Lord Noel Knows The Plucking Lot

What ho! Pepys...

Hand up all those who paid attention in History lessons at school?

If you did, then you may have been taught this priceless bit of information.

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French (anticipating a victory over the

English) proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers.

Without their middle finger it would be impossible for the English Bowman

to draw their renowned longbow

thus rendering them 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 IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!

Tallyho!

Best Wishes - Lord Noel