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| Thread: A little history lesson | |
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Romana
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Thx :D
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posted September 12, 2003 11:26 PM |
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Edited By: Romana on 2 Apr 2004
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A little history lesson
History of "The Finger" or "Giving the Bird"
Giving the Finger Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed cutting 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 rendering them incapable of fighting in the future. This famous weapon 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! "PLUCK YEW!" Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F,' and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter. It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."
And yew thought yew knew everything!!! --
* from http://www.jdanieldavidson.com/index.cfm?template=links.cfm
Anyone else have something to share on history?
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The darkest skies show the brightest stars
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Draco
Promising
Famous Hero
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posted September 12, 2003 11:29 PM |
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arachnid
Promising
Famous Hero
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posted September 13, 2003 01:16 AM |
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ever since i had to do an essay on pirates in primary ive been hooked. (boom boom)
heres the most infamous and one of my favourite pirates stories
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Blackbeard’s Last Stand.
In 1718 Alexander Spotswood, the Governor of Virginia Alexander, was under enormous pressure to remove pirates from his domain, so he offered rewards for their capture. Top of the wanted list was Blackbeard with £100 on his head. Spotswood was worried that pirates were increasingly harbouring in the Pamlico Sound naturally protected by the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, and accessed by the Ocracoke Inlet. There was even talk of Buccaneers fortifying Ocracoke Island itself to make a more imposing base.
Spotswood enlisted the help of two experienced buccaneer hunters: - Captains Maynard and Hyde. They were both keen to pursue Blackbeard but their ships were unsuitable for the shallow inlets around the Pamlico Sound. Spotswood funded two sloops for the navy men, these boats could safely move through the shallow water. Robert Maynard captained the first sloop the Jane, and took command of the expedition of 60 men; Captain Hyde assisted in the Ranger. The two sloops had no guns fitted so the pirate hunters had to rely on small arms, a distinct disadvantage against Blackbeard’s Adventure carrying 10 guns.
Once Blackbeard’ s whereabouts was known the party set sail, and arrived at the Ocracoke Inlet on the evening of 21st October 1718. A local pilot guided the sloops through the sandbars and shoals protecting the anchorage, and the Adventure was sighted late in the evening. It was decided that a morning attack would take advantage of the after effects of the night’s revelry on board the pirate vessel. Blackbeard, unaware of the impending fight, only had a crew of 19 on board and spent the evening drinking heavily with some of his men.
In the morning Maynard and Hyde cautiously moved into the Sound following a small boat taking depth soundings. An observant lookout quickly raised the alarm, and a volley of shot peppered the expedition’s boats as the Adventure slipped anchor. Maynard and Hyde were soon in hot pursuit but in the rush both their sloops ran aground. The three vessels were close enough for a shouted exchange to take place, and Blackbeard mocked Maynard and his men making it clear that he would be taking no prisoners.
As the tide rose the two sloops were freed; the wind was so slack that they had to resort to oars. The Adventure fired a murderous close range broadside of shot mixed with nails decimating the party, the Ranger was put out of the fight losing 5 crew and Captain Hyde.
Maynard attacked; a volley of shot crippled the Adventure by bringing down sails and masts. Maynard had craftily hidden most of his men below decks, so as the two boats ran together Blackbeard boarded with 10 of his pirates thinking the crew were wiped out by his earlier fire. A life and death struggle ensued as the hidden crew streamed up through the hatches hacking at Blackbeard’s men and knocking them down in their wake. Maynard and Blackbeard were soon involved in a desperate struggle. Maynard, wounded by Blackbeard’s cutlass, fired his pistol at the Pirate at point blank range. Although wounded Blackbeard continued to fight, and was attacked by several of the sailors who slashed at his face and hands. A Highlander from the Jane joined the fight and set about Blackbeard with his broadsword. The first blow cut Blackbeard’s neck, and he cried out “Well done lad” the second mighty blow took off the Pirate’s head.
The crew of the Adventure continued to fight for their lives but the Ranger finally rallied and got back into the battle. Despite the desperate fight of the pirates the battle was soon over and a number of prisoners taken, the Adventure was secured with its decks running in blood.
The battle could have had a different ending, Blackbeard had ordered one of his crew to blow up the powder magazine if the boat was taken, fortunately for the survivors one of his less determined shipmates stopped him. The battle was over. It was rumoured that Blackbeard’s headless body ran amok and jumped into the water swimming around the ship. Whatever the truth of these tales Maynard sailed home with Blackbeard’s head on a pole.
The death of Blackbeard and the trial of the remaining crew were seen as the beginning of the end of the years of buccaneering glory, and a big coup in the war against piracy.
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while i was looking for good sites on pirates i came across
a fun page called
http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate.php
it gives you a pirate name
arrrrrrr
so mine is:
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Captain William Vane
Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You tend to blend into the background occaisionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!
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Dingo
Responsible
Legendary Hero
God of Dark SPAM
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posted September 13, 2003 01:21 AM |
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I like the "PLUCK YOU!," story better.
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The Above Post/Thread/Idea Is CopyRighted by, The Dingo Corp.
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privatehudson
Responsible
Legendary Hero
The Ultimate Badass
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posted September 13, 2003 02:24 AM |
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Famous American Civil War Generals (done mostly off my head):
Ambrose Burnside:
Side/Army: Union, Eastern Theater
Highest Level of Command: Army Commander at Fredericksburg
Famous Battles: Fredericksburg, Petersburg
Style: Incompetent at anything beyond command of a division and he knew it, promoted beyond his level to retain control. Prone to fantasies about battles rather than realities.
Famous Actions: Managed to slaughter troops on a level of Picketts charge at Fredericksburg by marching them across open fields and towards a hill defended by Longstreet's entire corps who were dug in within a sunken road and backed by his entire artillery. Managed to completely fail to attack properly at petersburg. After union engineers exploded a mine below Rebel lines, Burnside threw troops into a huge crater without thought as to how they would escape at the other end.... the rebels recovered and shot them like fish in a barrel.
Quotes: "the only man alive who can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" (Lincoln in the aftermath of Petersburg)
Trivia: Burnside gave his name later to sideburns due to the excessive size of his.
Joeseph Hooker
Side/Theater: Union, Army of the Potomac, East and West
Highest Level of Command: Army Commander at Chancellorsville
Famous Battles: Chancellorsville
Style: Good planner and organisor of armies, good general also, but unlucky. Tended to be confrontational and insubordinate believing he alone had the ability to command any army he was in
Famous Actions: He gained command of the army after being sacked by the then commander (Burnside) in the aftermath of Fredericksburg and complaining to Lincoln. Lincoln saw the mess Burnside had made and promptly gave command to Hooker. Completely outmanouvered Lee before Chancellorsville (a rare event for the union army) only to loose his nerve and sink into lethargy allowing Jackson and Lee to drive him off by sheer audacity. Planned the oppening moves of the Gettysburg Campaign, arguably contributing a large amount to victory there. Later served in the west, only to see a former subordinate promoted over him when he resigned.
Quotes: "Hooker never left a command without the troops showing signs of disapproval"
Trivia: His heavy drinking on campaign prompted Lincoln to be worried about handing him command of the army to him. Hooker abstained for the Chancellorsville battle and was lethargic and considerbaly tamer due to it. His womanising on campaign lead to the term "Hooker's division" for his legion of women camp followers, and the rise of the term "hooker" as slang for a prostitute.
Robert Edward Lee
Side/Theater: Confederate Army, Eastern Theater
Highest Level of Command: Commander, Confederate Forces
Famous Battles: Every Eastern battle from the Seven days to Appatamox Courthouse! Seriously, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, 2nd Manassas/Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Antietam/Sharpsburg to name but a few
Style: Genius? One of the best, if not the best American generals ever, and master of understanding his enemies. Lee simply outmanouvered, outfought or outmarched almost every general the Union army had. More than once he rescued the South from certain doom.
Famous Actions:
At 7 days he moulded the Army of N. Virginia and drove off McCellan with a force barely 1/2 his opponents size in a series of bloody engagements. At 2nd Bull Run he split his army into two in front of the enemy and marched Jackson round Pope, allowed Pope to attack Jackson before smashing Longstreet into Pope's flank, smashing this attempt at invasion. At Antietam he invaded the north, and despite being outnumbered 3/1 for most of the battle, the enemy having his entire campaign plan and being divided, held off McCellan all day to withdraw intact.
At Fredericksburg he slaughtered Burnside's attacks with ease and prevented one more invasion of the south. At Chancellorsville he escaped almost certain destruction by outmanouvering Hooker and crushing his flank with Jackson, driving Hooker back. At Gettysburg he made what was pretty much his only serious series of mistakes and cost the south it's best and last chance to win the war. At the Wilderness he once more fought the Union army to a halt but by now could no longer drive them back into the north. A series of battles and sieges continued until he surrendered with the remnants of his army at Appamatox Courthouse.
Quotes: "It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it"
"We cannot afford to be idle, and though weaker than our opponents in men and military equipments, must endeavor to harass if we cannot destroy them"
Trivia: Lee's father was "Light horse" Harry Lee, a Revolutionary hero. It's also alleged he was a descendant of Robert the Bruce! (see http://www.civilwarhome.com/leeancestors.htm
Lee did not support slavery, he used servants who he paid well (for servants naturally) he fought for his state because he felt unable to fight against it, not out of slave rights.
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Side/Theater: Confederate army, Western Theater
Highest Level of Command: Cavalry Corps
Famous Battles: Fort Pillow, Shiloh
Style: Geurilla warfare like, arrogant and insubordinate at times, brilliant commander of cavalry at others in both battle and campaigns, considered the finest Cavalry commander the US produced in this war.
Famous Actions: Was rumoured to have been involved in the massacre of a captured garrison of Black soldiers at Fort Pillow. The massacre seems to have occured, though no-one could prove he ordered it
Quotes: "Get there first with the most men" (not as it's often misquoted "get their fastest with the mostest")
Trivia: He is alleged to be a founder of the Klu Klux Klan after the war.
That enough of a lesson for you?  I can do more 
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We're on an express elevator to Hell, goin' down!
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Celfious
Promising
Legendary Hero
From earth
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posted September 13, 2003 04:39 AM |
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Theres a really great one, but I dont know if it's alowed.. It's called "History of the F word" and it is rofl material. IM me for a link, or some mod let me post the link pls.
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