The Historical Origin Of The Middle Finger

by Rich Dunn
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 be incapable of fighting in the future.

This famous weapon was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the 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! PLUCK YEW!"

Over the years, some 'folk etymologies' have grown up around this symbolic gesture. Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say (like "pleasant mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow), the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter.

It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."

first post! hey my second article to make front page. Im so proud=D

Cute article and you're welcome

thank you=D

Cute, Senor Gup.

Honestly though, it's the index AND middle fingers.
They would simulate drawing back the arrow, which takes those two fingers. It got so bad that the French actually had standing orders to chop both fingers off from any peasant or soldier captured in the war.

It was so effective because any peasant could now kill a knight and easily.

Okay enough of the history lesson

well ok then=D

lol ...I just thought it was the longest finger to insert. heh

LOL

exactly

Aaah but the thumb may be more unpleasant if you looked at it that way because it's FATTER!

this ain't made up righ??

Gyad Milla, that's a little graphic.

Isn't it "flipping" the bird?

lol, actually, Lev, I toned it down quite a bit for the kiddies.

Hey I'm probably the youngest person on this site and I would know

Nope, I know at least one member here who's 7.

And Milla... heh.

i think i'm the oldest or for the 7 year old

Im 31 today

How old were you yesterday?

well duh=D

Rich Dunn ... name sounds familer

I love snopes...

Click me!

The story is rather entertaining though

mmmkay...click this:

http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/pluckyew.htm

he he!!! cute!!!

Hard to believe the middle finger could be so useful...is a diss without saying a word and is as Milla pointed out a very useful finger to use first!

ayo is thats story 4 real ? very enthrailing nonetheless

Speaking of flipping da Bird , ya gotta peek this jpeg

http://images2.dmusic.com/users/n/o/t/nottporn96/7474.jpg

small things n minds eh? ? ?muwahahaha

If the meeting of you and an arrow is not intimate i don't know what is.

Actually i do know but that is beside the point LOL

Ahh, fornication under the consent of the king.

i like dis

Fucking great.

Damn! Now this is way I love history, hahaha

Timeless! Someone should make a movie of this!