Gransnet forums

Chat

What do you say to someone who swears in BSL?

(22 Posts)
j08 Thu 08-Aug-13 22:05:25

Watch your language.

Marelli Thu 08-Aug-13 22:07:06

BSL? confused

merlotgran Thu 08-Aug-13 22:08:22

I was just about to ask the same.

vegasmags Thu 08-Aug-13 22:09:22

British Sign language

Ella46 Thu 08-Aug-13 22:11:30

grin Are you bored tonight jings?

Ana Thu 08-Aug-13 22:13:18

That's very funny, jingl! grin

Marelli Thu 08-Aug-13 22:16:07

Ah!! I suppose you'd answer them according to how you felt, jings. smile

absent Thu 08-Aug-13 22:23:30

What would be the point of saying anything?

vegasmags Thu 08-Aug-13 22:24:43

It's perfectly possible to swear in BSL - there are videos on youtube which demonstrate this well. I don't want to put a link in as several are extremely rude, but you can easily track them down.

gracesmum Thu 08-Aug-13 22:27:42

Do gestures however rude, actually constitute swearing??

absent Thu 08-Aug-13 22:30:34

gracesmum BSL is technically a language, just like French or Arabic, so it is perfectly possible to swear in sign language (British, American or other) just as it's perfectly possible ask if someone takes milk in their tea. It is not simply a series of gestures mimicking English.

Galen Thu 08-Aug-13 22:40:03

I've had claimants swearing in BSL in tribunals. The interpreters normally tone it down, but I understand a little and am fairly fluent in finger spelling!

gillybob Thu 08-Aug-13 22:47:39

When I was young one of my best friends brother was profoundly deaf and dumb. He was a lovely (popular) lad. At home they had a telephone with a flashing light and P had been taught to say "all out" when the phone rang. What his parents didn't know was that we also taught him he also learnt to say two words before that, sounding something like Fook off, all out grin

Galen Thu 08-Aug-13 22:50:40

Disapprovinggrin

whenim64 Thu 08-Aug-13 23:13:56

Ask where they learned to swear. Deaf culture is rather cut and dried in expression, and profoundly deaf people pick up language from each other that can be quite blunt.

LizG Thu 08-Aug-13 23:44:58

I would love to learn BSL

PRINTMISS Fri 09-Aug-13 08:16:07

When I ran a club for people with learning disabilities, we had a lovely Downs Syndrome young man, whose mother and father were deaf and dumb. David did not speak, but could hear a little and had picked up the 'V' sign from somewhere, he could use it very appropriately in some cases. His Dad was very concerned about this (we had a good rapport), and told me so, I just very innocently said 'I have no idea what it means', and he looked at me incredulously, but it stopped the conversation in it's tracks. Our son, who does not speak, (makes lots of noise,)can say the word b****r perfectly (he also used to use the one finger sign, seems to have forgotten that now!)

LizG Fri 09-Aug-13 08:38:52

Reading that PRINTMISS I obviously know more BSL than I had realised grin

feetlebaum Fri 09-Aug-13 08:43:17

I used to work with a musician whose parents had both been deaf and mute, so naturally he was adept at BSL. We met a signer in a Manchester pub, and a lively silent conversation ensued. Suddenly my chum burst out laughing. He explained "He's just said he's sorry for slurring his signs, only he's a bit pissed!"

j08 Fri 09-Aug-13 10:00:04

absent - try to think where you left it last.

ninathenana Fri 09-Aug-13 11:47:46

DD and I are booked on a BSL course for early years in November as DGS has SP and at 17mths does not speak.
My friend annoyed me the other day by asking if he'd ever talk.

Ummm, 'how long is a piece of string'

dorsetpennt Sat 10-Aug-13 09:39:33

Well only someone else who uses BSL would be affected so I wouldn't worry. My GD , now 4, used to say Oh my God before she was 2 - totally my fault.