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.’
And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing
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Very interesting. I never knew this.
Kelly
🙂
Sounds like a bit of a yarn, but a good one nevertheless
Tony…..sounds good to me!
lol
IT IS AN INFO I BADLY NEEDED AT THIS STAGE OF MY LIFE,. I USED TO WONDER WHY PEOPLE GET FURIOUS WHEN MIDDLE FINGER IS FLASHED AT THEM. I INNOCENTLY THOUGHT THEY WERE SHOWING THE LONGEST FINGER . FOR THE RECORD I HAVE NEVER SHOWN IT TO ANYBODY.
Now LVISS….NEVER???? 🙂
Now this is good info to know! I can’t wait to get back out to the resort to tell everyone this little story I read on my friend’s blog.
Gary, something new to talk about when you are all hanging around and relaxing! Lucky family! 🙂