What do English bowmen, the French, and lopped-off digits have to do with the classic middle-finger insult? Absolutely nothing. A San Diego truck driver wonders about the true origin of the one-finger salute. There’s a great debunking of the English...
one-finger peace sign n. the raised middle finger, intended as an insult; one-finger salute; the finger; the bird; Rockefeller gesture. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)