I really loved the video but I have one problem with it i was born and raised in iraq and we don't use the thumb to give the bird as u said but we use the Middle finger just like you do but in a slightly different fashion
An even earlier account of "flipping the bird" is in the film *"PARACHUTE JUMPER" (1933)* starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. In one scene Frank McHugh parachutes out of a plane and lands on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. He tries to hitch a ride from a passing car but gets ignored. Once the car passes him, he flips the guy off. It was completely uncensored because it was *"pre-Code"* (BEFORE the mentioned "Hay's Code" took effect)
"... and no doubt water was needed to put out the fire from that wicked burn." there's something so ridiculously satisfying to me from having heard that for the most-part said in your presenting voice 😎😏😁
It's not often that Simon Whistler looses his impecable British Gentleman's composure, but when he does it's over jokes a ten-year-old would giggle at.
@@TodayIFoundOut LOL! Well, if you're ever on the East Coast of The States and manage a visit to Pittsburgh, PA, hit me up and I'll treat you to a pint of lager, some good conversation, and a fart joke or two! :D
It's a shame this 12-year-old didn't do his homework. It actually dates back to the English Longbowman who fought the French during the Hundred Years War from 1337 - 1453. The French feared the English archers who used the Longbow with such devastating effect. Any English archers who were caught by the French had their Index and middle fingers chopped off from their right hand to stop them using the longbow. This led to the English archers taunting the French with their two fingers in the ‘Two-Fingered Salute’ meaning “You haven’t cut off my fingers!” Later on, using the middle finger alone became popularised. Longbows were made using wood from the English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" or "pluck yew". Much later, "pluck yew" got changed to "f**k you" in modern culture.
pretty sure he did a video already on that French thing. Simon ALWAYS does his homework. However he does so much and he’s not perfect, everyone makes mistakes
The archers salute, the way enemy archers who escape capture during a war would send their regards to their opponents. were'as if they were captured as a form of punishment their index and middle fingers were removed so they could never fire a arrow again.
Thank you. That's why I subscribed. A few times a week I scroll through my sub box and go "didn't know I wanted to know that" and proceed to ditch work for that quality information.
I love when the hand gesture is blurred on tv/pics. As if making a gesture with your hand is offensive in and of itself, and as if people don't know what's being blurred.
Well that's harmless in Japan they blur out the porn. Now that is rediculous, I mean you can buy used girl underwear in the wending machine. Aaa maybe that's the reason, not the chicken but the egg was first
I know a different theory about the origin of this gesture: In an educational program on German TV it was said that the middle finger gesture derives from the fact that in antiquity physicians used their middle fingers for rectal examinations. Because of this the middle finger was considered to be unclean and was also called the "stinking finger". Showing someone this finger was therefor considered an insult.
@Barbara Wallace-- I can imagine that Simon's voice would sell a LOT of vibrators. What hetero woman doesn't love a rich baritone voice? Let me add, that when *Simon* has a cold, *I* get the fever! LOL! ;-)
Having lived in the US and the UK I have always heard that the “Middle Finger” gesture originated with the UK’s soldiers who manned the Longbow. (Hundreds and hundreds of years ago) I first heard this in 1972 at summer camp while I was learning Archery. Then I heard an almost identical story again over 30 years (and 3500 miles away too) later when I was living in Manchester. (I was enjoying a Guinness at the local pub.) Basically it goes like this; When one group of “Archers” captured their enemies, they would cut off their “plucking finger” (The middle of the three fingers that one uses to draw back their bow.) So, they would no longer be able to use their Longbows again. So to taunt their enemies before a battle, the Archers would scream across the field, “PLUCK YOU”! Implying that they were going to win and cut off the other Archer’s middle finger. Through the centuries the word, “Pluck” turned into “Fucked”. Did you ever hear of this theory? P.S. Simon, have you ever thought about reading books aloud for Audio Tapes? I think you have a fabulous voice. I absolutely love your channel it is so interesting. thank you very much to you and to everyone else who makes all these interesting videos.
I have been wanting to say this for some time, I LOVE Simon's accent & the way he talks, he is super funny! It's like 60% of what makes the show great! I have a small crush on him :)
Me: **sees title of video in notifications** Also me: *"Could it possibly be that all my burning questions can possibly be addressed once and for all?"*
If you watched "Mythbusters," you may recall the variety of sounds used to mask "Anglo-Saxon swear words" when experiments "missed the mark." (Or when Tori crashed into something and "rang the family jewels.";)
@@Otokichi786 On some of the automotive programming of the time on some of the base level cable channels they would use the sound of a wrench being thrown across the room to replace swear words.
So, "flipping the bird" had nothing to do with medieval archers? I have heard from numerous people that the English archers would get their middle finger cut off by the enemy to make them incapable of drawing the longbow. Thus by showing the enemy the middle finger, it implied that they were capable of launching arrows. But Sir Simon is the resident expert. I will go with what he says.
As a followup it would be interesting to find the history of the British/Irish two-finger salute and how it seems interchangeable for the bird... Though seems to be a recent invention or adoption to these islands.
Well, the same really applies to bleeping out curse words (doubly so if they only bleep out the vowels, which seems to be a thing. Either that, or the way the tone interacts with the audio makes it sound like the f and ck on either end of the word are still intact).
When I was young there was a poster in our sunday school that showed a hand and gave a meaning for each finger. On that poster the middle finger meant 'I love you'. We had fun spreading love at church.
I like your balance of tones, sometimes some creators try a bit too hard to be “casual” and it comes off try hard, or otherwise are too stiff, but your style just feels really natural. Informative and well spoken as a base, but still knowing when somethings entertaining and putting a little spin on it from time to time. just feels really natural.
Pluck yew... French history has it that cutting off the middle finger made it nearly impossible to draw a long bow. So as a statement of victory the archers would show they still had their fingers.
@@sonnyocad287 Close... It was invented by baseball players in the 70's. A teammate of Dodgers' great Dusty Baker held his hand up after Dusty had hit a home run and Dusty reached up and slapped it.
We have a video on this already if you want to google it. But the short of it is that the first documented instance was spontaneously done by the first openly gay player in major league baseball and the other guy was Dusty Baker after he hit a home run. Before this the low-five was a thing, but not the high five. Soon became a thing in baseball and beyond.
I luv how towards the end of the video, he just stops blurring out his middle finger. Lol Hats off to the company that sponsored this taboo video. I salute you.
Just need to say thank you and state that not one derogatory word was used in this conversation! This day and age any type of constructive criticism is answered by durogatory comments and blatant anger. This is how a "constructive" conversation should go....a mistake was made, someone politely commented on said mistake, the mistake then realized and fixed, a polite answer back, no harm no foul. Everybody makes mistakes, not one single human being is perfect so accepting that one was made without lashing out in hate and anger is a sign of intelligence. Constructive=to build up and destructive=to tear down, which is better for society? Treat others with respect and kindness as you would wish to he treated. Thanks again for this breath of fresh air☺
Speak for urself dude, me and my homies are tight and would never think about doing some degenerate hooligan trash like that to each other. We might have different morals but i would drop a friend for some shit like that in no time at all. Not to mention how disrespectful that shit is
MrLeemurman if thats what some anonymous loser thinks of me then so be it. If you actually got to know me and maybe didnt judge almost like a bitch you would see that im a very well respected and known conservative christian whos happily married alrieady
RaiX That's what I always thought as well. And even in Great Britain the "bird" is used by showing the pointer and middle finger (like a backward peace sign) signifying that they (the archer) still had two fingers and could still potentially kill you.
"Flipping the bird". One's phallus is often called a 'cock' meaning rooster, so called because it stands up at waking just as a rooster crows at first light. A rooster is a bird. That is my opinion of the origins of the phrase. Funny video, and well done!
Exactly my thoughts. Reminds me of a dutch painting from the 1660's by Gabriel Metsu who had the funny habbit of hiding eufemisms everywhere. Many paintings have a creepy old man offering their roosters to young girls and older women, spinsters (yes, same eufemism in dutch) offering their turkeys to rich young nobles nudge nudge wink wink. Moreover, at least for as long as trousers have zippers, it was common where I live (southwest of the Netherlands) to say to young boys who accidentally had their zippers down to "pull the zipper up, or else "it" flies away". More recently, since the '60's, when trousers for young girls came into fashion, when having their zipper down, they were told: "Oh dear, it has flown away!" :) To bad most of this regional stuff is only oral history. So no sources on this. My grandpa, who was born in the early '20's, told me he was told by both his father and grandfather to "button up before it flies away", when having forgot to do so after relieving himself. So it even was a euphemism before zippers were introduced. So that running joke is flying for quite some time now.
That's actually funny, because in italian we use the word 'bird' (in Ita, "uccello") for what you mean by "cock" (in Ita, 'gallo' --> cazzo). So, to "to give the Bird", to me, literally, means what "to give the cock" means to english natives.
@@mennolente4807 I'm from the UK and I haven't heard it said in a long time but right up til I was in high school I remember people saying "you're flying low" if your zip was down on your pants so that sort of ties in with what you're saying, kind of anyway. Very interesting
I don’t think it should be an insult. Rather the gesture and the words ought to be a kind of cheerful greeting. A way to say hello to friends and family.
No, that's the English double-finger up yours. When British archers were captured by the French, the French cut off their bowfingers and released them. Showing one's bowfingers to the enemy became a taunt towards the French, thus the two-finger flipoff was born.
@@grmpEqweer also the 'rumored' moment right before the Battle of Hastings when the ENTIRE corps of British long-bowmen held up their index and middle fingers, back of the hand pointed at the French battle-lines. the Brit arrow lobbers started screaming at the top of their lungs "PLUCK YOU! PLUCK YOU!" referring to 'plucking lute strings' ie bowstrings. this also alluded to bowmen checking their strings for excessive moisture by going 'twang' with their fingers to ensure the string was still tight.
and those cartoon cats were voiced by Abbott and Costello. I have the old black and white version on VHS actually, my dad recorded 3 hours of old cartoons from over the years to entertain the kids and happened to get that one on there twice, once in color but a different colorized version. Hell of a nostalgia trip.
Growing up (in the U.S.) we always heard that one of the origins of the middle finger came from the old wars when France and England were going at it. The English archers were so lethal that when captured the French would just cut off their middle finger to prevent them from nocking arrows, so showing the middle finger became a popular taunt as it showcased that they had not been captured. No idea if that is true.
the sources are mixed in saying yea or nay. the 'rumored' moment was right before the Battle of Hastings when the ENTIRE corps of British long-bowmen held up their index and middle fingers, back of the hand pointed at the French battle-lines. the Brit arrow lobbers started screaming at the top of their lungs "PLUCK YOU! PLUCK YOU!" referring to 'plucking lute strings' ie bowstrings. this also alluded to bowmen checking their strings for excessive moisture by going 'twang' with their fingers to ensure the string was still tight.
I searched too find anything confirming that becausw I read it somewhere concerning the french and english archers, and i'm left with only your comment... im not sure what to make of it tho
When I was a kid in Australia it was the double finger or V for victory sign that was used as an insult. From the mid 80s flipping the bird started to take over.
Hahah, no, it’s just me in the studio. I’m not sure... but I think that’s my food slipping off the base of the air and hitting a wheel. The more you know.
Today I Found Out Thank you for the clarification. Loved your video about the war crimes of the allies. My great grandmother had told me some awful things they had done to people in her town in the Netherlands when it was liberated by Canadian forces in 1945 and it was interesting to hear more. Keep up the great videos👍🏼
I can't remember where I read this, but I read long ago that the modern usage of flipping someone off came from the wars between the British and the Scots. Captured Scottish archers would have their middle finger cut off, making it impossible to return to their previous duty. Those that had not been captured would flip off the Brittish army before battle, as an "FU, we've still got it" kind of gesture. I'm not sure how accurate this is, since yall seriously research the subjects discussed and it wasn't even mentioned. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Awesome video as always, keep up the great work on all channels. Love ya Simon!!! Youre awesome Brother!!!
I saw on a 3Stooges short where they were cooking a meal and Curley brought in the turkey,the hostessignoringhim.So he said," Lady , I just gave you the bird!" How they get away with it?LOL!
They certainly do. My 9 year old grandson just learned how to do that. I'm not so sure he knows exactly what it means but he sure likes to do the gesture 😂
@@lagomoof *looks it up* Hmm... you have a point. But I choose to make my meaning clear by saying "Peace and Long Life" 🖖 while doing this so you know what I intend by this finger-wiggle-shape.
@@Delgen1951 And yes, I'm not IT but my job certainly has an IT department. They're pretty chill dudes with some minor idiosyncrasies but I can relate so
I always heard that it came from the 100 years war when archers would have the middle finger cut off to ruin an archers hand, and it was extended to passing enemies, saying I pluck yew (the wood used to make bows), but I could be wrong
"In this day and age" of extreme censorship and demonitization, people are now self-censoring so they can make money from corporations who place ads on their content. Corporate Whorism at it's best.
@@Nilguiri there are people who are easily offended all over the planet, even where you are in Spain. Eventually they will all migrate together and inhabit their own safe space with their own flag, etc. At least one can hope anyway. 😂
![SahBabii - Viking [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D37cL92JX0I/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you Dashlane for making this one possible! Get 10% off with the coupon code "todayifoundout" here: www.dashlane.com/todayifoundout
Jay Barker well the bowmen got those fingers chopped off because then they couldn't be a bowman anymore, but the others sound spot on.
You left out that Hoss also means Horse. Anyway that's the connection.
I really loved the video but I have one problem with it i was born and raised in iraq and we don't use the thumb to give the bird as u said but we use the Middle finger just like you do but in a slightly different fashion
Too bad Simon you're not a fan of baseball the greatest game on earth!
An even earlier account of "flipping the bird" is in the film
*"PARACHUTE JUMPER" (1933)*
starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
In one scene Frank McHugh parachutes out of a plane and lands on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. He tries to hitch a ride from a passing car but gets ignored. Once the car passes him, he flips the guy off.
It was completely uncensored because it was *"pre-Code"* (BEFORE the mentioned "Hay's Code" took effect)
Simon has become my in-head explaining voice...
For me it’s vsauce
mine is always Adam C.
I know I’ll have made it when I’m the voice people think with instead of their own voice.
Today I Found Out Well at least it’s already true for one person. Now it’s just a matter of growing your base. 😅
For me it's
> Scott Manley for space thoughts
> Chubbyemu for medical thoughts
> Nurdrage for science
> Simon Whistler/Vsauce for everything else
"... and no doubt water was needed to put out the fire from that wicked burn."
there's something so ridiculously satisfying to me from having heard that for the most-part said in your presenting voice 😎😏😁
It's not often that Simon Whistler looses his impecable British Gentleman's composure, but when he does it's over jokes a ten-year-old would giggle at.
That's what makes it great!
You should see me around fart jokes.
Just that moment he paused and looked at his hand...."oh yeah...*chuckle giggle chuckle*"
Okay click like right now Willie
@@TodayIFoundOut I think it was you from whom I learned that the oldest recorded joke was a fart joke that was found scribed on a wall in Pompeii.
@@TodayIFoundOut LOL! Well, if you're ever on the East Coast of The States and manage a visit to Pittsburgh, PA, hit me up and I'll treat you to a pint of lager, some good conversation, and a fart joke or two! :D
Omg! The way Simon had to quick check to see if it indeed did resemble the shaft and sack was beyond righteous! 😂🤣🖤👊🏼🤘🏼✌🏼
Simon instantly reverts to his 12-year-old self at 1:20.
Von D --That was adorably cute too!
Ah yeah...
It's a shame this 12-year-old didn't do his homework. It actually dates back to the English Longbowman who fought the French during the Hundred Years War from 1337 - 1453. The French feared the English archers who used the Longbow with such devastating effect. Any English archers who were caught by the French had their Index and middle fingers chopped off from their right hand to stop them using the longbow. This led to the English archers taunting the French with their two fingers in the ‘Two-Fingered Salute’ meaning “You haven’t cut off my fingers!” Later on, using the middle finger alone became popularised. Longbows were made using wood from the English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" or "pluck yew". Much later, "pluck yew" got changed to "f**k you" in modern culture.
I do like his seldom break of character.
pretty sure he did a video already on that French thing. Simon ALWAYS does his homework. However he does so much and he’s not perfect, everyone makes mistakes
I don't think Ive ever seen Simon get so goofy before....its hysterical! And quite adorable ❤
You know I’m really really glad someone asked this question
Matt Tucker I know right? You gotta love people that ask the questions others are too shy to.
Fuck u
🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼 too thrice and Fiona yes much embarrass such shame :P
😂
FOR SCIENCE
LMAO... I balled up my fist to check seconds before Simon did the same. Simon put into words what I was thinking.... This man is Amazing!!! 😆
I can tell Simon was having fun making this one.
I like the ones where he breaks character and laughs best
Yeah, this one was a good laugh.
@@TodayIFoundOut
" This is a baseball ---> ⚾ "
I was hoping you'd get into the British two-finger salute
The archers salute, the way enemy archers who escape capture during a war would send their regards to their opponents. were'as if they were captured as a form of punishment their index and middle fingers were removed so they could never fire a arrow again.
@@fyredoesidiotgames8451 I heard they used it as a form of taunt like "come and get them!" (the fingers)
@@beatnik6806 probably
Lol
Have a like just for Simon being childish playing with his hand
Someone ask Simon a deep, multi-layered, statistical question on baseball. I need that video in my life.
Thank you. That's why I subscribed.
A few times a week I scroll through my sub box and go "didn't know I wanted to know that" and proceed to ditch work for that quality information.
I love when the hand gesture is blurred on tv/pics. As if making a gesture with your hand is offensive in and of itself, and as if people don't know what's being blurred.
It's funny cause it makes it look like the real thing
Well that's harmless in Japan they blur out the porn. Now that is rediculous, I mean you can buy used girl underwear in the wending machine. Aaa maybe that's the reason, not the chicken but the egg was first
Marc beebee Porn is trash and only for sexual creepy perverts
@@limitedoriginz6109 ok boomer
@@limitedoriginz6109 u must b 1 of them people that thinks its the guys fault women become strippers, right
"Giving the Big Bird" well I'll never see Big Bird on Sesame Street the same way again
now that i think about it think about Big Bird's shape he kinda looks like a extended finger
Maybe Jim Henson and Frank Oz were being a little naughty!
@@buddyclem7328 ...um... MAYBE??!?!
Henson wasn't always all about kid's shows. (I'll just leave that there...) ;o)
I’ve been calling it “the bird” for as long as I can remember.
At least they weren't going around giving people the Snuffaluffagus.
I know a different theory about the origin of this gesture: In an educational program on German TV it was said that the middle finger gesture derives from the fact that in antiquity physicians used their middle fingers for rectal examinations. Because of this the middle finger was considered to be unclean and was also called the "stinking finger". Showing someone this finger was therefor considered an insult.
I'd really love to see Simon's advertisement for the sponsor if the sponsor was a condom manufacturer.
This comment made me laugh 😆
Or extolling the virtues of different vibrators and such....
@Barbara Wallace-- I can imagine that Simon's voice would sell a LOT of vibrators. What hetero woman doesn't love a rich baritone voice? Let me add, that when *Simon* has a cold, *I* get the fever! LOL! ;-)
Simon looks gay af !
Then you remember he supposedly tests out aĺl their sponsorship products... wonder what he'd say about that?
Having lived in the US and the UK I have always heard that the “Middle Finger”
gesture originated with the UK’s soldiers who manned the Longbow.
(Hundreds and hundreds of years ago) I first heard this in 1972 at summer camp
while I was learning Archery. Then I heard an almost identical story again over
30 years (and 3500 miles away too) later when I was living in Manchester.
(I was enjoying a Guinness at the local pub.) Basically it goes like this; When
one group of “Archers” captured their enemies, they would cut off their “plucking finger”
(The middle of the three fingers that one uses to draw back their bow.) So, they would
no longer be able to use their Longbows again. So to taunt their enemies
before a battle, the Archers would scream across the field, “PLUCK YOU”! Implying
that they were going to win and cut off the other Archer’s middle finger. Through the
centuries the word, “Pluck” turned into “Fucked”. Did you ever hear of this theory?
P.S. Simon, have you ever thought about reading books aloud for Audio Tapes? I
think you have a fabulous voice. I absolutely love your channel it is so interesting.
thank you very much to you and to everyone else who makes all these interesting
videos.
@1:20 Who else was gleefully studying their own handballs (heh) while flipping themselves off?
Definitely. Glad I'm not alone at this observation.
Yes i did the same
It's fun to watch Simon having fun. I didn't know what a desperate and burning need I had for information on this subject. Thanks, y'all.
I love it when you go off script and make it obvious you are reading a script.
🖕
🖕
🖕🏻
'liked to take it UP THEE BUMM" I FKN LOST IT WHY IS HE SO HILARIOUS
Nothing more impressive than turning an episode like “flipping the bird” into a form of higher education! Well done, Simon, well done!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
That's not where it came from
I have been wanting to say this for some time, I LOVE Simon's accent & the way he talks, he is super funny! It's like 60% of what makes the show great! I have a small crush on him :)
Me:
**sees title of video in notifications**
Also me:
*"Could it possibly be that all my burning questions can possibly be addressed once and for all?"*
Dude, your videos are getting better and funner the more your personality comes thru. Great job.
As Simon started reading the bonus facts about baseball.. I could hear it before he broke. It was great haha.
It's all sportball to me too, Simon.
He tried valiantly, but it was lost beforehand :D
may as well say "they did impressive feats represented by these numbers and abbreviations"
"...Water was certainly needed to put out the fire from that wicked burn."
Ahahahahahahahahaha!
We need Simon to swear more on this show, just for the sound effects.
If you watched "Mythbusters," you may recall the variety of sounds used to mask "Anglo-Saxon swear words" when experiments "missed the mark." (Or when Tori crashed into something and "rang the family jewels.";)
@@Otokichi786 there was a whole myth where they had a swear to make ice water less painful
@@Otokichi786 On some of the automotive programming of the time on some of the base level cable channels they would use the sound of a wrench being thrown across the room to replace swear words.
@@InsideOfMyOwnMind I read it as "wench" and was dying laughing!
he does on his other channel, Highlight History. i think it is a great channel too
So, "flipping the bird" had nothing to do with medieval archers? I have heard from numerous people that the English archers would get their middle finger cut off by the enemy to make them incapable of drawing the longbow. Thus by showing the enemy the middle finger, it implied that they were capable of launching arrows. But Sir Simon is the resident expert. I will go with what he says.
At my age, I have to point my finger downward.
Ha!
Tape a Viagra to it....
(Results may vary)
Boomer
Yeah?
Around what "era" does it start to be "like playing pool with a rope"?
...asking for a friend. ;oP
@@thefunkosaurus if bird remains flipped for over 4 hours please contact a doctor or local prude
Hopefully whilst doing a head stand.
As a followup it would be interesting to find the history of the British/Irish two-finger salute and how it seems interchangeable for the bird... Though seems to be a recent invention or adoption to these islands.
Simon you’re more funny than you think, more humor in these please!!
Business blaze is hilarious. I don’t even care about the videos usually I just enjoy the Commentary is great!
I always thought people were just trying to tell me that I'm number one. I'm gonna have to reevaluate my entire life.
A censored middle finger is still a finger extended (meaning the censoring is practically moot lol)
Well, the same really applies to bleeping out curse words (doubly so if they only bleep out the vowels, which seems to be a thing. Either that, or the way the tone interacts with the audio makes it sound like the f and ck on either end of the word are still intact).
@@calvinrempel8600 you mean like at the beginning of this video?
When I was young there was a poster in our sunday school that showed a hand and gave a meaning for each finger. On that poster the middle finger meant 'I love you'. We had fun spreading love at church.
At 7:02, best mocking of censorship prior to The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Good Morning Vietnam.
I like your balance of tones, sometimes some creators try a bit too hard to be “casual” and it comes off try hard, or otherwise are too stiff, but your style just feels really natural. Informative and well spoken as a base, but still knowing when somethings entertaining and putting a little spin on it from time to time.
just feels really natural.
RUclips has been flipping off Iraqis everyday for over a decade now.
14 times under this comment alone! (So far.)
My mother always tells me that behind every bird is a pile of shit 😂😂😂
This was a fun video and it’s nice to see you have some fun with it!
I've seen that Tweety Bird cartoon before and I remember that part ha ha
10:51 Not reaaally flipping the bird, but the gesture can finally be seen in its full glory, no censoring. ;)
I looked for a long time before I found someone else that noticed that! Good eye!
Pluck yew... French history has it that cutting off the middle finger made it nearly impossible to draw a long bow. So as a statement of victory the archers would show they still had their fingers.
No that's just a thing people say :-)
0:25 OMG WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE HIGH-FIVE??? ( O.O)
I think it was created in the 70's by basketball players, and before that I think there was the low five in 1930s.
@@sonnyocad287 Close... It was invented by baseball players in the 70's. A teammate of Dodgers' great Dusty Baker held his hand up after Dusty had hit a home run and Dusty reached up and slapped it.
We have a video on this already if you want to google it. But the short of it is that the first documented instance was spontaneously done by the first openly gay player in major league baseball and the other guy was Dusty Baker after he hit a home run. Before this the low-five was a thing, but not the high five. Soon became a thing in baseball and beyond.
@@TodayIFoundOut Correct its origins come from baseball.
@@TodayIFoundOut I heard the high 5 was created after the 2nd world war by American troops stationed in Japan. 😯 👋⚾🎭
I luv how towards the end of the video, he just stops blurring out his middle finger. Lol Hats off to the company that sponsored this taboo video. I salute you.
“The seamen were beaten” oooh innuendo how I love thee quite.
Edit: No one else notice Simon's hand gesture at @10:52?
Because we don't want the government coming after him, NO
Fun fact... The state of West Virginia is shaped like a fist holding up the middle finger with the thumb extended out to the side.
I'd like to give you a thumbs up but now I'm not sure I want to. Hmm...
This was almost a good comment. Proof read what you type next time.
@@mackinblack Fixed. Have a thumbs up.
@@seananderson7601 lol thank you
@@mackinblack :D
Just need to say thank you and state that not one derogatory word was used in this conversation!
This day and age any type of constructive criticism is answered by durogatory comments and blatant anger. This is how a "constructive" conversation should go....a mistake was made, someone politely commented on said mistake, the mistake then realized and fixed, a polite answer back, no harm no foul. Everybody makes mistakes, not one single human being is perfect so accepting that one was made without lashing out in hate and anger is a sign of intelligence.
Constructive=to build up and destructive=to tear down, which is better for society? Treat others with respect and kindness as you would wish to he treated.
Thanks again for this breath of fresh air☺
ROFLOL Simon being silly is awesome!! 🤣
Basically it's a friendly greeting for you and your friends now😂
monstamasta375 Yes a sign representing a cock and balls is now a sign of greeting. So that being said could I just show my junk to say hey?
Speak for urself dude, me and my homies are tight and would never think about doing some degenerate hooligan trash like that to each other. We might have different morals but i would drop a friend for some shit like that in no time at all. Not to mention how disrespectful that shit is
@@OF01975 Wow, you are lame
MrLeemurman if thats what some anonymous loser thinks of me then so be it. If you actually got to know me and maybe didnt judge almost like a bitch you would see that im a very well respected and known conservative christian whos happily married alrieady
@@OF01975 you must be very fun.........
I love the professor persona and I love the relaxed laughter. Well done, good sir!
I heard the bird gestures was from captured archers and got their middle finger sliced off so they cant shoot with their bow anymore.
RaiX That's what I always thought as well. And even in Great Britain the "bird" is used by showing the pointer and middle finger (like a backward peace sign) signifying that they (the archer) still had two fingers and could still potentially kill you.
ROFL "...surely water would have been needed to put out the fire from that wicked burn." Simon got me with that one!
"Flipping the bird". One's phallus is often called a 'cock' meaning rooster, so called because it stands up at waking just as a rooster crows at first light. A rooster is a bird. That is my opinion of the origins of the phrase. Funny video, and well done!
Interesting. 🤔
Exactly my thoughts. Reminds me of a dutch painting from the 1660's by Gabriel Metsu who had the funny habbit of hiding eufemisms everywhere. Many paintings have a creepy old man offering their roosters to young girls and older women, spinsters (yes, same eufemism in dutch) offering their turkeys to rich young nobles nudge nudge wink wink.
Moreover, at least for as long as trousers have zippers, it was common where I live (southwest of the Netherlands) to say to young boys who accidentally had their zippers down to "pull the zipper up, or else "it" flies away". More recently, since the '60's, when trousers for young girls came into fashion, when having their zipper down, they were told: "Oh dear, it has flown away!" :)
To bad most of this regional stuff is only oral history. So no sources on this. My grandpa, who was born in the early '20's, told me he was told by both his father and grandfather to "button up before it flies away", when having forgot to do so after relieving himself. So it even was a euphemism before zippers were introduced. So that running joke is flying for quite some time now.
@@mennolente4807 lol
That's actually funny, because in italian we use the word 'bird' (in Ita, "uccello") for what you mean by "cock" (in Ita, 'gallo' --> cazzo).
So, to "to give the Bird", to me, literally, means what "to give the cock" means to english natives.
@@mennolente4807 I'm from the UK and I haven't heard it said in a long time but right up til I was in high school I remember people saying "you're flying low" if your zip was down on your pants so that sort of ties in with what you're saying, kind of anyway. Very interesting
That was educational and entertaining, once again answering a question I didn't ask. Keep it up.
... I've been shown this gesture many times; I've always thought it meant I was still number one😉...
I don’t think it should be an insult. Rather the gesture and the words ought to be a kind of cheerful greeting. A way to say hello to friends and family.
*And no doubt water was certainly needed to put out the fire from that wicked burn*
Epic!
It's so much more funny when you look at your own finger to see the comparison and then look up and Simon is doing it too.
This channel deserves more subs...and I say that knowing it has almost 2 million.
You actually handled this topic quite respectfully. I'm impressed.
BOSTON BEAN EATERS!!!
Why is that so funny!?!
you need to watch some of the old "baseball" cartoons, form the 1930-1940s and you will get it.
Omg!! I grew up watching that exact tweety bird cartoon !! I had no idea the dirty joke was in there when I was 5 😂
For some reason I always thought it had something to do with archers in the middle ages
No, that's the English double-finger up yours.
When British archers were captured by the French, the French cut off their bowfingers and released them.
Showing one's bowfingers to the enemy became a taunt towards the French, thus the two-finger flipoff was born.
@@grmpEqweer also the 'rumored' moment right before the Battle of Hastings when the ENTIRE corps of British long-bowmen held up their index and middle fingers, back of the hand pointed at the French battle-lines. the Brit arrow lobbers started screaming at the top of their lungs "PLUCK YOU! PLUCK YOU!" referring to 'plucking lute strings' ie bowstrings. this also alluded to bowmen checking their strings for excessive moisture by going 'twang' with their fingers to ensure the string was still tight.
and those cartoon cats were voiced by Abbott and Costello. I have the old black and white version on VHS actually, my dad recorded 3 hours of old cartoons from over the years to entertain the kids and happened to get that one on there twice, once in color but a different colorized version. Hell of a nostalgia trip.
Dear mr Whistler, this was hilariuos and informative. Great work. Just sad you didn't use the top gun clip
I love the title pic of a blurred out, obviously not extended middle finger.
Aye love finding a new episode as I scroll my list 🙃
This video was absolutely brilliant. Thank you!
Growing up (in the U.S.) we always heard that one of the origins of the middle finger came from the old wars when France and England were going at it. The English archers were so lethal that when captured the French would just cut off their middle finger to prevent them from nocking arrows, so showing the middle finger became a popular taunt as it showcased that they had not been captured. No idea if that is true.
That story is a perverted versionof the actual story, which is for the backwards peace sign.
the sources are mixed in saying yea or nay. the 'rumored' moment was right before the Battle of Hastings when the ENTIRE corps of British long-bowmen held up their index and middle fingers, back of the hand pointed at the French battle-lines. the Brit arrow lobbers started screaming at the top of their lungs "PLUCK YOU! PLUCK YOU!" referring to 'plucking lute strings' ie bowstrings. this also alluded to bowmen checking their strings for excessive moisture by going 'twang' with their fingers to ensure the string was still tight.
I searched too find anything confirming that becausw I read it somewhere concerning the french and english archers, and i'm left with only your comment... im not sure what to make of it tho
When I was a kid in Australia it was the double finger or V for victory sign that was used as an insult. From the mid 80s flipping the bird started to take over.
Today I turned notifications on
But did you learn today?
@@KM-ld9ln thats a different question
Excellently presented!
4:32 Did one of the camera guys crack a cold one with the boys?
Hahah, no, it’s just me in the studio. I’m not sure... but I think that’s my food slipping off the base of the air and hitting a wheel. The more you know.
Today I Found Out Thank you for the clarification. Loved your video about the war crimes of the allies. My great grandmother had told me some awful things they had done to people in her town in the Netherlands when it was liberated by Canadian forces in 1945 and it was interesting to hear more. Keep up the great videos👍🏼
I can't remember where I read this, but I read long ago that the modern usage of flipping someone off came from the wars between the British and the Scots. Captured Scottish archers would have their middle finger cut off, making it impossible to return to their previous duty. Those that had not been captured would flip off the Brittish army before battle, as an "FU, we've still got it" kind of gesture. I'm not sure how accurate this is, since yall seriously research the subjects discussed and it wasn't even mentioned. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Awesome video as always, keep up the great work on all channels. Love ya Simon!!! Youre awesome Brother!!!
Utterly bizarre timing. I was just wondering last night what the origin of "charlie horse" was.
It was Charlies' horse with a leg spasm, you silly goose..
I saw on a 3Stooges short where they were cooking a meal and Curley brought in the turkey,the hostessignoringhim.So he said," Lady , I just gave you the bird!" How they get away with it?LOL!
I really enjoyed this episode. You were much more expressive, especially whenever you """broke character."""
Simon's little chuckle Hilarious.
I was just thinking.. Do kids today even flip the bird anymore?
They certainly do. My 9 year old grandson just learned how to do that. I'm not so sure he knows exactly what it means but he sure likes to do the gesture 😂
But how and when did it get approved by the Unicode Consortium as an emoji: 🖕?
computer geeks, that exlanies it, if not you had better meet a few, then you will understand.
@@Delgen1951 Yup. It wasn't the Rabbinicate that wanted this hand gesture in Unicode: 🖖
@@Delgen1951 *explains
@@lagomoof *looks it up* Hmm... you have a point. But I choose to make my meaning clear by saying "Peace and Long Life" 🖖 while doing this so you know what I intend by this finger-wiggle-shape.
@@Delgen1951 And yes, I'm not IT but my job certainly has an IT department. They're pretty chill dudes with some minor idiosyncrasies but I can relate so
This is gonna be a fun one!
Lol magnificent!
How many likes did it take for this to be answered?😂
I love how he had to pause and actually check his own hand to see if it was true
Sesame Street will never be the same again. 6:00
You promised a fun video, and my goodness, did you deliver.
The girl in the picture doesn’t even have her middle finger up - it’s just a fist
For emphasizing some people give the entire fist. My weasel Meekers gives people the paw.
I always heard that it came from the 100 years war when archers would have the middle finger cut off to ruin an archers hand, and it was extended to passing enemies, saying I pluck yew (the wood used to make bows), but I could be wrong
Diogenes is the best. I love that guy.
One of the first cynics
Never fails to make me laugh 😂.. only you would add bloopers into the main video lol.. Keep up the great work.
So, you are explaining how the bird became the word? -_-
Simon. You know what we need? You as our voice assistant
was this real or was this just a fever dream?
Bless your heart for this one!!😂. You crack me up,thanks again.
The like button is flipping people off
Lolololololol
I love your honesty.
why do you have a censored fist in the thumbnail?
"In this day and age" of extreme censorship and demonitization, people are now self-censoring so they can make money from corporations who place ads on their content. Corporate Whorism at it's best.
@@CyberDocUSA he doesn't have his finger up
Americans are offended and have to be protected from the unspeakable horror of seeing an extended finger. It's absolutely pathetic!
@@Nilguiri not Americans. American children.
Or so many American parents/elected officials believe/are pressured into conforming for.
@@Nilguiri there are people who are easily offended all over the planet, even where you are in Spain. Eventually they will all migrate together and inhabit their own safe space with their own flag, etc. At least one can hope anyway. 😂
Simon, you are awesome and a delight to listen to! I'm really amazed in all your videos of your ability to pronounce names that make my brain hurt.