The Vulcan Salute in Real Life

[Joshua Howard]

Do you use the Vulcan salute in real life? How often, and where? Is it easy or difficult for you to get your fingers in position? Do you use the Vulcan verbal salutations Live Long & Prosper or Peace and Long Life in real life conversations?

I got to realizing that I habitually use the Vulcan salute often when I hold up my hand to wave in departure, or when approaching or greeting someone. I also use the "Live Long, and Prosper" phrase in real life frequently enough that it flows out without me thinking about it or planning to say it.

There isn't an overabundance of outward signs that give me away as a Star Trek nerd; and yet, I have integrated these "Vulcanisms" inseperably into my social subroutines. I can perform the salute easily and without hesitation with both hands, though I instinctively only use my right hand for the salute.

Like a secret handshake, I think that it is something which works out well for use in any situation, as a non-trek person will probably either not notice or not pay it attention, while a Trek fan will immediately recognize the salute wherever it is given.

 

[Jefferies]

I can do it easily with both hands but I only use it when being silly, like a mock salute. I used to have a girlfriend who was a Trekkie and we used it as our secrete greeting and farewell sign but that's quite long ago, we were only teenagers at the time. I doubt I would use it in that way today.

 

[Sector 7]

I used it with my Trek friends as a teenager, but eventually I grew out of it.

 

[sbk1234]

I use it in my classroom with my 5th graders as our sign for "be quiet." Of course, I'm the only one in the room who understands the Star Trek reference.

 

[Orac]

I like to use it if I'm being photographed next to someone in a Star Wars costume.

 

[Alienesse]

Orac, ! Would I like to see the face of the person in Star Wars costume!

I've never had the chance to use the Vulcan salute, but maybe I'll try it at Fedcon next year.

I am rather proud of myself for being able to do it effortlessly, though. I was watching an interview with Leonard Nimoy about this and he was saying that the actress who played T'Pau in "Amok Time" had had a very difficult time with it. So I decided to see if I could do it and it worked! With both hands, too.

 

[Forbin]

I use it when I'm rolling into the parking lot at work in the morning and I see someone I know heading into the building. I don't care if they get the joke or not, I just do it to amuse myself.

 

[JCooper]

I use it with my Wife. Both salute and greeting.

 

[sbk1234]

If I'm mad at someone, I do it upside down, which means "Die immediately and decay."

 

[Clare]

I can only do it with my right hand =[ and when I do it I'm always aware of it......my friends at school now finally get what I'm on about and roll their eyes in despair at my "sad Star Trek obession". Screw em I'll cool really!!

 

[Nerd unRage]

I can do it the saltue with both hands and I'm trying to teach my 4 year old nephew how to do it (mainly to see if I can get him to freak out his grandma that I can't stand). My husband and I use it on each other as a goof off and I don't think I've ever said "Live long and prosper" to anyone other than as a joke. I did, however, say "Yatta!" at work one day (Heroes reference for those that don't know).

 

[sbk1234]

Wasn't that a Seinfeld reference?

 

[sevenstars]

a non-trek person will probably either not notice or not pay it attention

Mmmm, don't count on it.

 

[captcalhoun]

yes, i do use it. often to people i work with. or to my family. i can do it with both hands and i can do long and ring fingers together/index and little fingers out with both hands.

 

[Shatnertage]

Did it when I got my picture snapped in the last marathon I ran, just to be totally geeky. And to keep myself from giving the camera the finger, which was how I felt after mile 16.

 

[Smellincoffee]

My fingers do not cooperate, though I can use my thumb to coax my left fingers into position.

 

[AxelFoley]

I can make the Vulcan Salute in an instant. I basically never do it though. I try to make my niece do it though to annoy my brother who ridicule Star Trek as a whole. He's one of those typical assholes who hasn't seen a single episode though.

 

[Gojira]

I rarely ever use it and I can make it very easy with my left hand but it comes a little more slowly and not as easily with my right hand and I am right handed so go figure.

 

[NFlamelCo]

I can do with both of my hands thanks to my friends in the third grade. In reading class, I asked the girls on either side of me to hold my fingers in the right place while I laid my hands on the desk. I sat like that through the entire class. What amazes me now, is that I never had to move my hands through that entire period; I remember it being a boring class, but c'mon, didn't they make us do anything?

Mostly my friends use it, because they know I like Star Trek and they don't know anything else about it. On a side note, I did find it drawn on the sidewalk around my college campus recently. No idea why, but it cheers me up when I pass it.

 

[Alienesse]

On a side note, I did find it drawn on the sidewalk around my college campus recently. No idea why, but it cheers me up when I pass it.

How nice! There are probably some lurking Trekkies out there...