The phrase comes from the player message system in FromSoftware games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, where messages are built from preset templates and a small word list. Players combined finger, but and hole into a crude joke that mimicked a helpful hint, and try finger but hole became one of the most copied messages left near doors, chests and characters. Screenshots and clips spread it far beyond the games, turning the line into a shorthand for cheeky, misleading advice in gaming communities.