Month: March 2025

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GRANDPARENT GOODNESS

Known as the “Best Kind of Parent“, Grandparents share their wisdom and experience with their children and treats and toys for their grandchildren.

A cartoon of a left-handed granny in a pink flowered jacket and cane shows another ASL hand sign for GRANDMOTHER.
The hand near the lower jaw bends the fingers up and down the lower cheek.

A cartoon of my Grandpa (left-handed for this cartoon) shows another ASL hand sign for GRANDFATHER.
The hand near the forehead bends the fingers up and down near the side temple.

#ASL #americansignlangue #signlanguage #grandmother #grandfather #grandparents #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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STORY TIME

Another intriguing part of American Sign Language is the story behind each word.
My ASL Dictionary has three hand signs for the word STORY.
The first is a cartoon of Canadian Storyteller and Bestselling Children’s Author Mr. Robert Munsch. A cartoon of a young Bob Munsch shows the ASL hand sign for STORY with illustrations of some of his famous children’s stories behind him.

Open hands / C hands grab each other and then pull back into flattened O hands twice as if pulling sentences from a story.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #story #robertmunsch #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

When drawing cartoons of actual people, I always try to send them a copy of their cartoon image with an explanation of the dictionary I put it in. I am a big fan of Robert Munch as his visual storytelling and even designed posters for his past appearances at the Village of Riverside Glen. After completing his cartoon hand sign, it was sent directly to the storyteller who inspired it. I hope he enjoyed it.

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A SILLY SUIT

Silly is a delightful mix of serious and foolish. In preparation for the upcoming Day of Fools, MY ASL DICTIONARY has a cartoon of a clown in a serious business suit showing the ASL hand sign for SILLY.

Y hand twists at the wrist back and forth in front of the nose Twice.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #silly #clown #dictionary #myasldictionary

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FUN, FUNNY OR SOMETHING FISHY

Tapping the side of the nose is a French gesture to signal knowledge, a secret, danger, being ahead of the game, sniffing out trouble, and being on the nose. This gesture has similarities to sign language.

As proof you can be a clown without makeup and a red nose,
My ASL Dictionary has an early 2013 cartoon of a Comedian in a silly outfit with a fake arrow in his head, illustrating the ASL hand sign for FUN. This post also has the Funny Man show similar hand signs for FUNNY, and with a change in facial expression, the hand signs now refer to the suspicious instead of the hilarious as an ASL hand sign for FISHY.

FUN
The H hand brushes by the nose to arc down to the opposite H hand, referring to the wrinkles on the nose when you laugh.

FUNNY
The H or 13 hand brushes the down or by the nose Twice.

FISHY
With a stern facial expression, the H or 13 hand brushes down or by the nose Twice.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #fun #funny #fishy #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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SUPER TEASE

Friendly joking can lighten a mood and strengthen a relationship. To represent affectionate teasing, I chose a Superhero known to tease his secret identity with close friends.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of this famous mild-mannered reporter in glasses showing the ASL hand sign for TEASE with a playful grin.

The X hand slides over the opposite and static X hand twice, the visual of a jabbing remark.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #tease #joke #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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SPRINGTIME

SPRING EQUINOX
While Groundhog prediction dates may differ, Winter annually transitions into the Vernal Equinox, the Season of Growth and Renewal.

My ASL Dictionary has a 2014 cartoon of a young Country Girl in a Calico dress with a crown of daisies showing the ASL hand sign for SPRING and PLANT.

The flattened O hand comes up through the opposite C hand to open into a 5 hand Twice, like a plant sprouting from the ground.
Similar to the hand sign for GROW, where the movement is Once.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #springequinox #spring #plant #grow #cartoon #dictionary #myasldicitonary

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YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Experience, its quality often measured by time, is the knowledge acquired by contact with facts and events.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of a grey-haired Knight showing the ASL hand sign for EXPERIENCE.

The fingertips of the Contracted 5 hand drag down the cheek to the chin and close into a flat O hand twice, like a wise man stroking their beard.

#ASL #ameriansignlanguage #signlanguage #experience #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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IMPRESSIVE

For the Term for evoking admiration, I pencilled a sketch of my friend illustrating sign language, as I had with her daughter Shannon (COFFEE) and grandson Emerson (BREATHE).
Finally complete, a cartoon of my friend Linda Stuart Chenier now shows the ASL hand sign for the verb IMPRESS and a variant ASL hand sign for the adjective IMPRESSED.

IMPRESS
The thumb of the Extended A hand, palm out, touches the palm of the opposite B hand. The A hand wrist rotates forward for the palm to face in, like pressing something down to make an impression.

IMPRESSED
The thumb of the Extended A hand, palm down, rests in the palm of the opposite B hand, and both hands arc back towards the chest.
Similar to IMPRESS ME.

#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #impress #impressed #cartoon #lindachenier #dictionary #myasldictionary

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MAN’S DAY

ASL retains fingerprints of the Langue des Signes Française, including the French grammar of gender in nouns, with masculine signs near the forehead and feminine signs near the chin.

For International Man’s Day, the Support of Positive Masculinity, its Contribution to Society, and Men’s Issues, My ASL Dictionary has a 2014 cartoon of a Gentleman dressed as a King in a Playing Card Costume showing the ASL hand sign for MAN.

The thumb tip of the 5 hand touches the temple, then arcs down to the
chest.


#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #man #internationalmensday #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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WOMEN’S DAY

ASL retains fingerprints of the Langue des Signes Française, including gender in nouns, with masculine signs near the forehead and feminine signs near the chin.
For International Women’s Day, a celebration of women’s achievements and a call for gender equality and women’s rights, My ASL Dictionary has a 2014 cartoon of a Lady dressed as a Queen in a Playing Card costume showing the ASL hand sign for WOMAN.

The thumb tip of 5 hand touches the chin, then arcs down to the chest.

#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #woman #internationalwomensday #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary