Webmaster's note: In the summer of 2005 I spent 6 weeks in London learning BSL, I was extremely confused about the differences between Great Britain, United Kingdom, and England. Here is an attempt at a clarification: If you look at the map above, you will see two huge islands side by side. The western island is Ireland; the eastern island is Great Britain. Ireland is composed of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to the south, the latter is not part of the United Kingdom and has its own webpage. Great Britain is composed of England, Scotland, and Wales. The indenting below follows these distinctions.
- Britain (Great Britain)
- (1) (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, are held at waist level and move up and down. For an animated gif of this sign, see
BristishSignLanguage.com - Britain. (< HERE or "it rains a lot".) (2) G-B in British fingerspelling2, that is, (2h)[S], DH strikes NDH on thumb side from above with little finger side.3
- ENGLAND (England)
- (2h)[1], POs > signer, but forming right
angles so that FTs can point outward diagonally. DH slides its index finger
along NDH's index several times.4 (< the
index finger is an "E" in British fingerspelling.) For an animated gif of
this sign, see
BritishSignLanguage.com - England. Please note: The sign [bC] or [bC
dot], PO towards, FO > NDS, strikes chin is not used in BSL, although I
have seen it reported as such.
- Bath
- [bO], PO up, FO away, pill rolls similar to the
hearing gesture for cash.6
- Birmingham
- [B], PO > NDS, FO up, opens and closes
like "yakity yak", while moving > DS across mouth.6
- Blackpool
- [A], FO up, rubs palm from ear to chin once.7 (< BLACK.)
- Bradford
- (2h)[O^], touch FTs + (2h)[H], POs down, FTs place
DH nails on top of NDH nails.6 (< B-F.)
- Brighton
- Shake out [5] hand limply.4
- Bristol
- [L^] moves diagonally down > NDS, as if putting a
pump nozzle in the gas line opening.6
(< PETROL.)
- Cambridge
- [bC], PO away, FO up + (2h)[H], POs ><, FOs away,
moves away in an upward arc.6 (< C + BRIDGE.)
- Carlisle
- [V], PO down, touches forearm PO down, and moves
up in short start and stop motions.4
- Cornwall
- [bC], PO away, FO up, + [B], PO away, FO up,
descends.6 (< C + WALL.)
- Doncaster
- [C] touches FTs to NDS shoulder, then DS hip.8
- Derby
- [bC] strikes [1], PO > DS, FO up, twice.9 (< D-D.)
- Derbyshire (county)
- [bC] strikes [1], PO > DS, FO up +
THEREABOUTS.9 (< D-D.)
- Dorset (county)
- [bC] strikes [1], PO > DS, FO up, twice.9 (< D-D.)
- Durham
- (2h)[V: or 3:], POs down, FOs away, DH is held
higher.6 (< logo of university
there)
- Essex (county)
- (1) [W], PO > signer, FO > NDS, sweeps
from shoulder area to shoulder area but away from body in an upward
arc. (< Essex coat of arms that shows three scimitars. See Essex
coat
of arms.) (2) [1] touches index finger of [5], PO away, FO up +
(2h)[1], FOs diagonally up, cross at midfingers.6
- Exeter (also Leeds)
- (2h)[bC], POs down, FOs away, descend
slightly twice.4
- Gatwick Airport
- (2h)[S], POs ><, FOs away, DH strikes
NDH from above + (2h)[5], FOs diagonally up, interlink FTs + [Y], PO
down, lands on upturned palm.6 (<
G-W and AIRPORT.)
- Hampshire (county)
- (2h)[B], DH PO down, FO away, slides
across upturned palm of NDH + (2h)[I], NDH PO up, DH PO down, cross at
midfingers.9 (< H-S.)
- Hertfordshire (county)
- (1) (2h)[5:], touch thumbs to
temples and sweep up and out like antlers + [5], PO down, FO away,
circles horizontally. (< the Hertfordshire coat of arms, which
shows two standing harts and one recumbent on a shield. See Civic heraldry of
England and Wales-Hertfordshire.) (2) (2h)[B], DH PO down, FO
away, slides across upturned palm of NDH 2x.6 (< H-H.)
- High Wycombe
- (1h) or (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs up, move
upwards + (2h)[5], FOs diagonally up, interlink FTs twice.6 (< HIGH and W-W.)
- Ipswich
- [open 8], PO away, FO up, repeated closes to an
[8].6
- Lancaster
- [1], PO down, FO away, strikes palm of [B], PO
up, FO > DS + [bC], PO away, FO up. (< L-C.)
- Leeds
- (2h)[bC], POs down, FOs away, descend slightly
twice.4
- Liverpool
- [L], PO > NDS, FO away, twists repeatedly at
wrist.4
- London
- [1] circles ear.4
(< NOISE) For a film of this sign, go to DictionaryOfSign.com: BSL, London.
- Brixton
- (2h)[O^], touch FTs + (2h)[1], FOs
diagonally up, cross at midfingers.6 (< B-X.)
- Catford
- FT of [B] stroke corner of mouth but flexing,
leaving the PO undisturbed.6 (<
CAT.)
- City AIrport
- (2h)[1], POs ><, FOs up, alt. rise and
fall (showing tall buildings) + [Y], PO down, lands on upturned
palm.6 (< signed literally.)
- Clapham
- [bC], PO away, FO up, moves forward then > DS
the forward again.9 (< C-C.)
- Covent Garden
- [bC] + [Bb] strikes thumb side at
NDS collar bone.6 (< "C" +
GARDEN.)
- Heathrow Airport
- (1) (2h)[B], DH PO down, FO away,
slides across upturned palm of NDH twice + [Y], PO down, lands on
upturned palm.6 (2) (2h)[B], DH
PO down, FO away, slides across upturned palm of NDH + (2h)[5], FOs
diagonally up, interlink FTs + [Y], PO down, lands on upturned
palm. (< H-H or H-W and AIRPORT.)
- Islington
- [open 8], PO away, FO up, repeated closes to
an [8].3
- King's Cross
- [5:] strikes head at DS + (2h)[1], POs
><, FOs up make an "X".6 (<
KING + X.)
- Lewisham
- [L], PO > NDS, FO away, twists repeatedly at
wrist.9
- Notting Hill
- [H], PO down, FO away, strikes palm of
[B], PO up, FO > DS twice + [B], PO diagonally down, FO diagonally
away, hands moves up diagonally.6
(< N-N + HILL.)
- Paddington
- [bO], PO > NDS, FO up, strikes FT of [1],
PO > DS, FO up + index finger touches thumb of [5], PO away, FO up
+ [bC] strikes [1], PO > DS, FO up twice.9 (< P-A-D-D.)
- Soho
- [A], FO up, rubs palm from ear to chin once.7 [< PROSTITUTE. Old sign, not used
much anymore, since the area was cleaned up.]
- Stratford (not "on Avon")
- [I], PO T, FO up, circles
CCW and strikes chin 2x.6
- Uxbridge
- [1] touches little finger of [5], PO away, FO
up + (2h)[1], FOs diagonally up, cross at midfingers + [B^] arcs
over [B], PO down, FO > DS.6 (<
U-X + BRIDGE.)
- Victoria
- [bX], PO > NDS, FO up, makes small horizontal
circles.6 (< Queen Victoria's
habit of waving to the crowd with a handkerchief.)
- Waterloo
- [bO] or [F], PO > face, FO up, strokes side
of mouth horizontally + L-O-O, but using the one-handed alphabet,
like we have in America.6 (<
WATER + ASL L-O-O.)
- Westminster Abbey
- (2h)[B], held in roof position, hinge
out and in 2x + [1] touches thumb of [5], PO away, FO up + (2h)[O^],
taps FTs together + [1] touches index finger of [5], PO away, FO up
+ Index finger touches dorsal side (back hand) of NDH [B], PO away,
FO up, whre index finger and thumb join and then the index travels
downwards.6 (<
ROOF + BSL spelling of "Abbey".)
- White Chapel
- [8] touches chest, then moves away while
opening + (2h)[B], press palms together, FOs up, move slightly to
and fro.6 (< WHITE and CHAPEL.)
- Long Eaton
- (2h)[A], POs ><, FOs away, DH is behind NDH
and both separate along their common line + [1] touches FT of [1].9 (< LONG and "E".)
- Luton
- [L], PO away, FO up.9 (< American "L".)
- Midlands (central counties of England)
- [open 8] taps
upturned palm of [B].4 (< primary
meaning of "middle.")
- Newcastle
- (2h)[V], POs ><, FOs up, fingers move to a
peak while wg.6 (< CASTLE.)
- Nottingham
- [H], PO down, FO away, circles upturned palm
and lands as [M].9 (< slight varient
of N-M.)
- Oxford
- Index finger touches ring finger of [5] with ring
finger extended + (2h)[1], POs ><, FOs up make an "X".6 (< BSL fingerspelling O-X.)
- Peterborough
- [1], PO down, FO > NDS, circles twice under
nose and strikes it at the top of its circle.4 (< the primary meaning of "posh.")
- Plymouth
- [bO], PO > NDS, FO up, strikes FT of [1], PO > DS,
FO up + [V:] circles mouth with FTs.6 (< P ORAL.)
- Sheffield
- (2h)[H], FOs diagonally away, FOs ><, DH saws
at NDH from above.4 (< the primary
meaning of "cutlery", which is manufacture there.)
- Stanstead Airport
- (2h)[I], NDH PO up, DH PO down, cross at
midfingers twice + [Y], PO down, lands on upturned palm.6 (< S-S and AIRPORT.)
- Wolverhampton
- [5^] is held at nose and moves diagonally
down while closing to an [O^].4 (<
the primary meaning of "wolf.")
- SCOTLAND (Alba)
- [S] arm is held with elbow at side with
fist close to chest and arm squeezes against chest 2x as if playing
bagpipes.4 (< bagpipes.) For an animated
gif of this sign, see
BritishSignLanguage.com -Scotland.
- Edinburgh
- E-D, that is, [1] touches index finger of
[5], PO > DS, FO up, then [bC] touches root and tip of index finger of
[5], PO > DS, FO up.2&6
- Glasgow
- (2h)[S], DH strikes NDH on thumb side from
above with little finger side + [5] smacks palm against knuckles of [S]
from the DS.6 (< British
fingerspelling G and almost a W, except a pun is made on the fact that
two fighters knock heads is called "a Glasgow kiss.")
- WALES (Cymru)
- (1) [W:], PO > NDS, FO up, is held on DS and
descends slightly. For an animated gif of this sign, see
BritishSignLanguage.com - Wales. (2) [W], PO away, FO up, is
held on NDS and descends slightly while bending FT.4 (3) [W], PO > signer, touches chin at
FTs and moves away from signer.1
- Cardiff
- (1) [C], PO > NDS, FO away, taps upturned
palm of [B] twice.4
- Swansea
- [H dot], is held at mouth and opens and closes
like a beak.4 (< BSL sign for
"swan.")(2) C-F, that is, [bC], PO away, FO up, then (2h)[N], POs
down, FOs diagonally away, DH strikes NDH from above.2&6
- NORTHERN IRELAND (Ulster)
- (1) [Bb], PO > NDS, FO up, moves upwards + [V:], PO down, FO away, taps on [S], PO down, FO away.4 (< BSL modulated sign for NORTH and POTATO.) (2) [Bb], PO > NDS, FO up, moves upwards + [3:], PO down, FO away, circles above [S], PO down, FO > DS, and lands.5 (< BSL modulated sign for NORTH and POTATO.) (3) N-I in British fingerspelling, that is, [H] slaps underside of FT against upturned palm + index finger touches middle finger of [open 8].2&5 (4) [Bb], PO > NDS, FO up, moves upwards + [8] held at shoulder blade moves away slightly and flicks up to [open 8] several times.5 (< BSL modulated sign for NORTH and SHAMROCK. The older version of this signs had the handshape change from [O] to [W], which makes more sense in terms of the shape of a shamrock. Some Northern Irish don't like the sign because they say it looks like you're "flicking away fleas", but it has not been generally rejected.)
- Belfast
- (1) (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, are held at
waist level and move up and down. For an animated gif of this sign,
see
BristishSignLanguage.com - Britain. (< HERE or "it rains a
lot".) (2) (2h)[O^] knock FT together + (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, are
held at waist level and move up and down.5 (< British B + HERE or "it rains a
lot".) (3) (2h)[8], POs > signer, FOs ><, touch chest with middle FTs
and flick against chest moving towards (not away from) respective sides.10