Post by Kilian on Feb 16, 2006 9:36:05 GMT -5
*chuckles* Somehow, in my Algebra 2 class, we got onto the subject of why we (Americans) call our middle finger the bird finger. First, I'll tell that we have a French student teacher in my Algebra class and he is currently teaching us. So, I randomly come in on this conversation and Mr. Viviant (the French student teacher) asks us why we call it the bird finger. One of my classmates said because you shoot birds. Stupid to say the least, so Mr. Viviant says that they actually have a story for that in France.
He said that during the middle ages in France, if you were put in prison they would cut off your middle finger so that you couldn't hold an arrow to the bow string and fight against the guards. So, to prove that you had never been in prison you were to show your middle fingers to whoever was inquiring about your honesty or something. Interesting, no? But still, does anybody know why we call it the bird finger?
He said that during the middle ages in France, if you were put in prison they would cut off your middle finger so that you couldn't hold an arrow to the bow string and fight against the guards. So, to prove that you had never been in prison you were to show your middle fingers to whoever was inquiring about your honesty or something. Interesting, no? But still, does anybody know why we call it the bird finger?
