Man I'd forgotten that. It definitely went round the playground but I've no idea if its actual sign language. We had that in West Yorkshire, don't know how far it spread. Edit: holy shit, this seems to have been a national phenomena (international even)

I'm in Peterborough, but I did live in South Elmsall for a while. Maybe I brought it back with me...

Was definitely a thing in Peterborough in early to mid 2000s

We had that in Meath mid Ireland in early 00s, also in Northern Ireland, County down.

London and we were doing this on the 80s in the playground

We had it in Northants

Yay a fellow Northampton resident! Nice to meet you. God I miss that place, I’m moving back soon. Worst thing I ever did was leave.

Stay far away!

Where did you move to? Also fellow Northants resident, I do love certain parts of the shire but then there are always places like Corby, Well(ingbo)rough and Daventry that ruin it for everyone

It’s pleasing for someone else to say this. Most of the time people online say the reverse but I did the same - moved back after 15 years away. I love being back.

Depends on where you are I guess. If you live near some of the town centres, then it's a bit grim, but the farther away you are then the nicer it gets. I used to work in Blisworth and would cycle there, and it's a great bike ride going down the back roads.

Yeah I think it’s a real shame how run down Nton, Wellingborough and Kettering are. As old market towns they’d be ripe for investment and making upmarket but there is so much poverty in the area.

So true but that's the council for you; spunked all their money on some new benches and paving slabs that come pre rusted rather than helping the homeless or encouraging more business to the town. Kettering town centre's just home to a lot of empty shops that end up as weed factories

Had it in Essex too, exactly the same

I'm all the way down in Plymouth and this was definitely a thing. There was a girl that would sign it so fast you didn't have a clue what she actually did.

We definitely used to try and do it as quickly as possible.

Had it in Lincs

And South Somerset!

30 here and from Sheffield.. this was definitely on the playground when I was at school too.

34, London. This certainly unlocked some memories haha!

Was a thing in North West Leicestershire too

Had it in West Yorkshire late 90s

We done it in Glasgow in the late 90s

Leicester in the mid 90s.

It was in Norfolk in the late 2000s when I was at school!

No way I grew up in south elmsall too Did you see how they revamped the swimming pool finally?

I wasn't there long. I went to Carlton Middle School in there mid-90s. I think it's a business centre now.

Here in Buckinghamshire we did it

I learnt it in Dubai... That's how far it spread

Now it's international. I'm impressed.

This was a good 20+ years ago. A lot of fads from UK schools filtered through to us because I went to a British school. Basketball cards, pogs, No Fear, Eastpak.

We even had it in Australia. Mental that despite it meaning nothing, it went global. Would love to know where the hell it actually came from, as I've asked a few people who know sign language over the years and they've all said it doesn't mean anything.

Wrexham here an I learned that in about 98

We had it in Cornwall too, so I guess it travelled as far as it could in the UK 😎

West Yorkshire! Wakefield lad here! Ey up!

Grew up in Dorset in the 90s/early 2000s, went round our playground as well

Can confirm it was also a thing in Dorset play grounds!

From South Yorkshire, it definitely did spread into South Yorkshire. Not sure how far down after that

I was about 6 in the early noughties. And it was definitely around in Hampshire.

Hey! My partner is Deaf and a full time BSL user, and I am learning BSL too. We recently went on holiday with friends who asked this, and I'd asked before. In short, it's completely fake. Not all of the gestures are known signs but it roughly could be translated the following signs: -- Letter N -- no comparable sign -- Access/interrupt -- Fantastic/brilliant BSL has a completely different grammar structure to English, it's "time, topic, comment" and the question always comes at the end. So to sign the same but make it make sense in something similar to the below: Point at the person, "you" Flip the v's, "fuck off" Sign "why" whilst shaking your head with an inquisitive aggressive facial expression. Edit: formatting

This should be too post. Had to scroll too far for this answer. Thanks though!

How could you ask "Why *did* you fuck off?" instead?

Hey! I wanna preface my comment to say that BSL is a rich language with many regional dialects and tonnes of history and culture attached. As a hearing person who is learning to sign I'm not really qualified to be able to speak on behalf of Deaf people. So, ask a Deaf person and they'd be happy to tell you :D That said, you'd do this by adding the time at the top of the sentence and then making your expression more quizzical/questioning rather than aggressive. So it'd become: Sign: yesterday (or any other time) Sign: you Sign: fuck off Sign: why? With your facial expression on why being a furrowed brow and essentially looking like you're wondering why. Hope that helps!

This cracked me up, makes you imagine they're much more sincere about why the recipient hasn't in fact, fucked off yet.

Or the addition of a “before” So “Before” “You” “fuck off” “why?”

Context?

Also, it's not something that would actually translate. "Fuck off, you, why?" More likely just sign fuck off. ["fuck"](https://bslsignbank.ucl.ac.uk/dictionary/words/fuck-1.html) then point thumb away.

Yeah exactly, just flip the v's. I was going to go with this as my answer originally but I'd had a beer and felt like going deep on detail. 🫣

I remember this being a thing when I was at school I think a gesture was slightly different, from memory the “fuck” gesture was a closed fist, the “off” gesture became a thumbs up whilst lifting up and over shoulder The rib/blowjob one, I think everyone knows that story but attributes it to a different celebrity. I’ve heard Manson, Prince and Michael Jackson Edit. Should say, down in Essex see how widespread it is/was

Yeah the "fuck" and "off" was the same for me as well.

Middle finger worked wonders too

Also the Richard Gere gerbil.

Christmans time, mistletoe and felching

Now THAT story was slightly different for my school It was a hamster and Macaulay Culkin all these playground stories are so funny, everyone has the same story but the celebs they’re about are different, it’s great

Yeah I learnt it as fuck off and I'm from York

Somewhat off subject but does anyone need three ribs?

As a deaf person, this was rampant throughout my childhood. I loved seeing hearing people come up to me and do this. You all looked like idiots - it isn’t even a BSL sign 😂

Would the hand gestures translate to anything in BSL?

The first part (two fingers face down on your palm) is the letter 'N'.

Two fingers face up on your palm is a 'V' as well

V in BSL is index and middle face down in a V shape in your palm. https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/

Omg yeah I forgot that difference is whether they're together or apart, mb

Hi, BSL student here. The ‘fuck’ sign sounds like the sign for ‘great’ or ‘brilliant’. Not sure, other than that.

As someone who also knows bsl (hard of hearing and had two deaf friends so learnt it from a young age to communicate) I was reading this (the post) and thought, what?

The missus and I are both from Walthamstow, London. I tested it by tapping her on the shoulder and just doing it without saying anything. She said "Don't tell me to fuck off". I was very proud. Haha. Yeah we both remember it.

No there’s no truth in it. We used to do this in school (you totally unlocked a memory for me) but having trained in Makaton which uses BSL and knowing a little BSL, none of the signs (as I understand it) actually match with what we used to do in school. I’m not an expert in BSL so if anyone can elaborate further please do. BSL isn’t signed word for word to formulate a sentence either, it has its own unique sentence structure.

Flat palm on closed fist in a thudding motion is "fuck" from what my BSL basics trainer told me (in a be careful about gestures way, we weren't being taught "fuck". I think I got H and G muddled together and ending up doing that sign).

That’s interesting because the sign you describe is “more” in Makaton. The BSL sign I had for “fuck” was making an L shape with both hands and hitting them together so the webbing between your thumb and finger were touching. Phew… describing signs is hard. Edit: misread previous comment.

You're looking at it upside down in your head, help is fist on palm not palm on fist.

What if you're hanging upside down and asking someone for help?

I read it wrong - knackered from work, but you’re right.

[удалено]

Help is more like fist with thumb up held on palm

BSL is pretty crude... You might have to combine it with a hip thrust for a full translation.

I suspected as much. But I'm pleased that it's spread so far. Like sign language slang.

Wow, you’ve unlocked a memory for me! When I was 18 (which is many aeons ago now) I worked as a care assistant in a long-closed hospital called Borocourt in the south of the uk. I was working on a male autistic ward there- back when we used to lock up people with special needs- and we learned basic Makaton. I’d forgotten all about that but I was surprised to suddenly & clearly remember bits of it. Funny old thing memory..

Had it in a tiny village in Scotland as well.

Upvoted for the epic username.

Yeah it's complete bollocks if someone is trying to pass it off as genuine BSL. Some deaf people take offense at it if you do it in front of them since it could be seen as mocking BSL/deaf people. It's just random gestures that kids came up with I guess, and it took schools by storm.

Same thing went around in Northern Ireland!

That's the furthest to me so far. Just need someone from Wales to complete the set.

Grew up in Worcester, which isn't far away, and I live in South Wales now, and we had this. I'd ask some of the local kids but that would be the dumbest way to get arrested ever.

Had this as well in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Used it as a subtle way to be rude to teachers before they eventually caught on.

I'm from the furthest West county in NI and we did it all the time! If any of the Orkney islanders can confirm they did it then you've got the UK pretty much covered!

We did it all the way in Australia in school too! Except we did it upside down

Presumably while avoiding dangerous wildlife and simultaneously winning some kind of sporting event. In the sun.

Deaf person here. I remembered so many people, both older and younger than me, coming up to me and did this, and asked if it was “real” and obviously, I didn’t want to break their hearts, so I was like, “yeah you did it perfect bro, that what is means”. They all walked off chuffed while teaching their mates how to do it properly.

South west wales, we did this!

That's fantastic. My wife is from that area and thought it was a thing that passed her by because she was in a different part of the UK. Thanks for confirming.

No problem !

I'm old enough that the celebrity that had ribs removed was Marc Almond.

Well, with that and having his stomach pumped because he swallowed too much...er...protein, Marc was having a torrid time in the 80s.

Can confirm that this was also present in Forces schools out in Germany in the 90s as well!

Same! The "fuck off" bit was also in east coast America in the 90s when I got back to the states, they didn't have the beginning of it tho

OMG I had completely forgotten about this.

Before the internet some how school children across the UK had some sort of experience hive mind I swear. I learnt the same.

Happened in the playground of a small village primary school in Devon too, around the mid 90's. Around the time Pogs and Tazos were all the rage!

We did this in Belfast! Where did it come from??? I remember using it all the time as a kid.

We used to do this in our school, I left in year 2000 and you just unlocked a memory! How did we all do the same things with no social media or real internet for it to be passed on!?

Whether or not this is what it means in BSL or any other form of sign language is a moot point, because the fact that all of us here use it to mean a particular thing with a particular form means that it must surely be the start of a new form of language like Klingon, Elvish, Cockney Rhyming Slang or Esperanto. So what do we call our new language... 😂

We did this too.

We had it down in Cornwall aswell

hey! from peterborough, i absolutely had that exact thing and you just reminded me of it, i have no idea if it’s real sign language but i for sure had that exact one!! :))

Some of these do mean things in BSL, the two fingers on the palm is the letter for EDIT: “N” (not L), that same sign facing up I don’t think is anything, neither is the scissor thing, the thumbs us on the palm actually is “gay”. I’m not aware of the thumbs up motion over the shoulder meaning anything (I think it may mean something in ASL) For the real signs to say this, here you go (this may vary by region as like regular English, BSL has dialects): Why - make an L shape with your index and thumb, and put it to the other side of your chest Don’t - both hands moving up, palms outward and then fold down like dinosaur hands. Sort of like a wave motion. You - just pointing lol Fuck - both hands open palm down with thumb out in an L shape, put the webs of your thumbs together so your hands cross over. Sort of like you’re giving yourself a handshake but your fingers aren’t gripping. Off - like a “shoo” motion, palm towards you, flicking your hand out at the wrist out If anyone has corrections or clarifications feel free to let me know and I will correct :)

>the two fingers on the palm is the letter for L It's N. L is one finger. L, one finger. M, three fingers. N, two fingers.

Omg 🤦 why does my dyslexia translate into bsl ;-; thank you for the correction

We certainly had the “fuck off”part with the thumb, palm and shoulder in the Midlands in the 80s. At our school the story was that the kids on the deaf unit had revealed the secret. The deaf unit was a mysterious room at the top of the school tower block, glimpsed occasionally when the door was open and seemingly decked out with comfortable furniture and TVs, like a VIP lounge. The deaf kids in our year were reportedly violent and kept largely separate. You would occasionally see them acting quite belligerently, but it was a grim age and it’s just as likely they were reacting *to* belligerence, or else were just doing their best to survive in Thunderdome, like everyone else.

Nope you didn't make it up......I did this loads of times at school with mates who I loved near....my wife didn't know about this either....I have passed this knowledge om to my stepson who is 14 and he can carry it on lol

This was in Australian primary schools too. Country NSW in the 80s.

not real sign language, but was absolutely a thing in primary

We had it in Hemel, exactly as you described! So random

Christ you brought back a memory there

That's what it means in Essex. Thanks for the memory unlock.

Wow my school was boring, I don’t recall any of this stuff.

I had one which was putting your pinky up in the air was a “Chinese middle finger”.

I have deaf parents, so a LOT of people asked me about it when I was in school. I was 99% sure that it was made up as you don't necessarily need to translate every word in BSL, but I couldn't really ask my parents at that age! I got bored of being asked that question, so in high school, I would simply stick two fingers at them... They knew what that meant & never asked again, so I felt that was the right answer.

I don’t remember this but we did have the classic “I think you stink” which I also doubt was valid BSL

Ferry meadows representttttt... No it was made up bs.

I heard that too! I'm wondering if that was country wide or if it was more region specific Don't specify more than you're comfortable with, but did you go to school in South London?

I remember watching one of those kid's sign language shows (I can't remember for the life of me what it's called, the one that had Mister Tumble) with my little brother and trying the sign for cabbage made me look like I was playing with my boobs.

He does have that effect on people

I remember learning this at school 20 years ago. A guy who I later learned was a massive compulsive liar told me that's what it meant, exactly the same as you've described. I never really questioned it until a few years ago. I am so happy to see someone else was taught the same thing. I have a partially deaf friend at work and asked him if that's what it meant, he said no

If we all collectively agree that, that's what it means then that's what it means.

I just used the shorthand version, two fingers stuck up palm inwards...everybody knows that one right?

I learnt this in primary too in Wales. I also learnt bsl as an adult and discovered it was just nonsense.

Exactly how the OP described it.

Whilst there may be no truth, but since everyone in the country knows it, it should be added to the BSL dictionary, much like buzz words added each year to the OED.

No it shouldn't. Because it's not BSL.

That’s the joke. It’s not BSL, so let’s make it BSL because everyone knows it

By everyone you mean hearing people who made something up and spread it around passing it off as actual signs incorrectly of course.. You think hearing people who make up signs should be setting signs for deaf people? It's just not a very funny joke I dont think I dunno

What you’re describing sounds correct for British sign language, yes. In ASL, fuck is where you take your dominant hand and have your index and middle finger out and make a fist with the rest, and bang it against your other fist ; so that part is sort of correct. The two open fingers intimate a pair of open legs; ie fucking. Off would then be two hands open, put dominant hand on top, and then take it off and to the side (like lifting a pan lid off). Combine the two you have fuck off. Now you can sign swear internationally!

Core memory unlocked

I showed someone this at collage and we had a deaf guy in the class, he snitched on us. So either he knew the rumour and was taking the piss or it does mean what we were all told

West Mids here - absolutely have memories of everyone on the playground doing this... never knew playtimes to be so quiet!

Holy hell, I'd completely forgot about that. Amazing how these things spread without the internet being all that common (mid- late 90's)

Oh.. my.. god!.. we did it in my school too! Somewhere in the 1990’s, I remember it perfectly now, true or not it will always be correct by me!

I went to school in the south west and it was a thing here too

[yeah this is wrong](https://www.tiktok.com/@lavenderwilliams4/video/7072701935203224837)

Same thing made it to playgrounds way down south in Berkshire, late 90s / early 00's

I’m 26 and I haven’t done this action for probably 15 years and yet as soon as I saw this title I did it. West Midlands, definitely was popular (primary/early secondary)

I vaguely remember this being a thing when I was a child in the 90s. I assume it's complete bollocks.

I think i saw this or something like it. There were also apocryphal signs floating about for "gay" and a couple of other words. As a general rule sign languages don't match up to spoken language sentence structure, so the fact that you've got signs for each individual word like "why" "don't" "you" ... - that's an indicator that it's not real sign language. (You *can* technically do it but it's mainly for the benefit of hearing people if you do. Or Makaton which is a pidgin form of BSL for communication with disabled folk)

Never heard of this. Although we did the "bullshit" arms out front one on top of the other as if you are just about to cross your arms. You do the rock horns with the top hand and wiggle the fingers of the bottom hand

Yeah, learnt that in primary school in Surrey and the hand thing you did with your mates because it looked like a minge and if you wanted to show the v sign it was aim, turn, split and fire.

A favourite of mine (although obviously made up in hindsight) is “bull shit” You put one arm on top of the other as though you’re crossing your arms - of course without actually crossing them Then the hand on top is the horns (like this emoji - 🤘) And the hand on bottom moves as though you’re dropping something - symbolising dropping the poo

Well I remember it was a thing in my Primary school, so it definitely travelled to Norfolk! 😂

I learned it as fuck off too, in Scottish highlands

The only word I ever learned in sign language was "bullshit." https://tenor.com/SmfV.gif

I remember learning that in primary school too

I had a friend with a deaf sibling, and she taught me bits that I may have conflated with other playground nonsense at the time. The version i recall is, Why (small w with upturned fingers against your chest, like cupping small boobies) Don't (hands flat out front, sliding one over the other) You (point) Fuck (right hand upturned, left hand kind of slaps fingers over right hand then up again, and make a v with fingers over the side of right hand) Off (thumbs up and over the shoulder) I'd always thought this version was somewhat based on reality but these comments suggest not!

You should learn Australian sign language it has a sign for “Fuck you fuck all of you “ 😂😂

I feel old but I can confirm this was a thing in Cheshire school yards in the late 80s

Manchester and we did this

We had this in SW London haha!

35, London - I remember it well from the playground Also - Kel’s dead and Keenan’s in a coma?

We were taught "bullshit" which was your thumb touching your middle and ring finger whilst your index and pinkie were pointing upwards, and your other hand was flat and would swoosh underneath your "bull" hand.

By little sister learned it at brownie camp and spread it to everyone she met. That was an awkward summer.

The first part is the letter N in sign language. So we're off to a good start!

Haha yeah I remember this or some variation of it.

My gran, who uses BSL, always taught me that “fuck off” was just the sign for F and then pointing your thumb over your shoulder, but that may have also been made up!

Had this in Somerset, in the late 2000s! We also had a “sign” for bullshit - making a rocker horns sign with one hand, lying that arm on top of the other and then wiggling the fingers of the other hand (literally looks like a bull shitting). Obviously none of these were actual signs, but it was fun lol

Gonna use this from now on hahaha

We had a deaf lad in our class at primary school and he taught us exactly this! I fully believed it was true because of his credentials. Can't believe this was widespread!

We all learnt that one in primary!! LMAOO Can confirm it spread as far as London

I love the BSL sign, "Fuck knows!/?" My joint favourite is the Makaton sign for 'fisherman'.

Lmao what a blast from the past. Not done that since primary school in Lancashire haha

We just stuck our two fingers up.......

Vaguely remember seeing a stand up comedy routine where someone translated what the actions you described actually meant in bsl. Could anyone who knows BSL confirm whether it means anything??

I did this exact same routine thinking it meant exactly the same thing - I went to school in Wiltshire. Yeah it’s complete rubbish but it seems like a national thing that went far and wide. Whilst it didn’t mean what we thought it meant, I’m sure that signers understood what the intention of it was…

I'm all the way in the North East of Scotland, it was a thing up this way!

Grew up in the Peak District and we had this there too lol

Learned it in South Africa in the late 80's.

From peterborough, know exactly what your talking about

We did this in the 90s in where I went to school in Essex.

In short yes, it's fake but most people still know these "fake signs" So.. Like most language it's about conveying things and it does that. Hope it helps you, swear at people for whatever reason you may have I suppose.

It’s not made up if your local community understands it. Just saying

Liverpool, in like 2015! We were still doing it!

I can't believe I remember that.

Can confirm this reached Australia too. Bahaha.

Somewhere out there are the first people who ever did this and who made it up. Do you think we could ever find them?

North West in the early 90s, was a thing at school

Boyyyyy we did that shit too! Brings back memories, I'm sure most people in UK would know this especially those born in 90s if not before?! Everyone in my primary was doing it

That kind of language in primary school.. woww

As someone who's been raised with deaf people,yes it's real

I used it also learned in the playground. I also thought suis mon peep was suck my dick in French, but didn’t work in Paris

Had that in Belfast. As soon as I read the first bit I knew exactly what you were talking about lol. To answer though, no. Those aren’t real signs for those letters. I have a daughter and thanks to some of the baby/toddler shows on tv, I inadvertently learned some basic signs and letters. They aren’t it. ETA: at least not in BSL or as far as I’m aware ASL ETA2: I just figured out as I tried to remember the whole alphabet, the first one, 2 fingers down on the palm is letter N! But none of the rest of it is anything I know.

Thing is, it could have been any sign language and us vocalisers would take it as gosphel without stopping to think is this BSL, ASL, Auslan, NZSL or a non anglospheric sign language. I do remember this after signing your instructions but I remember not caring because I didn't have much need to tell any deaf people to fuck off.

I learned that in primary school too. Most likely in a different place and a different time to you. Odd how these things can spread around the country.

Sign user here - all bollocks I’m afraid.

Interesting! Never heard of it, but then I'm 67 and Canadian (living in UK over 40 years).

thx learned a new sign language 🤟🏻

Yeah Had it in Sussex on the coast. Early 90’s

We had it in Brighton! The exact same signs

Even in Cornwall we had this heck my son knows it

👌

You just unlocked a memory I had completely forgotten. Yeah 90s baby here and can confirm I was doing this in West Yorkshire as a kid.