okay mav, here are three possibilities:
1) from trapshooting - PULL! [darn! that was too quick!]
b) from pulling of strings and wires, hence an illicit trick or manipulation
iii) having a quick wank

hth.

caution: wank-related material...but linguistically relevant

>iii) having a quick wank<

Also commonly referred to as "pulling your meat."

...on a purely word-related note, many of USns owe it to this board (I admit having learned this term at an awfully young and innocent age) that we even know what wank or wanker is. Not that any of y'all are the latter or anything, but.

an aside:

Stan Mayslack was a local (and loco) pro-wrestler, back in the 50s. When he retired, he took over a local pub and renamed it "Mayslack's Polka Lounge". It was actually more well known for the lunchtime special: "world famous GARLIC roast beef" sandwiches. Burly Stan himself would stand in the serving line, glopping the au jus delicacy onto a double paper plate. Directly over his head, a sign read, "You can't beat Mayslack's meat!" Indeed.

edit: http://www.mayslacks.com/

and of course there's 'pull your finger out', often heard being screamed across games fields by frustrated P.E. teachers at apathetic adolescents. Not sure about where this one comes from, it means get a move on, or make an effort. My partner says his dad (who worked in a mill) said it comes from people sticking their fingers in the ( can't 'member what they're called, you know, the vertical stretches of cotton) to stop the spinners and have a break in mill, when they were caught by foreman, he'd say OI, pull your finger out. Dunno if it's true though, could be rubbish, could mean pull your finger out of your arse but i think that's a recent addition to the phrase. ooh, i'm rambling now, it's late, i'm tired, and full from trying all the peanut butter recipes.

Used this at work today and immediately thought of this thread.

Pulling in a nice salary.

Pulling in twelve bucks an hour.

Pulling a decent wage.

If it was a better sales list, I could be pulling in a lot more money than I am.

etc, etc...

Or, perhaps even more typically, "this job pulls it!" (or "this job pulls a big one!")[weaving in the devious theme-e]

to stop the spinners and have a break in mill,
I should think that would be a quick way to lose a finger if not a whole hand.

and then there is the 'pull my finger' routine-
(a rude bit i didn't know till i was grown up, we had lots of other rude bits, but not 'pull my finger'--one family favorite, for late in the afternoon, at summer family picnics, etc, was to get the kids to get a bucket/pot of water, and to warm it over the almost dead coals, once warm, it was poured over the hands of uncles, cousins, etc, who, having had too much to drink, were lying back on chairs sleeping off the effects--
while the sound of running water can stimulate an urge to go, warm water on your hands creates almost a reflex action!

No one has mentioned that 'pull' is French for 'sweater', specifically pull-over sweater, which is, I suppose, its origin. No wonder the Academie gets upset over Franglais.

well, I checked it out and got this explanation:
Finger: To pull your finger out is to hurry, to get a move on. This is another nautical saying and comes from the times of the Men'o'War. When the cannon were loaded a small amount of powder was poured into the ignition hole near the base of the weapon. In order to keep the powder secure before firing, a crew member pushed one of their fingers into the hole. When the time came for ignition, the crewman was told to pull his finger out.
There was no evidence offered for this, personally I'm even less convinced of this than of my garbled, half rmembered mill version. I have emailed quinion and hopefully he will help, though I have never had a query investigated before.

EEk
"Here, you new guy. Come and stick your finger in this cannon." No wonder sailors are superstitious!!!

>>'pull' is French for 'sweater'

It is??

BYB I have to tell you I've never heard this before. Do you mean France French? A pull-over is un chandail. here in Québec.