# One fingernail painted black **URL:** \ **Category:** Unrelated Discussion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918 "2013-07-23T04:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/1 "2013-07-23T04:32:14Z")
Anybody know the meaning behind one fingernail being painted black while the rest remain unpainted? I usually see it on the ring finger and I was just curious as to if it held any meaning or symbolism. ---
**Author:** ![dynikus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/dynikus/32/812_2.png) [@dynikus](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/dynikus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/2 "2013-07-23T05:06:50Z")
you sure it’s not just a dead nail? ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/3 "2013-07-23T05:23:45Z")
I see the red nail and I want it painted black. ---
**Author:** ![Mikers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mikers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Mikers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/4 "2013-07-23T05:31:26Z")
To be honest the only reason I know for painting one nail is to grow it out and still keep it strong and rigid. Generally the uh, pinky nail… if you catch my drift. I can’t speak to the ring finger, but if you see some guy walking around with a long black pinky-nail and all the others are normal, bet your bottom dollar he’s high on cocaine/china white or wants people to think he is. ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/5 "2013-07-23T05:46:58Z")
> [@Mikers](#): > > To be honest the only reason I know for painting one nail is to grow it out and still keep it strong and rigid. Generally the uh, pinky nail… if you catch my drift. > > I can’t speak to the ring finger, but if you see some guy walking around with a long black pinky-nail and all the others are normal, bet your bottom dollar he’s high on cocaine/china white or wants people to think he is. I’ve heard this stereotype, and as a cocaine addict, I beg to differ. But seriously, I’ve been doing research and all I can find is it being representative of agreeing with Christian morals while disagreeing with the religion, being a satanist, or plotting something bad. (Seriously, apparently it means “plotting something bad”) ---
**Author:** ![Mikers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mikers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Mikers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/6 "2013-07-23T06:08:14Z")
I’m not saying all cocaine users do it… I just now that it happens. And that’s the only functional use for one painted nail I can come up with. No substitute for a good ole’ Benjamin, but it’ll do on the go and in a pinch for sure! The Christians take credit for a long list of things(I’ve had multiple religious people come up and start talking to me about god, persecution of Christians and stuff because I have a teeny little anchor tattooed on my wrist[I live in a heavily Navy occupied town, so in reality it’s just a private little joke]), I wouldn’t read too much into that. It’s probably just something to do. Maybe it had a meaning or was symbolic to a small group of people at some point, but like mostly everything else these days, just a “cool” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mikers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mikers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Mikers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/7 "2013-07-23T06:11:00Z")
Holy crap your signature. LOL! ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/8 "2013-07-23T06:14:30Z")
> [@Mikers](#): > > Holy crap your signature. LOL! I was wondering if you’d notice. But the source I had read the Religion thing wasn’t like “Awwwwyeah Jesus!” it was like “Yeah, we actually hate Christianity.” Like. It almost seems reasonable given the type of people that I have seen it on (Most notably Penn Jillette). ---
**Author:** ![Mikers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mikers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Mikers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/9 "2013-07-23T06:25:34Z")
Hm… Kind of strikes me as one of those non-conformist conformist things, you know? “I wanna’ make people aware that I’m different, like those kids.” I don’t doubt Penn Jillette has some reasonable motive for it, but I also wouldn’t doubt that most of the kids walking around with it do it simply because they’ve seen it. ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/10 "2013-07-23T06:34:10Z")
I can totally see that being the case. ---
**Author:** ![yoyo143](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyo143/32/1384_2.png) [@yoyo143](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyo143)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/11 "2013-07-23T08:09:21Z")
Im not sure but it’s probably something like the teardrop tattoo… ---
**Author:** ![wcrase](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/wcrase/32/80_2.png) [@wcrase](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/wcrase)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 11:19am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/12 "2013-07-23T11:19:05Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > I see the red nail and I want it painted black. Ha! ---
**Author:** ![YodaGuy5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f0a364/32.png) [@YodaGuy5](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YodaGuy5)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/13 "2013-07-23T14:18:05Z")
Maybe they are trying to be like Carson Daily back in the day haven’t gotten to some of the other nails. ---
**Author:** ![CaliBuddha](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/calibuddha/32/156_2.png) [@CaliBuddha](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/CaliBuddha)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/14 "2013-07-23T14:39:39Z")
It’s just a fashion statement by some kids. Nothing to it. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@Jake\_Elliott](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Jake_Elliott)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/15 "2013-07-23T15:27:11Z")
Concerning Penn Jillette - “When Jillette first began performing, his mother told him to get a manicure because people would be looking at his hands. In response to this, he had all of his nails painted red as a joke. The one remaining red fingernail is in memory of his mother.[35]” Full wiki page: [Penn Jillette - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_Jillette) (He’s also said this on video if you don’t trust wikipedia) As for everyone else, no idea. Maybe it’s just a fashion statement, maybe Penn popularized it, etc. ---
**Author:** ![RobK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobK](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/RobK)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/16 "2013-07-23T15:46:36Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > I see the red nail and I want it painted black. appropriate reference, especially since Penn’s nail is painted red, not black as the OP mentions. Also from the wikipedia page: The color he uses is Jelly Apple Red (#054) by Essie. I’m related to Penn’s family by marriage. I knew his mom. She was a sweet woman, and I know he is very sentimental about his family and childhood home. He may not be telling the truth in interviews, but it is more likely related to that than because he hates Christianity. He seems to hate all religions equally. ---
**Author:** ![thefluteninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@thefluteninja](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/thefluteninja)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/17 "2013-07-23T17:10:15Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > I see the red nail and I want it painted black. I get it:P ---
**Author:** ![DiceDude68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/35a633/32.png) [@DiceDude68](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/DiceDude68)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/18 "2013-07-24T00:18:23Z")
I deal dice and blackjack at a casino, and Asians are huge gamblers… There’s tons with an extra long pinky nail… I’ve heard the cocaine thing and it makes sense to me, especially if you deal and need to get a little scoop to test it out… I’ve heard it’s an old status symbol in China… They grow it out to show they don’t need to work with their hands, which would keep it short… ---
**Author:** ![PlasticWhip](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/plasticwhip/32/896_2.png) [@PlasticWhip](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/PlasticWhip)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/19 "2013-07-24T01:11:25Z")
> [@DiceDude68](#): > > I deal dice and blackjack at a casino, and Asians are huge gamblers… There’s tons with an extra long pinky nail… I’ve heard the cocaine thing and it makes sense to me, especially if you deal and need to get a little scoop to test it out… > > I’ve heard it’s an old status symbol in China… They grow it out to show they don’t need to work with their hands, which would keep it short… Yes, as far as I know, the Chinese pinky nail thing is correct. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/one-fingernail-painted-black/56918/20 "2013-07-24T02:29:49Z")
I always thought the long pinky nail was to make picking your nose easier.