a little history lesson

I never knew this 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').

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.' IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing.

Thanks;

for debunking, horrific.

New icon there kerm. I didn't know that skywatcher, that is interesting. Plucking yew. he,he, good one.

An oldie and not quite as funny as I remember it.

Biggles wrote:

New icon there kerm. I didn't know that skywatcher, that is interesting. Plucking yew. he,he, good one.

Not in our library Biggs, just grabbed the image

Actually....

The French used to cut of the first two fingers of any bowmen they caught. So it became a taunt to the French to make a V sign with the first two fingers to prove they still had them and could shoot the French.

That sign (accentuated by up and down movement of hand, with back of hand facing enemy) was the sign showing the French that they still could shoot them and obviously a fair bit of contempt.

I think the Rockerfeller gesture (flipping the bird) has a different origin than the V sign.

Winston Churchil's V sign was more of a salute (the other way around) and was V for Victory.

John..

French Taunting you say?

Yes.

As an aside I once calculated that you could fit the entire population of France inside the channel tunnel - with some room to spare

I told my friend and he said - cool, shove them all in there, and brick both ends up.

How cruel :)

Many english Canadians feel this way towards french Canadians, especially the ones in the province of Quebec.