fricative

About

THE HISTORICAL ORIGIN OF THE MIDDLE FINGER

- Submitted by Rich Dunn

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This is not meant to be crude.

It is strictly for your edification and enjoyment.

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 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! PLUCK YEW!"

Over the years, some 'folk etymologies' have grown up around

this symbolic gesture. Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult

to say (like "pleasant mother pheasant plucker", which is who you

had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow),

the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually

changed to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the words often

used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly

thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter.

It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that

the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird".