The History of the Middle Finger

[Long Tall Cowboy 1]

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. 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 defeat 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 libidinal 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

[JohnnyJing 0]

I've heard that before, but I heard the 2 finger up yours version, as it was the 2 fingers that draw the bow. Showing the 2 fingers was like saying "see, you haven't got me yet, I'm going to fire arrows at you".

 

I had a little 4 yo say "fuck U" to me once, don't know where she learnt that from, all the other kids around laughed as well. Maybe she said Fuck Ke-oow, which I heard is like Thai pumpkin soup.

 

I've actually being bumping into some cool french people lately, instead of the stuck up variety. One French guy who saw my girlfriend, said a day after his girlfriend went back to France, "Does she have any friends ?". But he ended up getting "lucky" with some English girl later that day. Seems like they are finally realising, and are dropping the attitude.

 

Looks like there are alot of stuck up young'uns these days, walking around with that "supermodel" smirk on their face. I think it is funny that guys are starting to act like girls now.

Edited August 11, 2006 by JohnnyJing