Giving The Finger

UnrealQueen

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 weapon 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! "PLUCK YEW!" Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, 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!

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." And yew thought yew knew everything.

Badbonez

Nice yarn But absolutely false . The word F*** comes from a latin word and it has always been a vulgar term for copulation. It was only in the late 19th century that the word came out of the bedroom and began being used in the variety of ways that we all love.

Here's an amusing instructional lesson for modern use.

RobertFoster

I heard that's where the flipping off came from, but not the word.

Originally posted by Badbonez
Here's an amusing instructional lesson for modern use.

LOL! "Why don't you go outside and play hide and go **** yourself?"

weemcd

Originally posted by UnrealQueen


"PLUCK YEW!" Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F'

whats so difficult about saying PLUCK YEW there I said it

Kold

I was told that F u c k was an early british military abbreviation for Found Under Carnal Knowledge which basically meant that an officer was screwing a native...

Kold

Originally posted by UnrealQueen
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 is also wrong, I'm almost certain that it was actually the middle and index fingers giving way to the Victory sign.

Agent Smith

i always thought it came from the german word "flicken" (i think thats how it's spelt)
which mean's to strike....


tbh, i might be wrong...

jank

F.U.C.K

Fornication Under Consent of the King

Am I right or wrong!?

Exit

You'll find the origins of all your common cuss words right here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527

Unpossible

I'm almost certain that it was actually the middle and index fingers giving way to the Victory sign.

Yeah in the tower of london the guide told us it was the middle and index fingers, but thats a small thing, I understood that cutting off those finders was common french practise and that sticking up fingers in response was also common (by response I obviously don't mean it was done after the chop).

But im probably wrong.

lyonsy

F.U.C.K Fornication Under Consent of the King

not true

snopes.com tells all

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.

again not true:

snopes

DMT

Originally posted by jank
F.U.C.K

Fornication Under Consent of the King

Am I right or wrong!?

Would that not be FUCOTK or have I been inside the internet too long?

eth0_

Originally posted by DMT
Would that not be FUCOTK or have I been inside the internet too long?

No, you never count prepositions etc like 'of'.

DMT

Originally posted by eth0_
No, you never count prepositions etc like 'of'.

So ROTFLMAO should be RTFLMAO????

Damn you usenet, damn you to hell...

jank

Its what i heard but not sure it is true although the law in which it might have came from was very true!

Ever see braveheart!?

briano

Ever see braveheart!?

Ahh, braveheart, that classic historical work. :rolleyes:

Horsefumbler

Horsefucker

Zulu

You are all wrong actually.

The word fu(k originates in the early 10th century. The then Dali Lama, told the Chinese Emperors envoy to "go and fu(k a duck for all I care", which lead to a worsening of relations between the pair, as the Chinese envoy didn't have any English, and nether did the Dali Lama.



Its all here...

DMT

Originally posted by Zulu
You are all wrong actually.

The word fu(k originates in the early 10th century. The then Dali Lama, told the Chinese Emperors envoy to "go and fu(k a duck for all I care", which lead to a worsening of relations between the pair, as the Chinese envoy didn't have any English, and nether did the Dali Lama.



Its all here...

That link is broken...

[align=right]*snigger* Everyone will think I being serious *snigger*[/align]

hostyle

I always found this very amusing, especially the "famous quotes" at the end.

Unpossible

I heard from my dad that F**kers came from the war, can't remember if it was WW1 or WW2, he claims that the german planes were fochers (or something similar), thus people started reffering to them as f*ckers. this doesn't explain the orgin of the word f*ck, I have to remember of coures that this is the same source that told me for years that santa exsited

Evil_Bilbo

Which countries use the middle-finger thingy.

I've only ever seen us and the brits use the 2-finger V-sign thing. I dont think the yanks get that at all.

Apparently the aussies use a thumbs up (as in "shove yer thumb up yer hole flathead").

Anyone know anything about this?

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by Exit
You'll find the origins of all your common cuss words right here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527

Actually their definition of bollocks is a load of well bollocks - as anyone who has heard of the sex pistols blasphamy trial would know.

That page does not mention that "bollocks" was a legitimate old English term originally used to refer to a priest, and that in this context it meant 'nonsense'. The witness to that effect was a vicar...

Another urban myth - Tommies in the trenches (the great war) hated aeroplanes and so Foker became a not good work