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 be incapable of fighting in the future.
This famous weapon was made of the native English Yew tree.. and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the 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!...
PLUCK YEW!".
Over the years.. some entymologists have grown up around this symbolic gesture.
Since "pluck yew" is rather difficult to say.... like "pleasant mother pheasant plucker".
which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow.
the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative .F. and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter.
It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is known as...
"giving the bird".
skinman {kan} Member
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Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. Sat 30 May 2009, 6:49 pm
Can you tell the difference between a horse and a frog?...
Lady of Winter {KAN} Queen of the P90 - shooter of the AK47. Claymore expert
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Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. Sat 30 May 2009, 8:00 pm
Skinman, I enjoyed the post about the middle finger. Very interesting, indeed. Thank you, sir.
LoW
skinman {kan} Member
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Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. Sat 30 May 2009, 8:47 pm
L.O.W....
I'm glad you enjoyed my wee story....
did you by any Operchancity get the joke?...
Lady of Winter {KAN} Queen of the P90 - shooter of the AK47. Claymore expert
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Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. Sun 31 May 2009, 1:20 am
But of course my partner in crime :)
skinman {kan} Member
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Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. Wed 03 Jun 2009, 9:55 am
Subject: Re: SKINMAN'S SPEAK UP! SECTION. 
