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HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE FINGER

dmiller

By dmiller,
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dmiller Newbie

dmiller

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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."

This is from a poster on another site, and no -- I did not check out SNOPES.

:spy:

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GarthP2000 Newbie

GarthP2000

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Uh huh. ........ Yah!

:rolleyes:

I was taught the "Servant, servant, king, servant, servant. All servants bow!" account of the origin of that esteemed salute.

:spy:

Update! I looked it up on Snopes, and Nope, it ain't true. So 'pluck yew'! :biglaugh:

Edited by GarthP2000
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WordWolf Grand Master

WordWolf

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If you knew a bit more about archery, you'd know this couldn't be correct.

(I've never arched an arrow, but I'm familiar with it intellectually.)

First of all, a bow with a strong pull needs more than one finger to pull.

Typically, IIRC, the European draw-which is the draw used in this story-

is done with a sort-of claw of the first 2 fingers drawing back the bow.

(That's tough on the fingers, so the first 3 might be used, or an

archery glove-thing worn.)

Second,

the Mongolian draw works just as well.

That's an actual "plucking" of the bowstring,

where the index finger and thumb pinch the string and draw.

I gave this thought because Robert Wuhl told this story on a comedy

special fairly recently.

He ends it with the words "Is it true? Doesn't matter..."

and explains why he thinks it doesn't matter.

Of course, as soon as he admitted he didn't know, I snickered

and let it slide.

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George Aar Newbie

George Aar

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Well, speaking of snopes, have any of you seen this posting?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v299/oed...partgirlwmv.flv

Yeah, it's a bit from the "MindFreak" magic show, but a good one.

(just a guess here, but I'm willing to bet that no laws of physics were broken in the performance of this illusion. Kinda makes you wonder what the magician could get people to believe had he a religious bent)

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GarthP2000 Newbie

GarthP2000

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It *had* to be totally staged, then the video re-edited professionally to show that kind of illusion.

And if anybody says that it wasn't, then I'd like for them to have that guy do his 'trick' again, but this time, _they_ do the videotaping, and NOT let that magician's film crew edit the tape at all.

<_<

I'd like to see James Randi and his organization investigate this.

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vickles Newbie

vickles

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Is that Criss Angel ?

There are a bunch of his videos on youtube... he is pretty a pretty good illusionist...

...and his name is Angel so he couldn't be bad...

Ha, Tom, :rolleyes:

That allusion was a good one though...George where do you find these things? :biglaugh:

David, it gave me a good chuckle...... :dance::dance: I do like to give the finger when it is very warranted......

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WordWolf Grand Master

WordWolf

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Damn. That was too friggin funny. I bout died laughing watching the scared "half girl" crawling away like that. I have no idea how he did it, but it was a good trick.

All stage-magic is based on misdirection.

You're paying attention to what has no bearing on the trick,

and ignoring what's critically important.

Watch it again-and note how he makes an elaborate show of

supposedly picking someone at random out of the crowd.

He refused the first person after picking them-because they were

the "wrong height". But that can't be the reason-

she was standing when he saw her, so he knew her height.

She was only picked so he could refuse her and "randomly"

pick someone else.

Do you still need help, or can you figure it out now?

I'd rather not really spell everything out for you.

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WordWolf Grand Master

WordWolf

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well... she had to walk with her hands... I've always found that harder to do...

To 'walk' with your hands at a walking pace TAKES YEARS OF PRACTICE.

Interesting how he does his stunts over concrete,

and this one was done over a lawn,

where it would be comfortable to walk on your hands or barefoot.

Hmm. Maybe one midget sitting on another's shoulder's?

Or trick photography??

The latter seems more plausible. :)

No-you saw what the bystanders saw.

And no "midget" was involved.

That woman had adult-sized body-parts--you saw that.

And who said a SECOND midget would have been used anyway?

Her supposed upper half was active.

NOBODY was looking at the lower half.

Which was in a SKIRT.

Not pants.

Only person in a full-length skirt in the area.

She was not wearing trousers.

They're tricky to get into if you've hurt your foot, for example.

NOW do you get it?

Edited by WordWolf
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dmiller Newbie

dmiller

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Well shucks! Now I've got a coupla other ideas,

but danged if I'm gonna trot 'em out here anee-more! :D

I saw the feet move as well, and what was Mr magic man doing

when his hands were pressing on her stomach???

Her supposed upper half was active.

It's *supposed*, yet that is where the attention was drawn?

Well -- I'm not a New Yorker raised wary of any and all things.

Mah Hoosier upbringing never included that *lesson in life*. :nono5:

I've always been fooled by the *pea under the nutshell* trick.

I confess -- I'm not getting it. :(

He he he!! Wordworlf -- this is starting to sound like ---

"Keeds! Don't take my word for it! Search the illusion for yourselves!"

:biglaugh:

We should nominate you for MOG --- Magician Of GreaseSpot! :spy:

Edited by dmiller
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