What do you say to someone who swears in BSL?

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.

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'

absent - try to think where you left it last.

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!"

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

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!)

I would love to learn BSL

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.

Disapproving

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

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!

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.

Do gestures however rude, actually constitute swearing??

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.

What would be the point of saying anything?

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

That's very funny, jingl!

Are you bored tonight jings?

British Sign language

I was just about to ask the same.

BSL?