"two words, one finger" would suggest that the mystery term to guess is two words of one syllable each in a game of charades (where you have to mime a word, term, or phrase for others to guess). "Love you," "gold ring," "bright day," and "non-stop" are some examples. This phrase comes from a joke told by American humorist Josh Billings. It was first published in 1837 in his book Life in This Country. He wrote, "A New York native who has been to Europe says he will be glad to go again as soon as they will let him take only one finger with him." Some people think this joke means that if you travel to Europe and take along just your index finger, you'll be okay. But that's not what it means at all! The real meaning is much more interesting than that... In America, most people wear rings on their fingers. In fact, according to some studies, about 75% of men and 95% of women wear rings. So when someone tells a joke about them wearing a ring, it's not that strange. However, in Europe, people rarely wear rings. According to some estimates, less than 10% of men and 3% of women do. So when someone tells a joke about someone else being able to guess a mystery term by looking at their hand, it really surprises them!