The history of the middle finger
Dec 23, 2020 22:37:11 #
The history of the middle finger.
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. 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.
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. 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.
Dec 23, 2020 23:01:21 #
Well, the French paid their dues at Aggencourt. Because they chose such a poor place to "finish off" the English, it was a pure slaughter with the English archers killing enough of the French knights and their horses, and King Henry ordering the captured French nobles have their thoats cut to prevent them rejoining the French if they brokd trough the English lines. There probably were fewer one-sided battles won by the weaker force. Just Sayin.../RJS
Dec 24, 2020 02:10:47 #
Good stuff, I had a mentor that was an old bowyer and gave me that story while crafting a bow out of high altitude yew. He was an amazing man, well versed in craft and history but also known to stretch some tales. Thanks for the verification.
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