Fropper.com - no one's a stranger
Already a member? Login here  | Tour | Help  
in


love the frnds who love me



Posted on: Sep 01, '08


 History of a middle finger

The History of the Middle Finger
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.



Tags:




Comments  [ 13 Comments ] [ Post your comment | Subscribe (?) ]


Send MessageOfflineScrap

aerobicsGEM said:
Thanks for sharing.

September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

south9468 said:
lol

September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

The_Enigma_Inside said:


September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

rup_inder said:


September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

sweetangeljaan said:


September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

neha_sh2000 said:
...this is very interesting....now v know...

September 02, '08


Send MessageChat NowScrap

rajiv2008SCO said:
nice

September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

diya1992 said:
thx for sharing

September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

daisyann26 said:


September 02, '08


Send MessageOfflineScrap

CRAZOO7 said:
great research






September 02, '08

Want to comment on this post?

Register now, its FREE, and share your views.
Already a member? Login now.