The origon of " giving someone the finger" back in the day... if English archers were captured by the French they would cut off their bow pulling finger to prevent them from being able to shoot....so in an act of defiance when English soldiers saw the French, theyd throw up their middle finger to taunt them that not only did they still have their finger but they planned on using it to kill them.
Now...is this true... probably not, but was I impressed all the same, yes, yes I was.