Aggies will often flash a thumbs up and say “Gig ’em!” This is a phrase that dates back to 1920. The term was popularized by P.L. “Pinkie” Downs, a member of the Texas A&M Board of Regents and Class of 1906, when Downs asked the crowd at a yell practice before the 1930 TCU football game, “What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?” Improvising, he borrowed the name of a sharp-pronged frog hunting tool called a gig, answering his own question by saying “Gig ’em, Aggies!” For emphasis, Downs made a fist with his thumb extended straight up.
Today, the phrase and thumbs-up gesture are a universal sign of approval for Aggies and identify an Aggie or an Aggie fan. Usually done with the right hand, the Gig ‘em sign also showcases the Aggie Ring, which is traditionally worn on that hand. But even more than that, Gig ‘em signals optimism, determination, loyalty, and the Aggie Spirit.
Aggies will often flash a thumbs up and say “Gig ’em!” This is a phrase that dates back to 1920. The term was popularized by P.L. “Pinkie” Downs, a member of the Texas A&M Board of Regents and Class of 1906, when Downs asked the crowd at a yell practice before the 1930 TCU football game, “What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?” Improvising, he borrowed the name of a sharp-pronged frog hunting tool called a gig, answering his own question by saying “Gig ’em, Aggies!” For emphasis, Downs made a fist with his thumb extended straight up.
Today, the phrase and thumbs-up gesture are a universal sign of approval for Aggies and identify an Aggie or an Aggie fan. Usually done with the right hand, the Gig ‘em sign also showcases the Aggie Ring, which is traditionally worn on that hand. But even more than that, Gig ‘em signals optimism, determination, loyalty, and the Aggie Spirit.