Symbols! We see them everywhere. On traffic signs, on logos, on our phones, even hand gestures are a kind of symbol.

But have you ever wondered where are these universal squiggles and swoops come from?

Well, allow me to act as your humble cryptographer as we decode everything from ancient ad signs to confusing controller buttons.

These are the secret origins of everyday symbols.

Be honest. How many times have you tried to plug in a USB, only to flip it over and over, struggling to figure out which way it plugs in?

Oh man, is it humbling.

But what's even more humbling is seeing that weird little trident symbol on the port and having no idea what it's meant to be.

The circle, square and triangle. It's like they're mocking me.

What do they mean?

Well, the three-pronged USB symbol was modeled after Dryzac.

For those who missed that history lesson, that's the name of the Trident wielded by Poseidon,

the ancient Greek gun of the sea.

The three shapes at the Trident's points are there to signify the variation in peripherals that can all be connected via a universal serial bus, or USB.

As such, the Trident was designed to symbolize the technological power USBs have,

being able to connect a wide range of other devices.

Finally, I know what it means!

I still won't be able to plug it in on the first try though.

If you hold up your index and middle fingers, it can mean a number of different things.

It can be a sign of peace, a symbol of victory, or a very rude gesture in the UK.

Depending on which way around the fingers are held.

But the inception of this two-fingered salute is believed to be older and more gruesome than most Brits realize.

At least one meaning of the gesture traces its origins back to the 100 years' war,

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