middle finger?

Question

where did giving the finger come from what country did it originate from and when

Answer 1

When the English, under Henry V invaded and took France, the French were very afraid of the famed English Longbowmen.

Today's modern composit bows used for Bear Hunting are about a 90-pound pull --- it takes 90 pounds of pressure to pull the string back. An English longbow had a 150 pound draw. When fired horizontally, an English arrow would easily go through 3-4 of the enemy before lodging in the 4th -5th one. The had incredible range as well.

Anyway, before the battle of Agincourt where Henry and his 500 soldiers faced 30,000 French -- Over 1,000 were knights -- the French considered that it would be an easy victory.

They issued a warning to the English that any English archers taken captive would have their middle (plucking finger) cut off so that that they could never fire a bow again.

The taughted the English before the battle by holding up their middle fingers and shouting "Pluck You" --- in somewhat broken English and with middle century French, it came out a little different.

FYI: It was made famous primarily because in the taverns of England, it was and still is a wonderful story. The English won that battle ...

500 English soldiers -- having marched and fought all the way across France, faced 30,000 of the enemy ---

24 English died.

10,000 Frenchmen died.

France was lost to England until Joan of Arc rallied the French against Henry V's son -- who was crowned as an infant and was only a teen ager.

So, it all goes back to the French Waving their Middle Finger and taunting "Pluck You" ... it stuck in English lore as a prime example of stupidity for the French did not expect what would happen to them on that day.

FYI: Do the math .... 500 soldiers each faced 60 in hand to hand combat --- and killed, on average -- 20 in one day.

Those were some pretty tough dudes.

Cheers to my British Freinds -- and a good natured "Pluck You" to the French.

Answer 2

During the French/English wars of the14th century, particularly the Battle of Agincourt, captured archers would have their middle finger cut off so that they could not effectively draw the long bow. This was the high tech weapon of the day and skillful archers were the elite of the battlefield. As a mark of disrespect and derision toward the enemy, those archers that had never been captured would give them the finger to show them that they were still intact with all their fingers and could shoot to kill. Jules, lecturer. Australia.

Answer 3

The original was a 2 finger salute by English longbow men to the French after winning a battle, showing them they still had their fingers and could still shoot.

Americans modified it to one finger but in Australia the gesture is the same as the American OK.

Answer 4

Either that finger, or the two that are used to make the V for Victorian sign were held up to show that hey still had finder or fingers to shoot arrows! Two fingers to show fellow archers and the boss. ..The single finger was for the enemy shown in defiance! Country? England- pre Shakesperian times.

Answer 5

I read it had to do with a war between 2 countries and if archers were captured, their middle fingers were cut off so they couldn't shot arrows anymore. The un-captured archers showed their middle fingers in a bragging domineer.

Answer 6

It came from Australia, Just after crocodile Dundee had finished filming. One of the extras wrestling with the motorised croc' got his hand stuck in its mouth and lost all but his middle finger.
It is said that he was waving at a politician at the time to come and help him out.

Answer 7

Its pretend do no longer worry approximately it Joe might by no ability do something like that throughout a image he's a dazzling functionality sort i like him and his brothers i became form of a great deal shocked as quickly as I first observed the image

Answer 8

all i know that if you stick your pinky out in japan it's the same thing as the finger. and in france if you stick your thumb out its the finger too. and i think that if you raise your hand to your mouth that means 'what the ****' in italian.

Answer 9

Try this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger#Origin

Answer 10

Why should you care and I think it originated from the U.S.