the V-sign
noun

- a sign meaning victory or peace that is made by holding up the first two fingers of one hand in the shape of a V, while the thumb and other fingers are folded down and face out (also known as the peace sign)

- a similar sign, made with the back of the hand facing out, used for expressing extreme dislike or anger towards someone (also known as two fingers)

(Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)

---
WORD ORIGIN

The V-sign was first popularised by Winston Churchill during Word War II. Former U.S. President Richard Nixon also flashed it on the steps of the Presidential helicopter as he was leaving the White House for the last time in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

Flashing the V-sign with the palm of the hand facing outward symbolises victory, approval or solidarity. Peace activists around the world use it as a symbol of non-violence. But as our second example sentence shows, the V-sign is not always a nice thing to do. With the palms turned the other way, the V-sign is considered a rude or threatening gesture, sometimes seen in Britain.

According to a popular myth, the V-sign derived from the gestures of longbowmen who fought in the English army at the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. The story claims that the French cut off two fingers on the right hand of captured archers and that the gesture was a sign of defiance by those who were not mutilated.

---
SYNONYMS

the peace sign (positive), two fingers (insulting)

---
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation
say something like:

"He gave a V-SIGN to his boss on Monday, and was fired on Tuesday."