# What is a period sign? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632 "2023-06-16T15:18:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/1 "2023-06-16T15:18:58Z")
No, not that. (I hope.) > If they thought that I shouldn’t do ‘The Griddy’ across the stage and do the Girls’ High traditions, nobody should have been able to wave or blow kisses or do period signs because I feel like that’s the same thing. I feel like that’s unfair," said Abdur-Rahman. > **[Girls' High grad speaks out after being denied diploma on stage after dancing...](https://6abc.com/philadelphia-high-school-for-girls-denied-diploma-dancing-on-stage-philly-grad/13387177/)** > > A recent graduate from The Philadelphia High School for Girls is calling for change after she was denied her high school diploma on stage. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/2 "2023-06-16T15:22:41Z")
She probably said periodt sign. It’s slang for “full stop” or “absolutely”. Reporter probably didn’t catch the nuance. > **[Why Periodt Ended Up With A "T" At The End](https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/periodt/)** > > A variant of period, periodt is an interjection used to end a discussion or emphasize a point. It usually occurs at the end of a statement or in the phrase (and) that's on periodt. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/3 "2023-06-16T15:27:51Z")
In other words, other students were doing a periodt sign as in, a gesture that means “it’s over.” Probably the one I’ve usually seen called a “throat slash” gesture. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/4 "2023-06-16T15:31:58Z")
I haven’t seen any video, but this is most like exactly it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/5 "2023-06-18T02:34:24Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Probably the one I’ve usually seen called a “throat slash” gesture. ⁢ Hmm. Would that really fit at a graduation? I always took that sign as saying either “stop!” or “this sucks.” The context makes it seem like the period(t) sign is a celebration. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/6 "2023-06-18T23:37:02Z")
The particular attitude coming to mind for me is when an athlete does something good in a game, and then does the gesture I’m thinking of to indicate to everyone “that’s it, game over, we’re done here.” I think it fits, in the sense of “the end, it’s over, period.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/7 "2023-06-18T23:44:49Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > The particular attitude coming to mind for me is when an athlete does something good in a game, and then does the gesture Hmm. I don’t watch sports much. Do you know of any examples that might have clips? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/8 "2023-06-19T01:17:55Z")
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-J-5G6xIA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-J-5G6xIA) To explain the video title, the gesture was banned by professional and college football and basketball leagues about 25 years ago for PR reasons, related to players doing bad things off the field. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/9 "2023-06-19T01:58:31Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > To explain the video title, the gesture was banned by professional and college football and basketball leagues about 25 years ago for PR reasons, related to players doing bad things off the field. ⁢ Ah. Doesn’t look negative to me. But it sounds like there is some controversy about it being offensive. Which all the more makes the point in the OP, if that sign is allowed, but dancing isn’t. For the record, I did a little celebration gesture when I graduated high school. It was a joke I’d been doing for friends. After that point, others would do a quick gesture of celebration. It didn’t make anything take longer, and no one cared. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-period-sign/985632/10 "2023-06-19T13:11:38Z")
To be clear, from the article it seems officially the problem wasn’t the dancing but the cheering from the crowd. The students had been warned that cheering or applauding from their family and friends would result in no diploma being given, and that was the case here.