A Message For You New Members

A Message For You New Members · by Buck Conner 13/3/2024, 4:44 pm

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Just when you thought you were well informed "A Message For You New Members".

The History of the Middle Finger

When we were involved in another group there seemed to always be some problem coming up that would make several of use hand jesters. Our own Mr. Thompson was very fast to do so as tempers rose several degrees. That said, I by accident found some interesting facts about such actions.

Recently a friend sent me this information about one universal hand sign. Well, now ...... here's something I did not remember or possibly never knew before, and now that I know it, I felt compelled to send it on to my more learned friends in the hope that they, too, will feel informed.

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 you! 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 EVEN TODAY! And you thought you knew every plucking thing.

See Stan you weren't well informed ... A Message For You New Members 1f603

Re: A Message For You New Members · by Mustang65 14/3/2024, 9:16 am

I agree Buck! When it comes to Biden, Democrats, and the French, the middle fingle is well used! A Message For You New Members 1f605

Re: A Message For You New Members · by Winter Hawk 17/3/2024, 5:37 pm

Hmmm. A historian friend told me that the "F" word came from an acronym in colonial days, placed over the heads of people in the stocks for adultery or fornication. It stood for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge." I don't remember seeing it in any of Shakespeare's works, and he did use some very pungent language. My favorite is "a pox upon your pisser" from A Midsummer Night's Dream, IIRC.