Flipping The Bird: Origin of Gesture

gigabrain

Active member
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!"
 
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...
 
that not quite right. They would cut of both the index and middle finger, which is why in England showing these to fingers to someone will cuase a big upstart where as most other countries it doesn't regester as much if anything at all (except france) When I first came to china, I didn't know the chinese counted the number two on the fingers like we two finger salute the french and I almost twotted the guy..

Funny thing really is they think with the palm facing inwards it is still the sign for peace so I have seen numerous Chinese people pose like this.. That Always makes me giggle.
 
V-sign

I thought this was the origin of the v-sign for victory? The English longbowmen showing the french that they still had their fingers because they won by Agincourt?

-BC
 
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