Turkey - and a cute little turkey

[Rachel]

We learned TURKEY as a Q hand shape (fingers pointing down!) at your chin OR the Q hiting your chin and then your chest. The other day I met a little boy who said he knew the sign for TURKEY and he showed me something entirely different. I was trying to figure out what he was signing when suddenly it became CLEAR.
Follow these instructions..

Make an A with the thumb sticking out (like help) with your NON-dominant hand. Rotate that hand so your finger nails are facing your body. Now place your dominant 5 hand on the pinky side of your non-Dominant hand. Look what you made!

Not sure if this has ANY ASL roots or if it is just a cute coincidence.

[aligreat]

My nephew often "corrects" us with our signs. For example, I was signing butterfly by linking my thumbs, palms facing me, and flapping the wings created by the fingers on each hand. He would have none of that. He showed me how to fold my hands, interlacing the fingers, and then lifting and lowering the fingers to make it fly.

[musictchr1]

My ASL teacher taught us turkey as Rachel described. I'm in the midwest... could it be a regional thing?

[amiller]

My nephew often "corrects" us with our signs.

Anyka does this too! "No, this is I LOVE YOU Mama. This is AIRPLANE! Different!

Goofy kid!

[signsofearlylife]

Anyka does this too! "No, this is I LOVE YOU Mama. This is AIRPLANE! Different!

My son does this, too. When people ask how old he is going to be and they hold up their fingers to show him, he says "I'm not going to be W, I'm going to be 3" and shows them how to sign a 3 in ASL.

[amiller]

My son does this, too. When people ask how old he is going to be and they hold up their fingers to show him, he says "I'm not going to be W, I'm going to be 3" and shows them how to sign a 3 in ASL.

Now THAT is a precocious kid! I love it!

[signsofearlylife]

Now THAT is a precocious kid!

Exactly!!!

[strykersmommy]

My son does this, too. When people ask how old he is going to be and they hold up their fingers to show him, he says "I'm not going to be W, I'm going to be 3" and shows them how to sign a 3 in ASL.


Now that is funny! I love what little kids come up with!

[aligreat]

The other night my ASL teacher also showed us the "cute little turkey" Rachel described, but when we were discussing our Thanksgiving feasts he would correct anyone trying to use it to describe what they had eaten. I guess it's like using your eyes to spell "COOL" or your mouth to spell "WOW"--it is used as slang but isn't proper ASL.

[ASLReBecca]

Now that is funny! I love what little kids come up with!
Well, you'll love this one then...I was working with some of my younger students when one of the siblings came in the room. He was eight and I guess someone mentioned pasteurized milk in class that day. So he came up to me and asked if I would sign pasteurized milk by signing MILK and passing it in front of your eyes. Get it? "past your eyes". His dad took him out and tried to explain the word pasteurized. It was too funny that the dad had to leave with the kid because I couldn't stop laughing!:p

[amiller]

Well, you'll love this one then...I was working with some of my younger students when one of the siblings came in the room. He was eight and I guess someone mentioned pasteurized milk in class that day. So he came up to me and asked if I would sign pasteurized milk by signing MILK and passing it in front of your eyes. Get it? "past your eyes". His dad took him out and tried to explain the word pasteurized. It was too funny that the dad had to leave with the kid because I couldn't stop laughing!:p

I heard a similar story - maybe I read it in a book? It's apparently a Deaf Culture joke too!

[kimberly]

This "past your eyes" milk reminds me of when Carter would hear a siren and sign "please". When he started putting signs together, he would sign "please" and then "car". That's when we realized he was trying to say "police car" (because of the siren). Too cute.