As a child (over 70 years ago), I read an adventure story featuring 2 young pilots (English?) and their Russian Cossack friend. He was always spinning yarns of various heroic exploits and the expression used by one of the pilots was “he can draw the long bow to suit the Queens’ taste.” Have you ever heard of this addition to the phrase?
Dr. Neutron:
October 18th, 2017 at 12:00 am
So you read “The Boy Allies” (WW1) series, too, Frank.
Keith Anker:
June 11th, 2020 at 3:00 am
My understanding was that it had to do with something very hard to achieve — which fits with the longbow source.
Kurt:
August 11th, 2021 at 6:31 am
Drawing the longbow meant you could tell tall tales or stretch the truth (it meant you were a good liar).
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Frank Bernhardt:
September 22nd, 2015 at 7:05 pm
As a child (over 70 years ago), I read an adventure story featuring 2 young pilots (English?) and their Russian Cossack friend. He was always spinning yarns of various heroic exploits and the expression used by one of the pilots was “he can draw the long bow to suit the Queens’ taste.” Have you ever heard of this addition to the phrase?
Dr. Neutron:
October 18th, 2017 at 12:00 am
So you read “The Boy Allies” (WW1) series, too, Frank.
Keith Anker:
June 11th, 2020 at 3:00 am
My understanding was that it had to do with something very hard to achieve — which fits with the longbow source.
Kurt:
August 11th, 2021 at 6:31 am
Drawing the longbow meant you could tell tall tales or stretch the truth (it meant you were a good liar).