It is never a good idea to make rude gestures in parliament. Especially if you are a member of the cabinet. Angry and frustrated during an important debate, Portuguese Economy Minister Manuel Pinho decided to show an opposition MP exactly what he thought of him. He put his hands to his head and pointed at him with his thumbs and index fingers outstretched. In Portugal, and many other countries, it was a highly insulting gesture. It implied that the opposition MP was a cuckold. But what exactly is a cuckold? The word derives from old French for a cuckoo ("cucu"). The females of some species of cuckoo lay their eggs in other birds' nests and leave them to bring up the offspring. For she was wild and young, and he was old, And deemed himself as like to be a cuckold So, with that whiff of unfaithfulness, the carefree bird gave us... [read full story]
