Vance thumbed the Greenlanders in the eye

CNN was interviewing Rufus Gifford, a former United States Ambassador to Denmark about the Vances’ trip to Greenland and he said Vance “thumbed the Greenlanders in the eye”. This is a congruent conflation of “thumbed their noses” and “poked them in the eye”, both a description of disrespect. Of course, a thumb in the eye would also hurt and be disrespectful. A tip of the hat to Paula Garrety who heard this one and sent it in.