Like The Way British Do The Backward Peace Sign

[Dino Velvet]

Not very peaceful. Remember watching Sid & Nancy and wanting that picture of Gary Oldman saluting the camera on the staircase. Why doesn't Ringo Starr start doing this instead?

[robertlouis]

Quite right Dino. Preserve our ancient heritage!

[rameses2]

Too right, my dickie, old chum !

[Dino Velvet]

Quite right Dino. Preserve our ancient heritage!

My pleasure. Thanks for that informative picture.

[EZWind]

Yup...good ole Pee Wee Herman, definitely one of my all-time favorite hip-hop heroes with his oh so emulatable "urban" accent

[spunktrumpet]

The forward facing 'V' sign is actually an insult dating back to the 1200's, England was at war with France at the time (unsuprising as we'd pinched about a third of their country). The french had an advantage in mounted knights whereasthe English army had a devastating superiority in longbowmen, so whenever the french captured any archers they would cut the two bowstringing fingers (the 'V' symbol fingers) off to stop him firing arrows again. Before any big battle started it became the norm for the archers to stick two fingers up to the french to show them they were ready for battle and about to deliver the good news in the form of massive arrow volleys. The peace symbol originated much later in WWII and is normally given the other way round, but some historical figures like Churchill did it the other way (probably because he didn't give a fuck what anyone else thought). Little bit of trivia for the day.

[Prospero]

Remarkable piece of arcane info spunkie... thank for that.

[loveboof]

Apparently that story about the archers is a bit if a myth. QI is usually right...

http://www.qi.com/talk/viewtopic.php...dbaff2bcd53b60

[SammiValentine]

Yea its an "urban legend" first historical proof of it being used is late 1800 or early 1900 i think ?

[spunktrumpet]

Yeah, the good old internet is right thesis eh! I read that link and it just strikes me as a couple of bored fuckwits trying to prove/disprove something so they sound clever. When I was in Germany attached to an Artillery Regiment (the forebears of bow's & arrows), I remember reading one of the books in the sergeants mess which had all the battles etc in it, and that's where I read it. Who's right? Well not for me to say, but half of these battlefield detectives are only basing their shite on theories that they came up with, unless you were there a few hundred years ago your not gonna know what actually happened, I remember watching battlefield detectives & they said that the archers didn't do fuck all at Agincourt, now maybe I'm wrong but the only way to know exactly how effective a longbow is, is to put a suit of armour on & get 10 of your mates to shoot arrows at you, then you are in a position to comment on it. personally I prefer my version than a couple of boffins chatting shite between themselves. OK rant over.