The History behind Giving the Middle Finger

[brihacharan]

Pluck Yew!
The History behind Giving the Middle Finger

Here’s the story of rebellion that characterizes the spirit of the English people. Way back in October 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt the presumptuous French made it known that the thumb of all captured English Archers would be cut off.

The English were known for their longbow made of YEW a wood native to England. Earlier the YEW LONGBOW was plucked with the thumb & index fingers. If the captured Englishmen lose their thumbs they would never be able to use a longbow to pluck Yew again.

But the smart English archers quickly adapted their index & middle fingers to pluck Yew again to the utter dismay of the French.

When the English defeated the French they mocked them by making a show of their continued ability to ‘Pluck Yew’ or pluck the longbow and fight by raising the middle finger and shouting ‘Pluck Yew’ which was taken to mean: ‘Look, we can still Pluck Yew!’
Eventually the ‘P’ of pluck became the ‘F’ that we use today and ‘Yew’ changed to ‘You’ .....
Which sounded as F*** - You!!!
Briha

[Mack The Knife]

Utter bollocks!

[Grumpy]

That`s even more `utter bollocks` than is usually used to explain the two-finger salute .... and `giving the middle finger` is irrelevant to the two finger gesture AND archery. What a load of *$!%*

[Vikram]

It's a joke, not to be taken as a historical fact.


Best-
Vikram

[Grumpy]

It`s a joke based on a fallacious story that has been annoying me and many others for years .... and has NOTHING to do with `giving the middle finger`anyway.

[brihacharan]

It's a joke, not to be taken as a historical fact.
Best-
Vikram

Hi Vikram,
> Thanks
> Sometimes a well intended humour can Fall Flat
> Humour Vs Joke - Viva la Difference
Briha

[Vikram]

It`s a joke based on a fallacious story that has been annoying me and many others for years .... and has NOTHING to do with `giving the middle finger`anyway.

I received this one in various versions from various sources, especially a few Englishmen.

Best-
Vikram

[brihacharan]

It`s a joke based on a fallacious story that has been annoying me and many others for years .... and has NOTHING to do with `giving the middle finger`anyway.

I received this one in various versions from various sources, especially a few Englishmen.
Best-
Vikram

> Cor Blighmy Grumpy Ol Mate, its a ruddy joke - Bet ya a pint of bitter, there are guys out yonder holding their bellies laughing

Briha

[Grumpy]

Bet ya there aren`t.
Yeah, sorry about the sense of humour failure.
Vickers, no doubt you have received the joke - or, more likely, the story, several times before .... and no doubt from Englishmen BUT it is acquiring credence as historical gospel - and is being perpetuated as historic fact in several ( HUNDREDS ! ) of locations on the internet. The fact is though that it is a myth - both the basic and extended ( as above ) versions.
The middle finger gesture is very ancient and VERY vulgar - I won`t tell you what it means .... ( I`ll give you a clue though - you`ll have to ask your boyfriend. )
Sorry about that as well.

[discovershashank]

The wiki story about it is pretty interesting.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(gesture)