'bite my thumb at them"Cultural ReferenceAct 1,Scene 1Lines 39-40An explanation of the phrase "bite my thumb at them" in myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Sampson Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it. To bite your thumb at someone was to flick your thumb from behind your upper teeth. It was an obscene gesture similar to giving someone the finger.
