Why do men grow their nails on their little fingers: meaning

The birth of fashion

The tradition of growing a nail on the little finger dates back to the distant 17th century, it came from England. At that time, this was considered convenient for instantly opening letters. There was no need to look for a special knife.

This fashion was also in France in the 17th-18th centuries. The nail helped to navigate the French etiquette of that period. Often he helped his owner get to the place he needed, talking about his belonging to the elite. Back then, knocking on a door was considered indecent, and scratching it with a fingernail was not only within the bounds of reason, but was also considered preferable.

Sometimes you can come across the opinion that in Europe, as well as in Russia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, an elongated nail on the little finger was an identification mark for those with an alternative sexual orientation. This supposedly simplified communication within the community. This stereotype still exists, but no evidence has been found for it. And if such a “fashion” existed among homosexuals, then these were private, not mass cases.

For the residents of Thailand, to this day, regrown and well-groomed plates are a symbol of belonging to the highest labor elite. Well-groomed and long nails in combination with white skin indicate that their owner does not work in agriculture or harvesting rice. Since he can have neat plates, it means that he is engaged in mental activity, working in an office. But European fashion has not bypassed the Thais either, and therefore men cannot grow long nails, so they stop at one. This can be any nail, but most often it is the little finger, because it can least of all interfere with a person who is not accustomed to a long manicure.

What does a long nail on the little finger mean for men?

the hand of a dark-skinned man with long nails on the little finger and thumb

Historical data says that growing a nail on the little finger in men dates back to the 17th century.
Then representatives of the strong half of humanity conducted active correspondence and communicated with the world in this way. And to quickly open letters, they found a way out - the nail of the little finger of the left hand, because the right hand was used for writing and firing weapons

However, with changes in the peculiarities of sealing postal envelopes, the need for nails of different lengths on men’s hands also disappeared.

At the same time, in France there was a rule of good manners when a guest did not knock on the door with his fist, but scraped it with his finger. Agree, it’s easier and faster to do this with a grown nail
The past century has been turbulent in events and changes in human appearance. So in the 70s, the United States was overwhelmed by a wave of youth addiction to drugs. Cocaine was especially popular

Young guys began to grow the nail on their little finger to make it easier to measure one dose of the drug. In their world, their own measure of the weight of white powder appeared - a fingernail.

the man just started to grow a nail on the little finger of his left hand

In Soviet times at the end of the last century, crime bosses grew their pinky nail to stand out from other prisoners. Since the former enjoyed special conditions for serving their sentences and did not work physically, they could afford to take care of their hands and nails
Card sharpers have jumped on the bandwagon with the long-nail fashion for performing exchange tricks. They placed it between the cards in the deck and performed a tricky removal called "volt"
Continuing the theme of those who do not respect the laws, let us remember about pickpockets. Among them there are representatives with an overgrown nail on the little finger, with which they carefully cut the bags and pockets of their victims
The real need to have a long nail on the little finger was accompanied by the work of an assistant driver. This man gave them a tape with information about speed, route stops, and braking distance. And this tape was akin to a black box on modern airplanes
Among pilots there are also many representatives who wear a long nail on their little finger. The history of the tradition dates back to the Second World War. The pilots then did not have time to really sleep, much less take care of their appearance. And they got used to cutting their nails on the spinning propeller. But one day Meresyev did not have time to cut them off completely; he was left alone on the little finger of his left hand. This is what saved the pilot. He was able to get food, cut the parachute cables, build himself stilts and get to his people. Since then, the elongated nail on the little finger of the pilot’s left hand has become the personification of the faith, resourcefulness and invincibility of the Soviet soldier
Employees of jewelry workshops have such a distinctive sign as a long nail on the little finger. They use it to grab small gems and chain links during repairs.
Many guitarists to this day leave long nails on their hands, which make it easier for them to play the guitar without a pick.

Although there are other explanations for wearing this phenomenon. For example, A.S. Pushkin had a long nail on his little finger because he was a member of the Masonic society.

portrait of A.S. Pushkin, who also wore a long nail on his little finger

A few unconfirmed explanations:

superpowers. In ancient times, sorcerers, magicians and wizards had nails of different lengths, which distinguished them from other people. Perhaps this tradition has become firmly entrenched in the family and now the descendants simply follow it
palmistry. The little finger symbolizes a person’s oratory abilities and his penchant for science. If a nail grows on it, then the owner wants to strengthen these traits in his character. Therefore, among teachers you can often meet men with long nails on their little fingers and in practice you can be convinced that talking with them is pleasant and interesting
a talisman, that is, the owner of a non-standard length of a fingernail thereby attracts good luck and success into his life

Unconvincing, but valid arguments in favor of the presence of different lengths of nails on the hands of men are:

to attract women
show your involvement in Satanists, the vampire movement
to be identified among sexual minorities

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for men's manicures and differences in the length of the nail plates on the hands. This is how representatives of the stronger half of humanity express themselves in order to simply stand out and follow a specific style. A striking example of this is the Chinese. They tend to rarely cut their nails and wear them very long.

Criminal traditions

In the 20th century, this feature meant that a man was dealing with the criminal world. Previously, rings were worn on the little fingers, but now fashion has switched to growing a nail on it. It symbolized that the person belongs to the elite among people in prison. They did not bear heavy physical loads, did not do menial work, but only supervised.

The attribute was also used for theft by tearing packages or bags made of thin material. In some areas such activities are still practiced. It is especially often used during robberies in transport during rush hour. It is convenient to have such a tool, since your hands remain free and the criminal does not attract attention.

In the 1970s, drug users in the US and other countries had a long pinky nail for easy drug use - cocaine. These people poured the substance onto the plate, and thereby could calculate the optimal dosage of the substance. It was also convenient to use when playing cards. Fraudsters used their advantage to prevent the cards from sticking together. And the famous hero of the works of I. Ilf and E. Petrov Ostap Bender used a fingernail to open locks.

[yandex2] [google2]

Belonging to criminal circles

Why men grow a nail on their little finger can also be explained by their belonging to the criminal world. For example, crime bosses serving time in prison thus emphasize their status, making it clear that their hands are not intended for work.

But not only the elite of the thieves' community can be the happy owner of an unreasonably large nail. Previously, pickpockets grew and sharpened it on the little finger in order to use it to cut a package or thin bag from onlookers on public transport. Sharpers also did not hesitate to have long nails. He became a faithful assistant in various card tricks.

Mysticism

The long nail on one little finger of a man is important in Asia. In China, this feature is often found among the male population. There is a belief that when the plate grows, everyone in the family will be healthy and rich. The Chinese take very active care of it, filing it down and giving it various baths. Previously, it was even believed that if a nail breaks, the death of a loved one could soon follow.

Muslims have other beliefs in the field of mysticism. And they believe that it is the long nail on the little finger that scares away evil spirits. However, most religious branches abandon this tradition, as it, according to some, goes against some quotations from the Koran.

Long nails also exist among people from aviation. This happened because the little finger with a long nail was a symbol of faith in good luck, a kind of amulet. The famous pilot Maresyev introduced this fashion because the nail, in fact, saved his life. With this “tool” he got his own food, cut his own stilts, and made parachute lines. By the way, this famous attribute is on display in the museum.

In addition, those men who grow a nail on their little finger are sometimes Freemasons. Freemasons are followers of a unique religious-scientific organization with a long history. A long attribute for followers of this teaching is a badge of distinction that facilitates their communication in society. Although this sign is not the only one, and therefore is not found among all adherents of the teaching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZg_ElH9uj4

Fashion, the desire to stand out

No matter how many logical and rational reasons there are to grow a nail on your little finger - from playing the guitar to picking your nose, in most cases the influence of fashion and the desire to somehow stand out from the crowd are to blame. You can make many assumptions about what the nail on the little finger means, and guess which secret organization its outstanding owner belongs to. But the fact is that the practical significance of this exotic accessory is a thing of the past.

Today, the desire to be different makes people do strange and illogical things. There is no clear answer to the question of why men grow nails on their little fingers. Only a few of those who have such a feature derive practical benefit from it. For the majority, this is just a fashion accessory that gives the owner the illusion of their own uniqueness.

Life Facts

It was all in the past. But why do men grow the nail on their little finger today? Let's try to list all the possible options for this event.

It is believed that the nail on the little finger is very beautiful and stylish, especially if the hands are well-groomed.
A certain category of men uses a long nail as a kind of screwdriver, which is always at hand. Agree, it’s very convenient and completely free.
Some individuals use the nail on their little finger as a tool for (forgive my bluntness!) picking their nose. We are not talking about aesthetics in this case.
A long nail is the calling card of a drug addict. The marigold acts as a tool for mixing the snuff portion. Even if a man hides his passions, his nail may well give him away if he is unable to provide any other explanation.
Gambling gamblers grow a nail on the little finger of their left hand for the convenience of carrying out fraud during the game.
Young people, imitating the older generation, also grow nails on their small fingers. They believe that this way they look more authoritative among their peers.
Those who like to play the guitar use their fingernail as an assistant. It is easier to pick up the string with your fingernail and less painful. Almost all professionals have an overgrown nail, which makes it easier to play in especially difficult positions.
For many men with a prison background, a long nail on the little finger emphasizes “eliteness.” This indicates that in the zone he did not do dirty, dusty, hard work, but was a “local” authority.
Many computer technicians use a long fingernail to clean the keyboard or mouse from any dirt that has formed.
The nail on the little finger can be a sign of Freemasonry. This attribute has always been a calling card and a distinctive feature of a member of the fraternity.
In hairdressing, the nail serves as an auxiliary tool, for example, in the process of styling hair. People of art and creativity decorate their fingers in this way. This is a unique way of self-expression.