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The
History of the Middle Finger
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 feel edified. Isn't history more fun when you know
something about it?
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. 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").
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").
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 labiodentals fricative 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."
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 labiodentals fricative 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."
IT IS STILL AN
APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!
APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!
And yew thought
yew knew every plucking thing.
yew knew every plucking thing.
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