Month: August 2024

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COMPLAINTS

Expressing complaints about unacceptable circumstances is important, but constant complaining can become a habit that overwhelms everyone with negativity.

My ASL Dictionary has a Stern Cowboy dressed in a Grey suit, unhappy with his Haberdasher’s work on what was to be a matching Hat, frowning as he shows the ASL hand sign for COMPLAIN.
The fingertips of the open C hand tap against the centre of the chest twice, like holding in a burning discontent.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #complain #habit #cartoon #myasldictionary

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NICE AND CLEAN

Developing a Habit of keeping things clean and tidy and in their place can be tricky.
My ASL Dictionary has a big-eared clown in a coloured hat with a big yellow flower, showing the ASL hand sign for CLEAN and NICE. For this early 2013 picture, I included a side view of the hands to make the hand sign easier to see.

Extended B hand wiped across the upturned palm of the opposite hand, like a cloth clearing dirt from a surface.
For the act of Cleaning, the motion is repeated several times.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #clean #nice #habit #cartoon #myasldictionary

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LIAR LIAR

White Lies, Duplicitous Lies, Bold-Faced Lies, and Lies of Omission. Lying can become a compulsive Habit, hurting the person lied to, the liar themselves, and society in general.

My ASL Dictionary has a Golden statue of Lady Justice with her scales, her blindfold off, passing judgment as she shows the ASL hand sign for LIE.

Palm down, the Bent B hand is brushed across the chin, like the person speaking out of the side of their mouth when they lie.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #lie #fib #cartoon #myasldictionary

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EXERCISE PUMP

EXERCISE PUMP
Not all Habits are Bad. Good for your heart, bones, muscles, and weight, Exercise is a great habit to keep up.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of famous American fitness coach, instructor, and television personality Milton “Teagle” Richard Simmons, illustrating the hand sign for EXERCISE. After polishing up the 2013 picture, the animation shows two versions of the hand sign.

Both S hands simultaneously lifted up and down twice, like lifting weights.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #exercise #richardsimmons #habit #cartoon #myasldictionary

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SMOKE BREAK

The Smoking Habit, inhaling and exhaling smoke from tobacco, cigarettes, nicotine, or other drugs, can become a dangerous addiction.

My ASL Dictionary has a young French woman in a beret showing the ASL hand sign for SMOKE and SMOKING.
Palm facing in, the V hand taps on lips twice as if holding a cigarette.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #smoke #smoking #cigarette #habit #cartoon #myasldictionary

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FORCE OF HABIT

A Habit is a routine of fixed behavior, often repeated regularly, that occurs subconsciously. My Family Habit (French-Canadian)is gesturing with my hands when talking, a habit that opened my interest in ASL, a Language that communicates in gestures without spoken words. This week’s posts will cover hand signs for Habits, both Good and Bad.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of a young Social Worker in her Orange Uniform showing the ASL hand sign for HABIT.
The Heel of the S hand rests over the wrist of the opposite S hand as both hands are forced down together.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #habit #cartoon #myasldictionary

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MAINTENANCE MAN

Products last longer when kept in good working order with repair and maintenance.
My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of BBC’s 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, for the hand sign for FIX, while a cartoon of one of my ASL instructors, Paul Johnson, a tool belt over his shoulder, illustrates the ASL hand sign for REPAIR and MAINTENANCE.

The Fingertip of X hand is held steady on the palm of the opposite upturned B hand as the X hand pivots side to side, like a repair tool making final adjustments.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #repair #maintenance #cartoon #myasldictionary

This post is also a maintenance to the dictionary with an updated and clearer description of the hand movement for REPAIR.

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QUITE AN IMPROVEMENT

Filled with cartoon illustrations, My ASL Dictionary uses separate characters for each ASL hand sign, with some exceptions.
For the similarities of these two ASL hand signs, the ginger-haired construction worker illustrates the hand sign for RENOVATE on Page 117 and the ASL hand sign for IMPROVE on Page 79.

Wearing a yellow hard hat, my construction worker shows the ASL hand sign for IMPROVE.
The Extended B hand tapped on the wrist of the opposite forearm, then arcs up to the elbow, a measurement of progress upward.

The illustration in the book shows the ASL hand sign for IMPROVING BIT BY BIT or GETTING BETTER.
The side of the B hand taps up the opposite forearm, showing the improvement as small steps.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #improve #improving #cartoon #myasldictionary

This post also improves the Dictionary, showing IMPROVE as a large single movement and IMPROVING as smaller taps.
To also correct the Dictionary, the hand sign for IMPROVE is not the hand sign for REMODEL. As the previous post shows, the sweeping upward motion of the ASL hand sign for RENOVATE is the sign for REMODEL (though some would say remodelling is always an improvement).

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RENOVATIONS

For Skyscrapers or Printed text, Time can eat away at any structure, so Construction also involves maintenance and upgrades.

My ASL Dictionary has a 2013 cartoon of a ginger-haired construction worker in a yellow hard hat illustrating the ASL hand sign for RENOVATION.
The side of the extended B hand swipes up the opposite arm twice, like brushing a clean slate.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #renovate #refurbish #cartoon #myasldictionary

This post is also a renovation to the Dictionary, which lists the motion as a single movement when it should be a circling double movement.

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CANADIAN HOLIDAY

The First Monday of August, August 5th, is a Canadian Civic Holiday, celebrated under different names for each province and municipality: Civic Holiday, Regatta Day, Terry Fox Day, Saskatchewan Day, British Columbia Day, Natal Day, Simcoe Day, New Brunswick Day, Colonel By Day, Heritage Day, Joseph Brant Day, Benjamin Vaughan Day, and John Galt Day.

For this Day Off of many names, My ASL Dictionary’s updated cartoon of the ASL hand sign for Holiday. After adjusting her large purple backpack filled with supplies, my 2014 Tourist in a Sunhat and T-shirt shows the ASL hand signs for HOLIDAY, VACATION, and BREAK.

The Thumb tips of 5 hands poke the upper chest twice to show being idle and carefree.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #civicholiday #holiday #vacation #cartoon #myaslsign