Cow and Boy Classics by Mark Leiknes for October 27, 2015

Any exposed thumb would be bad news for a downed gladiator, since it would be interpreted as the “turned thumb” meaning he should die. The sign to let him live was thumb concealed in the fist, probably meaning a sheathed sword. Much easier to get a feeling of the crowd’s desire than trying to tell if a majority had thumb up or down. .Unlikely as it seems, perhaps Cow has some Middle Eastern influence in her life. So Billy’s gesture not only means, “I’m going to put this thumb someplace uncomfortable,” but “I’ve got two of them, so where else do you want one?”