finger-pointing

From finger +‎ pointing.

• finger pointing, fingerpointing

finger-pointing (usually uncountable, plural finger-pointings)

1. The act of pointing a finger or fingers.
   • 2008 January 9, Sam Jordison, “Looking back at the Booker: John Berger”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 6 October 2014:

     Fortunately, more often, these authorial throat-clearings and finger-pointings enrich the text. Even the sample quoted above moves on to a vivid evocation of the very physical aspects of a hunt. Perhaps surprisingly for a writer so easily caricatured as a dry Marxist theoretician, Berger excels in such sensual descriptions.

   • 2023 April 22, Nina Lloyd, “Allegations against Dominic Raab that sent him to backbenches”, in The Independent‎^[2], London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 April 2023:

     Colleagues complained that Mr Raab’s “physical gestures” were used in a threatening way. Loud banging on tables and finger-pointing were among the allegations.

   • 2024 September 6, Carl Zimmer, “Why Do Apes Make Gestures?”, in The New York Times‎^[3], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 7 September 2024:

     Dr. [Kirsty] Graham argues that the recruitment view offers new ideas about why apes struggle to recognize gestures that are easy for us to understand, such as finger-pointing.

2. (figuratively, informal) The making of accusations; the assigning of blame.
   • 1986 January 19, Marc Shulgold, “Women Composers Aim for the Mainstream”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[4], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 October 2024:

     With the folding in November of Los Angeles Opera Theater came the expected finger-pointings and second-guessings among company officials.

   • 1986 November 20, “At the White House”, in The Washington Post‎^[5], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     A huge amount of material on this matter has come into public view: allegations and leaks, backgrounders and briefings, statements and press conferences, sidesteppings and finger-pointings.

   • 1995 December 20, Jack Valenti, “What Do ‘Money Train’ Critics Say Now?”, in The New York Times‎^[6], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, published 24 December 1995, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 May 2015:

     Relentless were the accusatory finger-pointings.

• blame game
• he said, she said

From finger-point +‎ -ing.

finger-pointing

1. present participle and gerund of finger-point