Expressions which not make sense deaf people

Sunshine

Sunshine

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1. Why the heck "rocks my socks" mean something is good?

I thought had 2, but not remember other. Hmm.
 
something rocks = very awesome and cool
ASL rocks = ASL awesome
my socks = say you are wearing socks :lol:

ASL rocks my socks = ASL so very awesome, because it so cool that it makes the socks fall off.

Maybe you should rename topic title incase for more questions other deafies have that don't make sense in deaf world. Like "Shake a leg" "Rain cats and dogs" etc..
 
naisho said:
something rocks = very awesome and cool
ASL rocks = ASL awesome
my socks = say you are wearing socks :lol:

ASL rocks my socks = ASL so very awesome, because it so cool that it makes the socks fall off.

Maybe you should rename topic title incase for more questions other deafies have that don't make sense in deaf world. Like "Shake a leg" "Rain cats and dogs" etc..
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I don't see why they would make any sense to hearing people either, but I know what a lot of those mean. I was taught them as a child, and I think lots of deaf people my age were also.

I am surprised they don't do that anymore. If you read books, you can hardly help running across them, and I have too much curiousity not to have found out the meanings when I saw them.
 
Sunshine said:
Rename to what?

Not get why something cool make socks fall off.
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Can't really tell you the precise etymology of the idiom, but I think it's fair to say that any hearing person who hears this for the first time would think it is odd as well. It doesn't have an immediately logical connotation. A similar idiom would be "rocks my world!" which is slightly more intelligible, I think, to anyone, deaf or hearing. Idioms usually derive their meaning and power from collective use and agreement of what the term means, as opposed to a direct derivation from the words. Idioms in ASL function the same way. Consider the train zoom idiom. It could be explained, but really one learns how to use it appropriately by paying attention to other signers and recording the context that the idiom is used, then reproducing it for themselves and eventually internalizing the idiom.

Um, does this make sense?

As for my guess with how the idiom "rock my socks" came about (I've also heard "knocks my socks off"), I'd guess it has something to do with the tendency for people involved in accidents with massive impact to often have their shoes and socks completely knocked off from the impact. This is of course a violent and horrible image. But there are tons of positive idioms that historically derive from negative, gruesome, violent, etc. root phrases.

So, something that "rocks my socks" has massive impact on the person using the idiom, but in a positive way.
 
Nice one.
About the word awesome, it can also be used as a slang subverb that can "blow something away". Emotional meaning, not the literal context.

I hope someone can do a better way of explaining. I can't come up with something better...
 
Bottesini said:
I don't see why they would make any sense to hearing people either, but I know what a lot of those mean. I was taught them as a child, and I think lots of deaf people my age were also.

I am surprised they don't do that anymore. If you read books, you can hardly help running across them, and I have too much curiousity not to have found out the meanings when I saw them.
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You're the cat's pajamas. Tell me what that means. :lol:
 
Beowulf said:
You're the cat's pajamas. Tell me what that means. :lol:
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It means I am cool and fabulous. Maybe unusual too since cats do not usually wear pajamas.

Is that what you think, too?
 
Understand...:ty:

TheWriteAlex said:
Can't really tell you the precise etymology of the idiom, but I think it's fair to say that any hearing person who hears this for the first time would think it is odd as well. It doesn't have an immediately logical connotation. A similar idiom would be "rocks my world!" which is slightly more intelligible, I think, to anyone, deaf or hearing. Idioms usually derive their meaning and power from collective use and agreement of what the term means, as opposed to a direct derivation from the words. Idioms in ASL function the same way. Consider the train zoom idiom. It could be explained, but really one learns how to use it appropriately by paying attention to other signers and recording the context that the idiom is used, then reproducing it for themselves and eventually internalizing the idiom.

Um, does this make sense?

As for my guess with how the idiom "rock my socks" came about (I've also heard "knocks my socks off"), I'd guess it has something to do with the tendency for people involved in accidents with massive impact to often have their shoes and socks completely knocked off from the impact. This is of course a violent and horrible image. But there are tons of positive idioms that historically derive from negative, gruesome, violent, etc. root phrases.

So, something that "rocks my socks" has massive impact on the person using the idiom, but in a positive way.
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Bottesini said:
It means I am cool and fabulous. Maybe unusual too since cats do not usually wear pajamas.

Is that what you think, too?
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I dunno. I got badly scratched when I tried to dress up a cat in pajamas. :lol:
 
Beowulf said:
I dunno. I got badly scratched when I tried to dress up a cat in pajamas. :lol:
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:lol: I used to dress my Boston terrier in a t-shirt and wheel her around in a baby carriage, but she knew I was a tough little kid and submitted.

I don't think there are any idioms for that though.
 
Here is one for you guys:
nitty gritty. Try explaining that one to a deaf person about how it was formed.
I have no idea :dunno2: but I just know what it means.
 
naisho said:
Here is one for you guys:
nitty gritty. Try explaining that one to a deaf person about how it was formed.
I have no idea :dunno2: but I just know what it means.
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No you don't, if you cannot explain it clearly and concisely. :P
 
naisho said:
Here is one for you guys:
nitty gritty. Try explaining that one to a deaf person about how it was formed.
I have no idea :dunno2: but I just know what it means.
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nits and grits - finely ground corn.

grits is a basic dish so I'm guessing the nitty gritty means to get down to the basics.
 
This is all I know about the cat's pajamas... Back in the 1920's all the really cool people were called "cats" especially if they were jazz musicians. As for the pajamas part, I've often wondered myself.

Tried to put a hat on my cat years ago; still have the scars...
 
Kitten said:
This is all I know about the cat's pajamas... Back in the 1920's all the really cool people were called "cats" especially if they were jazz musicians. As for the pajamas part, I've often wondered myself.

Tried to put a hat on my cat years ago; still have the scars...
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Pajamas were a new fad in the 1920s.
 
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