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View Full Version : History of the Middle Finger



IHS Fan
05-23-2008, 02:02 PM
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 feel edified.

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.

The 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')!

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

labiodental fricative 'F', and thus changed 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'!

IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH

ESPECIALLY TODAY!

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing!