There was a group of people speaking (is speaking the right verb? If not, what is?) sign language and blocking the door to the subway station. I found myself trying to remember the sign for "Excuse me" so I could ask them nicely to move. Then I realized that if I could get their attention to sign at them, I wouldn't need to ask them to move because they'd see me trying to come through the door.
It then occurred to me that that would also apply for the "Please give me your attention" meaning of "Excuse me". You tap them on the shoulder or something, then you have their attention and the "Excuse me" isn't necessary.
So is there a sign for "Excuse me"? If so, when is it used?
5 comments:
signing?
Right!
Trying to figure out how to work it into that one sentence though. I think I need to say "sign language" explicitly in the first sentence for clarity.
Signing sign language? Communicating in sign language?
"There was a group of people speaking (is speaking the right verb? If not, what is?)"
Anon is correct, it is "signing".
I believe there is an "excuse me" sign, used to politely interrupt a conversation. I think shoulder-tapping would be ok, too.
So it's more almost post-emptive (if that's a word - it should be a word)? Like you interrupt by attracting attention, then use the sign to apologize for the interruption as opposed to using the sign to effect/carry out the interruption?
Now you've lost me.
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