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OT: Histroy of the Midle Finger
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OT: Histroy of the Midle Finger
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Posted by Regal/NC on 12/7/06 9:30am
Msg #164514

OT: Histroy of the Midle Finger

The History of the Middle Finger


Well, now......here's something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it on to my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will know. Isn't history more fun when you know something about it?

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew"Wink.

Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, ''See, we can still pluck yew!" Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute!

It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing.....


Reply by Regal/NC on 12/7/06 9:31am
Msg #164515

Re: OT: Histroy of the Middle Finger ...Correction n/m

Reply by hcampersFL on 12/7/06 11:18am
Msg #164554

I've been feeling like writing some history myself today! n/m

Reply by Kevin/Ct on 12/7/06 11:23am
Msg #164559

Actually the French amputated three fingers from the hand that the English archer used to draw back the bow string


 
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