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
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
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
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.
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 everything plucking thing.
Just widening your understanding of both language and history!
Just widening your understanding of both language and history!
http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/The-History-of-the-Middle-Finger-20140426
Sorry Narian but you had a bad history teacher. The Battle of Agincourt saw the use of the English Long Bow, which because of its range and deployment tactics allowed the English to take the French army apart. As the French were being slaughtered they used to pull two fingers in a V format to let the English Longbowmen know that if captured they would chop their bow string fingers off.
The tradition migrated back with battle stories back to England where it became the traditional way to tell someone to F Off
They were Welsh bowmen.
And they used the reverse two finger salute; the same two fingers used to draw the long bow.
Yes - if you've done any archery you'll know that pulling the bowstring with one finger isn't effective, you have to use two. So it's the reverse V that you're describing (whose history may be urban myth). The single middle finger is an instance of using a sexual action or gesture as an insult - which is strange, really, since most of us rather like it. Why call someone a name that at least half the population rather likes?
The earliest recorded mention
of the single finger gesture is a play "The Clouds", written by the
Greek Aristophanes in 423 B.C. The Romans also had a custom called the digitus
impudicus or dirty finger which was used as an insulting phallic gesture. Given
the Romans huge imperial spread across the world and their subsequent influence
of local cultures, I'm guessing that even though the Greeks seem to have
invented it, the Romans led to its widespread use and universal meaning.
That explains a lot- after a few Guinesses, two fingers start looking like one.
Yes history is indeed fun when you know something more about it.
Unfortunately this article and actual history are distant strangers.
As a Brit. I’ve always understood that we use two fingers to insult or claim victory.
When I went to live in Colorado I became aware of the 1 finger gesture and I’d never made a rude gesture in my life until some motorcyclist swerved in front of me almost lying flat on the road and he leered! I was shocked and not knowing which finger to stick up, I stuck up all five – much to my children’s disgust.
That explains a lot- after a few Guinesses, two fingers start looking like one.
Yes history is indeed fun when you know something more about it.
Unfortunately this article and actual history are distant strangers.
As a Brit. I’ve always understood that we use two fingers to insult or claim victory.
When I went to live in Colorado I became aware of the 1 finger gesture and I’d never made a rude gesture in my life until some motorcyclist swerved in front of me almost lying flat on the road and he leered! I was shocked and not knowing which finger to stick up, I stuck up all five – much to my children’s disgust.
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