Pluck Yew...A History Lesson

[JudyBluEyes]

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.”

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing!

[Dale]

sounds plausible, but...........look

[JudyBluEyes]

Originally Posted by Dale

sounds plausible, but...........look

Oh, I knew that... I just thought it was funny!!

[Dale]

there are a lot of explanations out there, but that one actually sounds pretty good.

[baked]

Originally Posted by Dale

sounds plausible, but...........look

No sense of humor.

[Dale]

Originally Posted by baked

No sense of humor.

***Note to self --- Ask Steve for sense of humor lessons.

[MWC]

I'm still partial to "I fart in your general direction."
(Monty Python & the Holy Grail)

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by Dale

***Note to self --- Ask Steve for sense of humor lessons.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by JudyBluEyes

...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!..

Fictitious or not, I'm still impressed by such terms as labiodentals and fricative, the first of which I had not expected to see in the English language. Thanks Judy for this cool piece of trivia.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by Dale

***Note to self --- Ask Steve for sense of humor lessons.

That satirical icon is just so cool.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Dale

***Note to self --- Ask Steve for sense of humor lessons.

I'd advise against that. I've met him.

[Tommygurl]

What did the Chicken say to the other Chicken?








Why don't you go Pluck yourself?




must not drink anymore coolers tonight...

[JudyBluEyes]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I'd advise against that. I've met him.