Random observations

[resonant]

Today I saw a guy trying to pull-start a gas-powered leaf-blower, while talking on a cell phone. "What are you doing?" "Trying to start this leaf-blower. What are you doing?" "Running over a blind pedestrian."

Also, randomly, it occurred to me while driving today that we've got a recognizable one-handed sign for "Fuck you," but none for either "Thank you" or "I'm sorry." Tells you something about us.

Comments

[viggorlijah.livejournal.com]

What about the little friendly one-hand wave for "thank you"? On a side note, my sister while visiting taught my children that if the middle finger was fuck you for one person, a whole hand pointed likewise was fuck you *and* your family. To which they took with enthusiasm and then taught her rude cambodian gestures.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

[laughing] That's pretty funny!

[jack-pride.livejournal.com]

With a flat palm, fingers straight, touch the front of your fingers to your mouth and then arc your hand out, similar to blowing a kiss: thank-you.

With your hand in a fist, rub the front of your hand in a small circle on your chest: sorry.

I'm very much of the opinion that ASL should be taught in school; not only is it helpful to know a second language, but deafness is quite random and usually born into hearing families. And deafness aside, there are tons of situtations where it's really helpful to have a silent language; it can cut through a room full of loud conversation, it can be used across a parking lot (my mom used to sign "come here NOW" across great distances *g*), and it can be used to communicate with people in other cars. Handy stuff - I wish I was more fluent. :)

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I can see the "thank you" one working from one car to another, but the "sorry" one would probably be kind of hard to see, and hard to interpret, too, if you didn't already know ASL.

We taught the kidlet a few ASL signs when she was seven or eight months old -- old enough to want things, but not old enough to talk. She used them a lot for a year or so. Her total vocabulary was 'more,' 'milk,' 'all done,' 'please,' 'thanks,' 'love' (because 'I love you' requires more manual dexterity than a baby has), and one of her own invention that meant, "Let's go outside!" It was adorable.

[jack-pride.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy to hear that! Baby signing is a great idea, as I'm sure you noticed, since the manual dexterity is there before the, um, lingual dexterity. Tongues are tricky things to manipulate. *g*

::wants babies to teach signing to::

[typhoid-mary.livejournal.com]

The thank you sign in Hawaii is a chaka (sp?) in which you extend thumb and pinky and wiggle your hand on the axis of your forearm. Many people on the West Coast recognize this if they see it, though few use it.

[skuf.livejournal.com]

One-handed sorry exists: raising the hand quite quickly, palm facing outwards - like they do in tennis, when they score an easy net-point.

Years ago in Denmark they were trying to teach us to say "thank you" in traffic. The sign used was the diver gesture for "ok" - you know, making a circle with the thumb and index finger, palm outwards.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

That one gets enough use as "OK" (you know -- "No, you didn't cut me off, it's fine," "Yes, go ahead," "Good job!") that I think it would confuse people to try to use it for "Thank you," though.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

In MN we use the one-hand wave as thank you. Or the first two fingers together pointed out, second two folded (kind of like the boy scout pledge).

[saridout.livejournal.com]

just wave, man ¬_¬