Ever get agitated by the guy who showed or rather gave you that upright middle finger sign when you hoot or overtake him? The next time some one show you such a sign, keep your cool and take a stroll back into history to understand the origins of this symbol.
About 600 years ago, before the battle of Agincourt, the brash French, predicting victory over the English, declared they would chop off the middle finger of all English soldiers.
The English soldiers, without the middle finger, would then be unable to use the famed English Longbow and would therefore be incapable of fighting.
The feared longbow, which had pierced many French hearts, was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as plucking yew.
The English unexpectedly won the big battle and after that, began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated enemies, saying: See, we can still pluck yew! PLUCK YEW!
The French, being who they are can never pronounce ‘P’ properly, always substituting it with ‘F’ instead.
Today, many people not only point the middle finger to insult but follow the English soldiers in repeating the phrase ‘Pluck Yew” except that they tend to pronounce it the French way.
About 600 years ago, before the battle of Agincourt, the brash French, predicting victory over the English, declared they would chop off the middle finger of all English soldiers.
The English soldiers, without the middle finger, would then be unable to use the famed English Longbow and would therefore be incapable of fighting.
The feared longbow, which had pierced many French hearts, was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as plucking yew.
The English unexpectedly won the big battle and after that, began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated enemies, saying: See, we can still pluck yew! PLUCK YEW!
The French, being who they are can never pronounce ‘P’ properly, always substituting it with ‘F’ instead.
Today, many people not only point the middle finger to insult but follow the English soldiers in repeating the phrase ‘Pluck Yew” except that they tend to pronounce it the French way.
