[sw-l] Guidelines for Dictionary Editors ;-)

[Trevor Jenkins]

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004, Sandy Fleming <sandy at FLEIMIN.DEMON.CO.UK> wrote:

> But I always get this phenomenon in real life where people ask me how to
> sign things and all they really want to know is rude signs. You try to teach
> them a variety of signs, but a week later all they can remember are the rude
> ones. And they'r teaching them to everyone else. Eventually every hearing
> person in the room knows how to swear at me but still can't communicate...!

As a hearing person learning BSL I would love to know the rude signs. Not
because I want to use them but exactly the opposite --- I don't want to
use them. Most of my work in is education (I work as a CSW in a 6th form
college *) or in religious settings so profanity is unacceptable. In
church we have had to have some of our signers give the "finger" because
the sermon included jokes about the "Hawaiian good luck sign". Though of
course to us BSL-users that isn't a problem because of that handshape's
use in the northern sign for holiday. :-) One of my church colleagues has
also been reprimanded by a visiting Deaf person for using the normally
acceptable sign of a 5-hand under the armpit. (In context it was the
correct sign to have use but the visitor didn't think even such a mild
sign should be used in a religious context.)

At the very start of this academic year I did need some more flavoursome
signs. In the child development class where I support a teenage student
discussion ranged to under-age sex, paedophilia, and rape! Not really the
stuff for a middle-aged man to be signing to a 16-year old girl but my job
is give the Deaf student equal access to the lesson with the hearing
students who, of course, participated in the discussion with great gusto.
Though even that's not the worst language I've had to communicate for
older students in the same college.

Learning rude signs would help me not to use them inadvertently.

> So without being a prude, I'll build up a substantial dictionary of really
> useful signs before even beginning to think of starting an online version of
> the "What's the sign for b......t?" club!  :)

When I learnt Swedish the beginner's dictionaries did not include swear
words or even risque words. It was only 16 years later that I picked up a
dictionary of swear words and slang, which had only then been published.
Okay so my Swedish dictionary for immigrants did include some milder
colloquialisms but nothing "choice".

So please please put in all the useful signs before you pander to the
whims of hearies who think it's smart to swear in a foreign language. By
the way, did you see this week's episode of Green Wing? ;-)

(*) Sandy will know what CSWs and 6th form colleges are but just in case
others do not ... a CSW is a Communication Support Worker --- think of us
as doing the work of sign language interpreters but without the breadth of
BSL vocabulary, formal interpreter training, etc --- and a 6th form
college equivalent to sophomore and senior years of a American high
school.

Regards, Trevor

<>< Re: deemed!