NationStates Jolt Archive


Swearing in British Sign Language

Rambhutan
24-04-2008, 13:23
Being a big fan of Deadwood I set my PVR to record the entire second series as they show it on Sky 3 on freeview digital. However as I now sit down to watch it I realise that some of the episodes have a sign language interpreter on them (why they all don't is a mystery to me). Now for those unfamiliar with Deadwood the language is pretty colourful with such imaginative phrases as "Hoople headed cocksuckers" and "loopy cunts" featuring quite frequently. Yet for all the choice phrases being spoken the sign language interpreter seemed to be doing pretty much the same thing for the swearing. Was it being censored or is there a lack of swear words in sign language?
Lunatic Goofballs
24-04-2008, 13:28
As I've never seen the show and my sign language is quite rusty, I have nothing constructive to contribute and am at a loss for witty responses so I must resort to the following:

http://www.boomspeed.com/looonatic/finger.jpg

Sorry. :)
Rambhutan
24-04-2008, 13:33
As I've never seen the show and my sign language is quite rusty, I have nothing constructive to contribute and am at a loss for witty responses so I must resort to the following:

http://www.boomspeed.com/looonatic/finger.jpg

Sorry. :)

I can only say "cheese" and "woman" and I get those confused. Makes asking a deaf person for a sandwich fun.
Levee en masse
24-04-2008, 13:35
Being a big fan of Deadwood I set my PVR to record the entire second series as they show it on Sky 3 on freeview digital. However as I now sit down to watch it I realise that some of the episodes have a sign language interpreter on them (why they all don't is a mystery to me). Now for those unfamiliar with Deadwood the language is pretty colourful with such imaginative phrases as "Hoople headed cocksuckers" and "loopy cunts" featuring quite frequently. Yet for all the choice phrases being spoken the sign language interpreter seemed to be doing pretty much the same thing for the swearing. Was it being censored or is there a lack of swear words in sign language?

Not to sure. But I remember at school being taught how to sign "fuck off" by a classmate. It involved spelling "Fuck" and using the gesture for off. So I'd assume theer was no "fuck" or the classmate didn't know it.

I'd hazard a guess that like any language it has it's own slang and vulgarisms though
Barringtonia
24-04-2008, 13:36
I can't be bothered to find it but Rob Newman did a funny skit on why programs for the deaf are always on at 3am and his hypothesis was that it was all an IRA training program to make bombs while maintaining an air of innocence - it's from the 90's so it's probably not that funny anyway.

Hope that helps.
Rambhutan
24-04-2008, 13:38
Not to sure. But I remember at school being taught how to sign "fuck off" by a classmate. It involved spelling "Fuck" and using the gesture for off. So I'd assume theer was no "fuck" or the classmate didn't know it.

I'd hazard a guess that like any language it has it's own slang and vulgarisms though

They repeatedly used a gesture where the thumb and first finger of one hand formed a V and the first finger of the other hand was moved back and forth between them. I was guessing it meant fuck, and it was the one they seemed to use most of the time whatever was said on the screen.
Levee en masse
24-04-2008, 13:40
They repeatedly used a gesture where the thumb and first finger of one hand formed a V and the first finger of the other hand was moved back and forth between them. I was guessing it meant fuck, and it was the one they seemed to use most of the time whatever was said on the screen.

Perhaps because it is quicl. Not too sure.

Anyway a quick search turned up this (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a44172/kids-tv-host-accused-of-swearing-in-sign.html), which is vaguely on topic and funny.
Lunatic Goofballs
24-04-2008, 13:43
Another semi-contribution:

http://logo.cafepress.com/6/7767465.2529876.jpg

:)
Chumblywumbly
24-04-2008, 14:15
Now for those unfamiliar with Deadwood the language is pretty colourful with such imaginative phrases as “Hoople headed cocksuckers” and “loopy cunts” featuring quite frequently.
2,980 uses of the word ‘fuck’ in three series.

And one of the best god-damn, heathen, cocksuckin’ shows to grace our screens.
Rambhutan
24-04-2008, 14:22
2,980 uses of the word ‘fuck’ in three series.

And one of the best god-damn, heathen, cocksuckin’ shows to grace our screens.

True, so naturally it has been cancelled.
Chumblywumbly
24-04-2008, 14:27
True, so naturally it has been cancelled.
Yeah, and the follow-up films they were going to make are looking less and less likely. They pulled down the set a few months ago. :(
RhynoD
24-04-2008, 16:07
As I've never seen the show and my sign language is quite rusty, I have nothing constructive to contribute and am at a loss for witty responses so I must resort to the following:

http://www.boomspeed.com/looonatic/finger.jpg

Sorry. :)

Contrary to popular belief, the middle finger is not a formal "sign" in sign language. It is a gesture, and means the same thing in sign language as it does in English: the middle finger. Which if course has many meanings and connotations, but the middle finger does not literally mean "fuck you" in English, it means the middle finger. Incidentally, in Chinese sign languge, it means either man or woman (with a raised index finger meaning the other). The middle finger is not universal, go fig.

But yes, sign language does have swear words, or at least I know that one particular sign language has swear words (also contrary to popular belief, there is not one sign language: there is British Sign Language, American Sign Language, which is actually based on French Sign Language [which of course is based on French], Australian Sign language [Auslan], Russian, Chinese...The reason for this diversity is the same as the reason for diverse spoken languages, and before anyone suggests it, no, there is not a universal sign language, and one will probably never exist for the same reasons that a universal spoken language will probably never exist. It may be worth noting that there is not really a German Sign Language anymore as the Germans led the "Oralism" movement which attempted to outlaw sign language so that deaf people would be forced to learn lipreading). American Sign Language (ASL), the one I know, is used in the US and Canada. And it has swear words.

The difference between a sign swear word and, say, the middle finger, is the difference between saying "fuck you" in English and giving the middle finger: one is a specific sign or signifier within the language, and the other is an almost but not quite universal gesture that has a connotation and generally accepted definition of "fuck you." The ASL sign for "FUCK YOU" (the all-caps is for gloss, which I don't feel like trying to explain at the mo') is as follows:
Touch your middle finger to your neck just under your chin with your palm open but your fingers together (like this (http://www.fengshuimasters.org/image/hand_palm.gif) without the crazy nails. Your palm should be facing your chest). Swing your hand out along your chin (which inevitably involves a snoody raising of your chin) to somewhere about a 30 degree angle between your arm and your chest, but generally to wherever you feel like stopping. That sign literally translates as "fuck you" in English.

Not to be confused with "thank you (http://bullock.htmlplanet.com/asl.thankyou.gif)" which is very similar, except you touch your chin just below your mouth and swing out, rather than rub along the bottom of your chin.

The verb "to fuck" is exactly the same as to meet (http://www.signcanyou.com/signs/asl_sign_illustration_meet.gif) except with two fingers instead of one.
RhynoD
24-04-2008, 16:13
As for swear signs in British Sign, I'm not sure as I don't know it, but I'd be willing to bet they exist.
Tapao
24-04-2008, 17:23
There are quite a few in British Sign Language but there isnt a sign in BSL for 'hoopleheaded' which is probably why the interpreter had to go for the meaning than the actual words, if you see what I mean lol.

You can say anything in BSL that you can say in English, thats what my Interpreting teacher always tells me lol
Tapao
24-04-2008, 21:40
Another semi-contribution:

http://logo.cafepress.com/6/7767465.2529876.jpg

:)


Charming lol.

And yes there is a sign for 'fuck' - two in fact and no I'm not going to tell you them lol