Is "Le bras d'honneur" offensive?

Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.

How do you pronounce "Le bras d'honneur"?

This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Slap one hand into the crook of the opposite elbow while jerking that forearm up, fist clenched.

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French · Hand Gestures · hand gesture

Le bras d'honneur

Up yours! — the forearm jerk (the big French one)

4/5 Fighting words

aimed at a person, will start something

The gesture

"Slap one hand into the crook of the opposite elbow while jerking that forearm up, fist clenched"

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

The definitive French insult gesture, far more emphatic than the middle finger: fist of one arm punched upward while the other hand slaps down into its elbow crook. Unmistakably "up yours," aggressive, and impossible to pass off as accidental. Classic driver-to-driver diplomacy. Fighting register.

Heard in the wild

Il lui a fait un bras d'honneur par la fenêtre.

He gave him the forearm jerk out the window.

Where it lands

France (universal); known across the Latin world

Quick answers

What does "Le bras d'honneur" mean?: In French, "Le bras d'honneur" means "Up yours! — the forearm jerk (the big French one)". Literally it's "Slap one hand into the crook of the opposite elbow while jerking that forearm up, fist clenched". The definitive French insult gesture, far more emphatic than the middle finger: fist of one arm punched upward while the other hand slaps down into its elbow crook. Unmistakably "up yours," aggressive, and impossible to pass off as accidental. Classic driver-to-driver diplomacy. Fighting register.
Is "Le bras d'honneur" offensive?: Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
How do you pronounce "Le bras d'honneur"?: This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Slap one hand into the crook of the opposite elbow while jerking that forearm up, fist clenched.

Related in French

Le doigt d'honneur gesture The finger / flipping the bird Avoir les boules gesture To be fed up / furious / freaked out (gesture + phrase) Mon œil gesture My eye! / Yeah, right! / I don't believe you Il est fou (se visser la tempe) gesture He's crazy / a screw loose Putain ! poo-TAN Damn! / F***! / The all-purpose intensifier — punctuation, really Bordel ! bor-DEL What a mess! / Chaos! — also 'what the hell' as an intensifier

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Screw you".

how to say "Screw you" →

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