Fw: [USA-L News] British Deaf Association in controversial posterdrive

[Bencie Woll]

Since the advert is British, I thought I'd better enter the discussion.
As Adam and Des have reported for Auslan, he handshape with
extended middle finger is indeed found in a number of signs in
BSL: HOLIDAY, SILLY, LAZY/IDLE. There is some discussion of
this handshape in Sutton-Spence & Woll (1999) The Linguistics of
BSL: an introduction (Cambridge University Press). In IDLE, there
is (as in Auslan) a small bouncing movement (which should
probably be described as a 'hold' in phonological terms). It should
also be noted that the extendedmiddle finger 'rude' gesture is new
and rare in Britain (and is certainly imported from the USA). As the
others have said, the V handshape, with palm facing towards the
body and with a sharp upward movement is the equivalent
indigenous gesture, and is often described by (hearing) Britons as
'giving the V'. The shock effect (while recognisable to the public)  of
the advert is therefore much weaker than it would be in the USA.