I don't have the tiniest clue as to whether there is much (if any) accuracy in this little history lesson, but thought you might get a kick out of it anyway.  Myrna

----- Original Message -----

Here's a bit of educational info that if you don't already know,
you certainly should!

                             THE FINGER
Isn't history more fun when you know something about it?

                                    /'_/)
                                  ,/_  /
                                 /    /
                           /'_'/'   '/'__'/','/'
                        /'/    /    /    /   /_\
                       ('(    '    '     _    \
                       \                       |
                        \                 '    /
                         '\'   \          _./'
                           \             \
                            \             \

                        Giving the Finger

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" (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 are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an
intimate encounter.

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.