to make horns at
Preserved but no longer current.
To thrust out the fist with the first and fourth fingers extended, the others doubled in. This ancient gesture, now more common in Latin countries than in England,, was employed as an insult to the person at whom it was directed, as implying that he was a cuckold.
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 “to make horns at” mean?
To thrust out the fist with the first and fourth fingers extended, the others doubled in. This ancient gesture, now more common in Latin countries than in England,, was employed as an insult to the person at whom it was directed, as implying that he was a cuckold.
Is “to make horns at” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.