History Lesson

[North]

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!

[Rob Boudrie]

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

[Barlin]

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!

What a fun and clever tale. Perfectly suited for the HUMOR FORUM, where 99.9% of the jokes are not true.

[Merlin Orr]

I have heard another one in this same vein. The "V" signal with the fingers was from archers who still had BOTH fingers needed to "pluck" a bowstring and loose a shaft at the enemy. Actually to pull a heavy bow three fingers are commonly used (one finger above the arrow nock and two below) but it makes a good story......

AND....It 's my lie and I will tell it any way I want. To those who rain on my parade...Pluck You all......

Edited May 16, 2006 by Merlin Orr

[GENE S]

Well, all right then.......

[folsoml]

What a fun and clever tale. Perfectly suited for the HUMOR FORUM, where 99.9% of the jokes are not true.

WHAT?? You mean most of these tales aren't true?!?!?!

[Nolan]

WHAT?? You mean most of these tales aren't true?!?!?!

I think they have about the same factual content as the letters to Penthouse.

Nolan

[SiG Lady]

Whatta plucky little tale!! I couldn't care less if it's fake.

[HSMITH]

I think they have about the same factual content as the letters to Penthouse.

Nolan

I sincerely hope you are wrong Nolan. I have stopped and changed over 300 tires so far hoping to have cause to write a letter in, it would break my heart if those letters weren't true......