Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: combat_boots
Associated with the British at the battle of Agincourt, c. 1415.

The Brits, who decimated the ranks of the French knights with longbows (while the knights were mired in the mud) waved their little fingers at the French saying, "We can still pluck yew!" (The yew being the tree used to make the bows.)

Over time since "pluck yew" is hard to pronounce, the consonant cluster morphed into a labial fricative, giving the mistaken impression that the term had something to do with an intimate encounter.

/Puke and Snot> /RIP Snot>

Cheers!

1,017 posted on 01/24/2012 7:15:23 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 928 | View Replies ]


To: grey_whiskers

“Over time since “pluck yew” is hard to pronounce,”

You’d think the French would have said, “Pluquez-vous”!;)


1,116 posted on 01/24/2012 7:20:55 PM PST by Frank_2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1017 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson