Claim Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle fingers of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger, the Brits would not be able to draw the renowned English longbow, and therefore would be incapable of fighting in the future.
The longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was called "plucking the yew".
To the surprise of the French, the English won a major upset, and began mocking the French army by waving their middle fingers at them as if to say, "See, we can still pluck yew." The shortened "Pluck yew" caught on as a cry of defiance.
Over the years some folk etymologies have grown up around this symbolic gesture. "Pluck yew" is a little difficult to say (like "mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow). So the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F'.
Isn't it amazing that today the famous words often used in conjunction with the one-finger salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter!
By the way, it is because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is also known as "giving the bird".
To the surprise of the French, the English won a major upset, and began mocking the French army by waving their middle fingers at them as if to say, "See, we can still pluck yew." The shortened "Pluck yew" caught on as a cry of defiance.
Over the years some folk etymologies have grown up around this symbolic gesture. "Pluck yew" is a little difficult to say (like "mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow). So the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F'.
Isn't it amazing that today the famous words often used in conjunction with the one-finger salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter!
By the way, it is because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is also known as "giving the bird".
Verdict FALSE!!!
Source: Adapted from a forum
Mr N Speaks Though the etymology of the famous 'F' word and origin of the one-finger salute, as presented in the claim above, have been adjudged as fictitious, what do you think of the claim as a narrative? Is the narrative believable? Does the narrative arouse your interest in history? Of has the narrative aroused your interest to search for the truth of the history behind the two famous languages, one linguistic, and the other gestural?
Mr N Speaks Though the etymology of the famous 'F' word and origin of the one-finger salute, as presented in the claim above, have been adjudged as fictitious, what do you think of the claim as a narrative? Is the narrative believable? Does the narrative arouse your interest in history? Of has the narrative aroused your interest to search for the truth of the history behind the two famous languages, one linguistic, and the other gestural?
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