found online at http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980904.html

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 [soldiers would] 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!"

heh great now i got an excuse to use when i flick off teachers

Well Well Well....Thats pretty interesting. Thanks for that, gigabrain. Sort of defeats the meaning of it now though...hahahaha...

it makes the meaning better, now i can give that french kid the finger and say i was teaching him some history

My point is, it turned from mocking, to blatanly cursing someone without words...Now that we know it is only mocking, it doesnt seem as bad to flick someone off...

but will it still give you some sort of satisfaction?

Of course...Ill just have to give them the dane cook Su-Fi...

Gotta love the Dane Cook Su-Fi but maybe we should just use both. Middle finger on the right hand and Su-Fi on the left...

I had always thought the matter pertained to crossbows. Interesting.

Its not an insult, its a history lesson!!

lol