The History of the "Middle Finger"
Well, now......here's something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to share it on to my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will feel edified.
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 they said "IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TODAY!"
And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing ! ! ! ;-P : .
number one is mimed out differently.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!!! ???
The origin of this gesture is speculative, but is quite possibly thousands of years old.
It is identified as the digitus impudicus ("impudent finger") (jauntie's note - I like that expression !!!) in Ancient Roman writings and reference is made to using the finger in the Ancient Greek comedy The Clouds by Aristophanes. It was defined there as a gesture intended to insult another.
The widespread usage of the finger in many cultures is likely due to the geographical influence of the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman civilization. Another possible origin of this gesture can be found in the first-century Mediterranean world, where extending the digitus impudicus was one of many methods used to divert the ever present threat of the evil eye.
NOTE: There is a popular story about English bowmen waving fingers at the French knights who did not manage to cut them off during the Hundred Years' War. However, this is a confusion with the origins of the V sign, which are themselves in question.
Another possible origin is the phallic imagery of the raised middle finger (the middle finger being the longest finger on the human hand), similar to the Italian version of the bent elbow insult. Also, there is a variation of the finger where it can be done by performing The Fangul, by sticking out the finger during the throwing motion.
Haa We are still carrying over the practice in all these years....
Thank ya, thank ya very much...