lifting the little finger
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Tippling. In holding a tankard or glass, many persons stick out or lift up the little finger.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “lifting the little finger” mean?
Tippling. In holding a tankard or glass, many persons stick out or lift up the little finger.
Is “lifting the little finger” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.