How do you sign...

Cheetah said:
Ok, I googled the words and they are from a song "Rolling in the Deep". In this context scars can be memories. Perhaps painful memories?

From the lyrics:
The scars of your love, remind me of us.
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless

Might sign it something like this:
Memory (looking back) love, we (you and I), rememeber.
Thinking, we (you and I), have, all, almost.
Memory (looking back), love, we (you and I), hard, breath (I might change this to something more like "heart beating" with a sad face)

Does this help you?
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That is exactly the song I was referring to. :ty: that does help.

If I was just talking about a scar on my arm, would I use an "x" and draw the scar, as MDCodeRedFreak mentioned?
 
CSign said:
That is exactly the song I was referring to. :ty: that does help.

If I was just talking about a scar on my arm, would I use an "x" and draw the scar, as MDCodeRedFreak mentioned?
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I'm remembering some past conversations about people with scars. sometimes the person would finger spell 'scar' and show with a finger where the scar runs. Other times it would be obvious we are talking about a scar and simply show where the scar runs. I don't think there is a specific sign for scar. This is one of those signs that may have regional signs depending on if there is someone famous from the area with a scar (like San Antonio).
 
About the iPad, kindle, DS, I think Journey is right. Your 6-year old (who I'm guessing would know the alphabet at least) could handle spelling D-S, since you say the names of the letters when you speak the name. "electric-book" works great for kindle, or even creating your own sign "K-book" or something would be fine. And for iPad, maybe "i" and then hold index/thumbs out to indicate the size.

Speaking from personal experience, having a few home-made words for things won't ruin your kids' language development. Unless you think I'm ruined because I always have to be careful not to call the end slice of bread a "schatzel" in public. Don't ask me where that word came from!!
 
Okay, the sign I'm looking for is "horoscope"...I realize there may not be an actual sign, but how would you sign this (even if I have to fingerspell it one time to be clear, I'd like a way to phrase what it is after that).
 
kellycat said:
Okay, the sign I'm looking for is "horoscope"...I realize there may not be an actual sign, but how would you sign this (even if I have to fingerspell it one time to be clear, I'd like a way to phrase what it is after that).
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I have no idea what the sign for horoscope is but, since I came here with my own question, I figured I would take at stab at yours first. I wonder if you could sign "daily + prediction"?

Can anyone provide some alternative meanings or idioms for the use of the sign for "touch"? :ty:
 
Journey said:
I have no idea what the sign for horoscope is but, since I came here with my own question, I figured I would take at stab at yours first. I wonder if you could sign "daily + prediction"?

Can anyone provide some alternative meanings or idioms for the use of the sign for "touch"? :ty:
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Or just say... Your, future, predict.

The touch sign can also mean been there or experienced that place.
 
Cheetah said:
Or just say... Your, future, predict.

The touch sign can also mean been there or experienced that place.[/QUOTE

Ah, thanks Cheetah! I remembered it had an alternate idiom but could not think of it. Does it have to refer to a tangible place or is it also used for a feeling? ie: Heartbreak you? understand me, 'been there'?
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Thanks KellyCat! I was worried about home-made words, but I feel better now. I'll be thinking about schatzel every time I use one of these words now. :ty:
 
Journey said:
Cheetah said:
Or just say... Your, future, predict.

The touch sign can also mean been there or experienced that place.[/QUOTE

Ah, thanks Cheetah! I remembered it had an alternate idiom but could not think of it. Does it have to refer to a tangible place or is it also used for a feeling? ie: Heartbreak you? understand me, 'been there'?
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Not in a pure sense. For heartache use the break sign at the heart and eggasurate the sign with only one hand moving downwards. I've seen this signed in several different ways... The similarities are the location (at the heart) and hand movements (one hand stays at the heart while the other hand moves down).

Also, I think you might be using the word idiom wrong here. Idiom refers to something that has one meaning but is understood to mean something else. For example in ASL: train, go, sorry. Meaning you missed it, too bad.
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Cheetah said:
Journey said:
Not in a pure sense. For heartache use the break sign at the heart and eggasurate the sign with only one hand moving downwards. I've seen this signed in several different ways... The similarities are the location (at the heart) and hand movements (one hand stays at the heart while the other hand moves down).

Also, I think you might be using the word idiom wrong here. Idiom refers to something that has one meaning but is understood to mean something else. For example in ASL: train, go, sorry. Meaning you missed it, too bad.
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I understand what you describe for "heartbreak", I am familiar with those signs :ty:. I was thinking more about using "touch" or "finish+touch" for 'been there', as in the saying 'been there, done that' ( or is finish+touch used strictly for a location rather than a feeling/experience?). My apologies if I am not being very clear in what I am asking :).

Also I thought "touch"/"finish +touch" was an idiom? So now I am confused! haha
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Journey said:
I understand what you describe for "heartbreak", I am familiar with those signs :ty:. I was thinking more about using "touch" or "finish+touch" for 'been there', as in the saying 'been there, done that' ( or is finish+touch used strictly for a location rather than a feeling/experience?). My apologies if I am not being very clear in what I am asking :).

Also I thought "touch"/"finish +touch" was an idiom? So now I am confused! haha
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Maybe my concept of idiom is a bit off.... the "finish, touch" means you have been there already. Much in the sense that a hearing person might say, "been there, done that". This means what it says; an idiom would have a different meaning associated with it.

Another idiom in ASL is "train, go, sorry". A translation is: you missed the train, sorry. The idiom is that the phrase actually means: you missed it (what was said), too bad.

I used to have a book of idioms from back in the beginning of my college time. Wish I knew what I did with it. I would love to find a book on ASL idioms!
 
How would you sign "bending over backwards?" I'm trying to perfect an ASL interpretation of "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, but I'm not sure how to sign those lyrics. In case you don't already know the lyrics I'll put it up, so you can tell me in context:

"I've been spending way too long
checking my tongue in the mirror
and bending over backwards
just to try to see it clearer."

I know most of the song (I hope), but I'm not sure about that one phrase.
 
AHA! A language question I can answer! An idiom basically is a phrase that has a meaning that is figurative, not the literal meaning of the words. The kind of phrase you could never put together from a dictionary. The sort of thing that "loses something in the translation". For example, "You're pulling my leg" in English. It means you're joking or kidding, not that any leg is actually being pulled. So if you translate that into another language for someone by looking those words up in the dictionary, it would mean that you are saying they have grabbed your leg and started to pull. (BTW, the Spanish equivalent translates in English to "You're taking my hair.")

So finish+touch is idiomatic, because it isn't the literal meaning of the words, although you could argue that "Did you already touch Chicago" does make sense, kinda. The same with "train go sorry". That doesn't translate easily. So think of any common phrase we have in English that you need at least one (if not two or three sentences) to sign and explain. Or vice versa. Those are probably idioms.
 
Cheetah said:
I used to have a book of idioms from back in the beginning of my college time. Wish I knew what I did with it. I would love to find a book on ASL idioms!
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You mean the blue book produced for deaf children from Maryland in the 1960s that got into the hands of all the deaf schools?
 
Oh - and how do you sign "cop out" (meaning an excuse for inaction or evasion)?

Just sign APATHY or AVOID then EXCUSE?
 
MDCodeRedFreak said:
Oh - and how do you sign "cop out" (meaning an excuse for inaction or evasion)?

Just sign APATHY or AVOID then EXCUSE?
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you might use escape... English: You cannot cop out now! ASL: you, escape, can't.
 
I have another one...is there a convenient way to convey "I understand every sign you just used, but totally don't understand what your message is.".
Y'know, I don't need it repeated, but need you to make your point some other way because you just make no sense.
 
kellycat said:
I have another one...is there a convenient way to convey "I understand every sign you just used, but totally don't understand what your message is.".
Y'know, I don't need it repeated, but need you to make your point some other way because you just make no sense.
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"What????"
 
kellycat said:
I have another one...is there a convenient way to convey "I understand every sign you just used, but totally don't understand what your message is.".
Y'know, I don't need it repeated, but need you to make your point some other way because you just make no sense.
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It's harder for some than for others... ASL uses a different syntax than English. Perhaps your issue is you are stuck in English and having a hard time visualizing ASL. You might benefit from practicing telling stories. Get someone to help you make your signing more visual and less English. Once your brain starts to get the picture, you will understand other people signing much better.
 
No, it isn't a language issue of me not understanding, but someone saying something that doesn't really make sense. This is an awful example, but may make it clear. I told a co-worker that I was donating/selling plasma. He singed to me "Are you Indian?" I totally understood what he signed but had NO idea what that question was supposed to mean. (Apparently, according to him, people in India readily sell their kidneys and such.).

So I was looking for a way to indicate that I totally understood the WORDS he used, just not what the heck he was talking about.

I will just default to the natural "what the heck are you talking about" look, maybe signing "point-what?" or "mean-what?"
 
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