Defiant Class

[Captain Seafort]

I believe the French crossbowman held them up going into battle with the British to show that they still had their middle fingers which were required to fire the crossbow. Apparently the English cut off the middle fingers of the crossbowmen so when/if they were returned to the French they would no longer be able to fire. I forget where I heard it (Mail Call maybe?), so it may be apocryphal.

That sounds suspiciously like the story of how the V-sign came about, so I suspect it's a corruption of that. The single-finger gesture more likely originated as a non-verbal version of "up yours".

[Praeothmin]

You do of course remember that france has started more wars then any other modern standing nation right...

You mean before, or after the USA were founded?

Which kind?

All the kind that smell like feet, but taste good.
I'm not saying they invented them all, I'm saying they're good at making them...
But, in particular, Camembert, Emmental, Mamirolle, Bleu cheese, etc...

[Deepcrush]

You mean before, or after the USA were founded?

Both as a matter of fact.

[Praeothmin]

Really?
France has started more wars then the US since 1776?

And wasn't this thread about the Defiant????

[Deepcrush]

Really?

Yes.

France has started more wars then the US since 1776?

Both before and since.

And wasn't this thread about the Defiant????

Yes.

To me, the Defiant is the perfect ship for system defense. Small, fast and powerful. Plus its cheaper then a cruiser or battle cruiser.

[Lt. Staplic]

actually, this thread was created by me so I could discuss where the one Type X Phaser array on the defiant was before going into battle w/ Tsuki and his Norexean.

[Sonic Glitch]

I believe the French crossbowman held them up going into battle with the British to show that they still had their middle fingers which were required to fire the crossbow. Apparently the English cut off the middle fingers of the crossbowmen so when/if they were returned to the French they would no longer be able to fire. I forget where I heard it (Mail Call maybe?), so it may be apocryphal.

That sounds suspiciously like the story of how the V-sign came about, so I suspect it's a corruption of that. The single-finger gesture more likely originated as a non-verbal version of "up yours".

Really? What is the story of the V-sign?

[Lazar]

I believe the French crossbowman held them up going into battle with the British to show that they still had their middle fingers which were required to fire the crossbow. Apparently the English cut off the middle fingers of the crossbowmen so when/if they were returned to the French they would no longer be able to fire. I forget where I heard it (Mail Call maybe?), so it may be apocryphal.

You've got the story the wrong way round though. It was the English under Henry V who were using longbows, and the French who were (supposedly) cutting their middle fingers off. But the story is most definitely apocryphal.

For added fun, some people also suggest that that incident was the origin of the English phrase "fuck you": not only were the longbowmen waving their middle fingers, they were also yelling, "We can still pluck yew!"

[Lt. Staplic]

[Sionnach Glic]

Really?
France has started more wars then the US since 1776?

Hell yes. France only really started sucking after WW2. Before that they were a major superpower, and rather belligerant.
Since 1776, France has been in the following wars:


1)American Revolutionary War
2)European Naval Campaign 1778-1782
3)West Indies Campaign 1778-1779
4)East Indies Campaign 1778-1783
5)North American Campaign 1780-1781
6)French Revolutionary Wars
7)War of the First Coalition
8)War of the Second Coalition
9)War of the Oranges
10)Napoleonic Wars
11)War of the Third Coalition
12)War of the Fourth Coalition
13)War of the Fifth Coalition
14)Peninsular War
15)French invasion of Russia
16)War of the Sixth Coalition
17)Six Days Campaign
18)War of the Seventh Coalition
19)French and Iroquois Wars
20)King William's War
21)French and Indian Wars
22)King William's War
23)Queen Anne's War
24)French and Indian War
25)Anglo-French conflict in India
26)Haitian Revolution
27)Franco-Trarzan War of 1825
28)French intervention in Mexico
29)Mandingo Wars
30)Sino-French War
31)Kep Campaign
32)Pescadores Campaign
33)First Franco-Dahomean War
34)Second Franco-Dahomean War
35)Franco-Siamese War of 1893
36)Wadai War
37)Rif War
38)French-Thai War
39)First Indochina War
40)Malagasy Uprising
41)Tunisian War of Independence
42)Algerian War
43)Greek War of Independence
44)Carlist Wars
45)First Carlist War
46)Pastry War
47)Crimean War
48)Second Opium War
49)Franco-Austrian War
50)Franco-Prussian War
51)Boxer Rebellion
52)World War I
53)World War II
54)Korean War
55)Multinational Force in Lebanon
56)Gulf War
57)Rwandan Genocide
58)Bosnian War
59)Kosovo War
60)War in Afghanistan
61)Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire
62)Haitian rebellion
63)War in Chad

[stitch626]

I wonder how many of those they won... in reality, not jokingly.

[Teaos]

Reading through I'd say the vast majority. Most of those were colonial wars which are easily won, and even the ones against real powers... there werent many countries that could stand up to France.

[stitch626]

Ah cool. Learn something new every day.

[Praeothmin]

Yup, thanks.

By the way, do you know which French body part got the most sunburns in WW II?
Their armpits (they surrendered too much)...

A little English joke I got from a nice elderly couple in Calais last week...

[Lt. Staplic]

Rochey,

The French and Indian War is on there twice...and AFAIK that war was before 1776, because it was after that war that britain really started taxing and regulating us which is what pissed us off for the most part and spurred us to rebel