Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Indeed - I agree with Gerry on all counts. Nice story,
but not true.
Nick
--- Gerry Walden <gwpics@googlemail.com> wrote:
> This sounds like a rehash of the true origin of the
> English two finger
> salute which is said to arise from a salute the
> English bowman gave
> the French to show they still had their two fingers
> and could draw
> back the bow string.
>
> I am also reminded of a line from an English TV
> comedy show about life
> on a daily newspaper "Never let the truth stand in
> the way of a good
> story". In passing, the same programme will always
> be remembered by me
> for the top less model in the newspaper which was
> embossed on the page
> so that their blind readers could have the pleasure
> of running their
> fingers over the curves!
>
> Gerry
>
> On 23/03/06, Ric Carter <ricc@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > Who cares if it's the truth? A lie that good would
> be worth believing;^)
> >
> > Ric Carter
> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/Passing-Fancies
> >
> > On Mar 23, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote:
> >
> > > I got this in an email from a 71-year-old
> retired Marine friend of
> > > mine. I was hoping that Chandos or some other
> history type could
> > > either verify it or disprove it. Here goes...
> > > =========================================
> > > The history of the middle finger salute.
> > >
> > > Well, now......here's something I never knew
> 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."
> > >
> > >
> > > Jeffery Smith
> > >
> > > Jeffery
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug
> for more information
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug
> for more information
> >
>
>
> --
> Gerry Walden LBPPA
> Web: www.gwpics.com
> Web2:www.gwpics.thephotohq.co.uk
> Tel: +44 (0)23 8046 3076
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for
> more information
>
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