The History of the Middle Finger (19)

Dec 5, 2008 8:16 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
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 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 word's 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.
professor
Dec 5, 2008 9:16 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
hug_me_tighter
hug_me_tighterhug_me_tighterDelhi, Ontario Canada19 Threads 1 Polls 149 Posts
WOW! Thanks Brew..that makes sense

beer
Dec 5, 2008 9:22 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
laugh
Fantastic piece of information Brew! My sis has her Masters in History and ummmm...history is NOT my forte - but...maybe I will finally know something she doesn't know!!! cheering
Dec 5, 2008 10:06 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: Fantastic piece of information Brew! My sis has her Masters in History and ummmm...history is NOT my forte - but...maybe I will finally know something she doesn't know!!!


You say history is not your forte ??? wow I find that really hard to believe, I mean you lived through most of it, didn't you ?
rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing



just kidding
Dec 5, 2008 10:14 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
Brew01: You say history is not your forte ??? wow I find that really hard to believe, I mean you lived through most of it, didn't you ?



rolling on the floor laughing Well, hell yah!!! And the things that I learned through most of it Mr. Brew...well, it would just boggle your little itty bitty mind, ya old fart rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing

just kiddingtongue
Dec 5, 2008 11:37 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: Well, hell yah!!! And the things that I learned through most of it Mr. Brew...well, it would just boggle your little itty bitty mind, ya old fart

just kidding


rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing ok...... granny tongue
Dec 5, 2008 11:54 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
Brew01: ok...... granny


Mr. Brew...will have ya know I come from a long line of grannies. Phoenix has not only me. the best g-ma ever (on so many levels); she has great grandmas and is very blessed to have a great great grandman - my Granny!!! - now there is a link with some history laugh We are kind of a long living stubborn bunch!!!
Dec 6, 2008 1:04 AM CST The History of the Middle Finger
gemery
gemerygemeryWilliams Lake, British Columbia Canada5 Threads 509 Posts
good and useful things just seem to endure forever eh? laugh

geo
Dec 6, 2008 5:57 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: Mr. Brew...will have ya know I come from a long line of grannies. Phoenix has not only me. the best g-ma ever (on so many levels); she has great grandmas and is very blessed to have a great great grandman - my Granny!!! - now there is a link with some history We are kind of a long living stubborn bunch!!!


"grandman"??? what's a grandman ??? dunno
rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing tongue
Dec 6, 2008 6:11 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
Brew01: "grandman"??? what's a grandman ???


laugh Okay ya smartarse!!1 I forgot, you are the little paper clip dude that hangs around in the monitors and knocks on the screen....*&%#?/....tongue
I meant grandma - but hey Brew I could spin you yarn about what is a GRANDMAN with out working my little ole' brain too hard...rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing
Dec 6, 2008 6:12 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: Okay ya smartarse!!1 I forgot, you are the little paper clip dude that hangs around in the monitors and knocks on the screen....*&%#?/....
I meant grandma - but hey Brew I could spin you yarn about what is a GRANDMAN with out working my little ole' brain too hard...


And there I go again with another typo - I meant ! not 1 -----my fingers are stuttering laugh laugh angel
Dec 6, 2008 7:05 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: And there I go again with another typo - I meant ! not 1 -----my fingers are stuttering


That's ok babe, we've seen what old age can do to some people tongue
rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing
Dec 6, 2008 9:05 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
Brew01: That's ok babe, we've seen what old age can do to some people


shock ya ya, everytime ya drag yer ole bones outa bed, YOU do see what old age can do - -banana Speak for yourself - I am far from being a fossil tongue
Dec 6, 2008 9:41 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
eyesthatknowwhy: ya ya, everytime ya drag yer ole bones outa bed, YOU do see what old age can do - - Speak for yourself - I am far from being a fossil


Being an old fossil has its advantages, I told my kids turn about is fair play, someday it'll be their turn to change my diaper. You should've seen the looks on their faces when I asked who wanted to be first.
rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing
Dec 7, 2008 2:26 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Dawn50
Dawn50Dawn50Ottawa Valley, Ontario Canada182 Threads 1,338 Posts
rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing

wine
Dec 8, 2008 12:09 AM CST The History of the Middle Finger
walley
walleywalleygolden, British Columbia Canada1 Threads 144 Posts
jaw drop IM DAZZELDrolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing THANKS BREW
Dec 8, 2008 12:12 AM CST The History of the Middle Finger
Brew01
Brew01Brew01Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada58 Threads 1,613 Posts
walley: IM DAZZELD THANKS BREW


anytime kid
dancing
Dec 13, 2008 9:35 AM CST The History of the Middle Finger
eyesthatknowwhy
eyesthatknowwhyeyesthatknowwhyWhitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada88 Threads 1,405 Posts
laugh laugh

YIKES! That's kind of like the ponytail holders....barf
Dec 13, 2008 7:39 PM CST The History of the Middle Finger
curlywolf
curlywolfcurlywolfmontreal, Quebec Canada402 Threads 7,052 Posts
Brew01: anytime kid



Ok ,,,,Brew you know me....it's a compulsion......I'm saying thisbut I love ya.....








Pluck yewtongue rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing



come on...u wee expecting me to let it pass? teddybear teddybear
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