meaning, back then it meant "get him out of here," or death, while a concealed thumb considered thumbs-down meant the gladiator lived. That's how they would indicate to the crew that they were ready, that everything was good. While many cheerful gestures have fallen out of popularity, such as the increasingly tired high-five and its really dated predecessor, gimme-five, the thumbs-up has kept a firm grip on cultures.

The media is one reason for the gesture's sticking power. It was a positive image from a war situation that could be brought back home and put in the papers," Rashotte said. The thumbs-up took a small hit in the s and s as anti-war sentiments took center stage and the peace sign became the more popular positive gesture.