[Cyclefrance]

Originally Posted by wolf

Snopes says nope. (although this explanation was circulated on this side of the pond regarding our gesture with the same meaning, it applies to the British version as well)

There's always someone who disagrees. Don't believe that ransom bit. Frenchies shouting: 'Donnez-nous beaucoup de l'argent, ou on coupe les deux doigts de ce rosbif ici!' - is going to inspire a lot of peasant English archers somehow. The response to that would be a loud and slowly delivered:
'S-P-E-A-K E-N-G-L-I-S-H Y-O-U I-G-N-O-R-A-N-T F-R-O-G!!'

Rather the image of a couple of hundred English fingers wrapped in a French pig's bladder winging its way across the battlefield into the English ranks sounds a much more interesting way of getting your message across.

'What's that Harry?'

'Let's have a look - oh, they're not such bad blokes after all - sent us over a bag of fries, even put some ketchup on - here, want one - bit chewey though, they could have cooked 'em a bit longer..!'

I still reckon they cut the first two fingers off - even if it left them 'stumped' to know the reason why!!

Just to check, are people in white cars more stupid there too?

I think this one is probably true - no one sells white cars here now which goes a long way to supporting that suggestion, plus the only people that you might see in the odd ones that are about are usually on their way to be (or alternatively have just been) married!