Pluck yew!

Posted by Shuva Brata Deb (Bangalore, India) on 19 December 2007 in People & Portrait.

This is Suresh. Contrary to what one may think of his personality from this picture, he is actually a very sober and very soft spoken person.

It is told that the origin of this gesture came from the French when they used to cut off the middle finger of captured British soldiers of war, so that they wont be able to draw their bows ever again. This action of pulling the arrow and shooting was called "Pluck yew "---the action of the release of the middle finger. They would stick up their middle fingers at them and yell "PLUCK YOU!" which literally was gesturing that you would shoot him with the arrow by releasing your middle finger. Later over the years this began to take the meaning of a more intimate insulting gesture it is commonly used today.

Jason Kravitz from Brussels, Belgium

this is becoming a Shuva standard!

19 Dec 2007 10:11pm

Naren from Hyderabad, India

he looks like the one

20 Dec 2007 4:28am

KMF from Kerala,Kalpakanchery, India

wounderfull shot

21 Dec 2007 6:01am

Aaron Schmidt from Auckland, New Zealand

Love the focus on the hand with the off-center framing. Your recent work colleague shots have been excellent.

23 Dec 2007 10:53am

kairospix from Singapore, Singapore

interesting history!

23 Dec 2007 4:00pm

Canon EOS REBEL XT
1/400 second
F/5.6
ISO 200
52 mm

finger
you
pluck
yew
fuck
suresh