Osage Roost
General Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: GR8CALLS on January 31, 2013, 12:43:23 PM
-
I never knew this 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 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 thi
-
Also where the "peace sign" was supposed to have originated. After the battle archers would hold up both fingers to show the French they had not lost them and could still pluck the yew. *cool*
-
THE HAND-GESTURE PEACE SIGN..................is thought to have begun in Europe during world war II
when a V for victory (not to be confused with the
catholic gesture of benediction) was painted on walls
as a symbol of freedom from occupying forces.
The sign was widely used by peace movements in the
1960s and 1970s as a symbol of victory for peace and truth.
Bill
-
Yep I have heard that version too. Either one is pretty *cool*.
-
Out west cowboys used buffalo chips (manure aka poop) for fire fuel. There were very few trees to get fire wood from. The chips made a low, blue, hot flamed fire that couldn't be seen very far away.
Is this a rambling thread or am I hijacking?
Bob
PS-- Bill be careful with your answer, you can't jump the string if I pluck U.
-
WOW! All this time i thought my mother inlaw coined that term.
-
Bob
I have no feathers, Bob! So go pluck a chicken! *wha* *wha* *wha* RkLu RkLu
Bill