new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
Topics: 650
Posts: 6,058
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The History of the Middle Finger .... Interesting, but not verified.
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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 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.
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FORUM RULES-- Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck --P4U World.." The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
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| GOGETA
I'm Dr. GOGETA
Topics: 302
Posts: 2,653
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I learn that in the game call age of empires 3
but yea interesting
Actually the English were outnumber in that battle, the french send many knights to try to finish it in England(the war I mean)but the British won, so they took the soldiers that survive the battle and not ask for ramson, insted told them go back to france and tell them this and they show their middle finger.
Longbows were actually AWSOME.
That was in the 100 year war tht was against France and England.
At the end who won was the French because they kept the land and actually it lasted 116 years.
Yea yea History
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As a general rule, the better it felt when you said it, the more trouble it's going to get you into.
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