Month: December 2024

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A BEAUTIFUL NAME

The first Santa cartoon illustrated for My ASL Dictionary was inspired by the 1994 Miracle on 34th Street, the film that taught me this hand sign. In a moving scene, a young deaf girl (played by deaf actress Samantha Krieger) sits on Santa’s lap, and to everyone’s surprise, Santa smiles and uses sign language to call her a beautiful young lady before asking her name. With a moment so magical, it’s no surprise many Santas learn ASL.

A blue-eyed Santa in a Santa suit shows the ASL hand sign for NAME.

The H hand comes down across the opposite H hand at the knuckle Twice. The X shape represents the X-mark used as a simple signature.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #name #cartoon #santa #dictionary #christmas #myasldictionary

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LETTER MAIL

Tuesday, December 17, 2024, after 32 days of impasse in negotiations with the Canada Postal Strike, the Federal Labour Relations Board ordered postal workers to return to work at 8 AM.
In acknowledgment of Canada Post’s essential service and hope for final negotiations for the workers’ demands, the hand sign for this service.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of a young female postal worker in a classical blue uniform with a tie, showing the ASL hand sign for MAIL and LETTER.

The Thumb of A hand touches the lips then taps down on the opposite A hand’s thumb, like attaching a stamp to a letter.
This hand sign is also for LETTER, not the package, but the characters that combine to make words.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #mail #letter #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary
#canadapoststrike2024

My ASL Dictionary also contains an older variant of the hand sign for a letter in an envelope. A cartoon of a Mail Clerk dressed in his blue Jacket shows the ASL hand sign for LETTER.
The thumb of A hand near the mouth lowers to the opposite extended B hand, like planting a stamp on an envelope.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #letter #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

In the dictionary, the thumb lands on the index finger for the upper corner of the envelope. The animation is an upgrade to the sign, having the thumb land in the opposite upper corner of the palm.

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SWIMMING STROKES

Moving from traversing the ground to covering strokes across the surface of the water (an excellent exercise for both competition and recreation).

My ASL Dictionary has a 2013 cartoon of a Swimmer in a red-striped swimsuit and red bathing cap showing the ASL hand sign for SWIM.
Both B hands, palm down, circle away from each other like stroking your hands through the water.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #swim #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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DANCE STEPS

In Competitions, Film, Theatre, and Television, there are countless famous dancers, but for this cartoon illustration, I was looking for an image that was cute and adorable.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of the young child star Shirley Temple, dressed in pink, showing the ASL hand sign for DANCE.
The V hand moves back and forth across the palm of the other hand for the visual of the feet flying on the dance floor.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #dance #cartoon #shirleytemple #dictionary #myasldictionary

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JUMP UP

Found in Multiple Sports like Track and Field, Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Dancing, Football, Hopscotch, and Jump Rope, the act of pushing up from the surface with your legs and feet.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of a Track Athlete showing an ASL hand sign for JUMP.
Palm down, the fingertips of the bent V hand jump off the opposite palm into a straight V and then land as a bent V again, like bending your legs to jump up and down.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #jump #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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SPEED RUN

For the hand sign for rushing across the ground in a fast stride, My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of a Crash Test Dummy illustrating the ASL hand sign for RUN.

Both L hands are hooked together, the index finger of the dominant hand resting on the opposite hand’s thumb. Both hands move forward as the index fingers flex, the visual for a runner’s pumping legs.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #run #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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WALK THIS WAY

An accomplishment of every early man, from Babies to Sahelanthropus tchandensis, is moving upright, at a regular pace, by lifting and setting down each foot.

To illustrate this feat, My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of an Old Dear dressed for a party in a fancy outfit with purple shades showing the ASL hand sign for WALK.
Flat Hands move in front of the body, like walking feet.
For the English word reveal, I added the Classifier CL:1 for Walk.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #walk #stroll #wander #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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STAND TALL

With the Hand signs for the top Sports completed, the ASL artwork from My ASL Dictionary will now focus on the signs for Activities.
The first Activity, where all others begin, is being in an upright and balanced position on your feet.

A woman dressed in a Space Pirate costume shows the ASL hand sign for STAND.
The fingertips of the upside-down V hand rest on the opposite palm, like two feet standing.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #stand #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary