WRONG! vs. MISHAP!

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asongofhands

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My ASL teacher says there is a difference between signing WRONG (not as the opposite of right, but to indicate an unexpected occurrence) and WRONG signed with a twist, also to indicate an unexpected occurrence. She says some of the Signing Naturally examples are incorrect, yet can't explain the difference in a way that makes sense to me.

She says that falling in love or a car accident suddenly occurring would get a WRONG (no twist) but that being hit in the head by something falling on you would get WRONG (with a twist). No comprendo.

Does anyone know what I am talking about and can differentiate the two?
 
What I found on Lifeprint.com is:

The sign for wrong (WRONG / inaccurate / "an error" / "a mistake") has a variation that can mean "make a mistake," "make an error," or "have an accident." The movement twists a "Y-hand" across the chin.

Does that help?
 
Rogus said:
What I found on Lifeprint.com is:

The sign for wrong (WRONG / inaccurate / "an error" / "a mistake") has a variation that can mean "make a mistake," "make an error," or "have an accident." The movement twists a "Y-hand" across the chin.

Does that help?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not, since there seem to be three actual uses for WRONG, two of which I cannot distinguish the difference, and my teacher is not forthcoming about the subtleties between the two.
 
Are you thinking of when you put the WRONG in, mind sentence, to indicate the exact moment when the situation turned bad?

For example, you're walking down the street and WRONG! a piano fell on your head.
 
I've had it explained as a bad "all-of-a-sudden" when you do it with a twist. To my knowledge, it's used as a transition marker signifying an unfortunate turn of events in the story. Thus, metalangel's example is right.

"I was working in a restaurant and carrying a pitcher of water when WRONG! I tripped and fell, the pitcher of water spilling all over the table of people I was serving."




~ Audrey Arndt, hearing, ITP student
 
Yes, metalangel - Both WRONG! signs happen like that, unexpectedly. The WRONG! with a twisting wrist is used for certain situations and the WRONG! with a straight wrist is used for others and I can't tell the difference. :(
 
I shall try one more time. The difference in when you use either sign is the highlighted part below:

What I found on Lifeprint.com is:

The sign for wrong (WRONG / inaccurate / "an error" / "a mistake") has a variation that can mean "make a mistake," "make an error," or "have an accident." The movement twists a "Y-hand" across the chin.

If that still doesn't help someone else can try to explain it differently and maybe you will figure it out.
 
Right. There are a number of uses of WRONG:

1. Right/wrong
2. WRONG-WRONG meaning "What's wrong?"
3. UNEXPECTED EVENT - straight wrist, eek! expression
4. UNEXPECTED EVENT - wrist twists across the chin, eek! expression

#3 my teacher says is for most things such as being laid off, getting in a car accident, love at first sight...

#4 is for certain things...the examples she gave was using a rose cutter to cut bushes and accidentally getting cut by it (the cutter, not the roses), or a change in plans (deciding to join the Peace Corps after saying no for several years (Cinnie's Autobiography, Signing Naturally)).

I just don't understand the difference between these. Honestly, I have always seen the twisted wrist WRONG! used. I haven't seen the straight one used to indicate mishaps, but I've not been signing for years and years.

I think the main thing that's frustrating is that my teacher may have an intuitive sense of the difference in the language, but is unable to express it logically to a non-native signer.
 
The twist is used as an "oops" of sorts, like "OOPS, cut yourself" (or the rose, honestly); that is, it's for little mistakes, as far as I've seen. #3 is more like "Driving a car *innocent whistling* WHOA! Car accident!" or "SHOOT! Got laid off..." or "*Britney Spears voice* OOPS, I did it again...". :P:giggle:
 
she's nuts. do disregard.. but learn human error can possibly have some beneficial credibility ITF
 
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