New Signers' Funny Mistakes

A classmate meant to sign "I've been late to class a lot, but last week I was early." What she signed was "last week I was naked."
 
Once someone wanted to say, "I am very hungry" and it came out, "I am horny". My response was, "We've noticed." LOL!
 
So yeah... I took my first sign language class last year during the summer. There were several really funny things that went on, but one of them was when Carrie, our professor, tried to show us how to say "good to meet you". I went to repeat it the next class and I signed "meet" only horizontally. >_< Apparently it means to do the mattress tango. She explained that to me in front of the class and I swear my face was sooooo red....

There was also another situation where one of the other students who worked with several students at various intervals of the autism spectrum, was trying to remember a sign that the boy tended to use a lot. He already knew bathroom, and mom, dad, that sort of thing, but what he was signing was "water", like thirsty. She signed a "B" against her chin. Carrie waved her hands frantically shaking her head and laughing. She shut the door and explained to us that here at least it means "bitch".

Omfg. I had to really leave my pride at the door when it came to that first semester at least. There were so many funny mistakes.
 
Here's one I did: My class was learning food signs. Recently I had learned the sign for "protestant" from a visit to a deaf/hoh church service - the way I was taught it is very similar to the sign for "potato".

I signed to my class "STEAK BAD, BUT PROTESTANT DELICIOUS". My teacher gave me a very strange look and asked me if I wanted to try again. I signed it again. Whoops.
 
Re: Your Brains said:
Here's one I did: My class was learning food signs. Recently I had learned the sign for "protestant" from a visit to a deaf/hoh church service - the way I was taught it is very similar to the sign for "potato".

I signed to my class "STEAK BAD, BUT PROTESTANT DELICIOUS". My teacher gave me a very strange look and asked me if I wanted to try again. I signed it again. Whoops.
Click to expand...

:laugh2::laugh2:
 
Here's a fun one.... God was I so embarrassed when I realized/was told what I said....

I'm just beginning learning ASL, and one of the "difficulties" that I am running into is when my slightly arthritic hands start to act up. I am used to massaging my hands while talking, not thinking.

So the other day I was signing with a fellow student, and we were talking about our teacher, whom we both liked and respected. Our teacher came up and asked us who we were talking about. I pointed at him and then proceeded to massage my aching hands. My instructor's eyebrows raised slightly and he laughed slightly and walked away. I looked up to find my friend's eyes wide with shock. I asked what had happened.

Apparently, I signed "you, dickhead" with my aching hands. :Oops:

I promptly apologized to my teacher, and he mentioned that I should look into getting a good pain relieving cream :giggle:

Laura
 
My professor always tells us a story to help us realize we need to focus on our hands so we don't mess up a sign inappropriately. Story:

He was at a church service watching the interpreter and sitting with a HUGE group of deaf people (in AZ). The interpreter was not new, but not a regular yet, so he was always nervous. Apparently he was amusing to watch cause he had curls puffy red hair. Any way he was signing the priests lecture "... gift from god..." and he signed "vagina from god" Apparently the deaf group my teacher was with cracked up so much that the service was stopped till the laughing stopped. The interpreters face then turned bright red matching his hair once he realized what he did. Oh and the hearing audience just stared confused.
 
BLeGal2 said:
My professor always tells us a story to help us realize we need to focus on our hands so we don't mess up a sign inappropriately. Story:

He was at a church service watching the interpreter and sitting with a HUGE group of deaf people (in AZ). The interpreter was not new, but not a regular yet, so he was always nervous. Apparently he was amusing to watch cause he had curls puffy red hair. Any way he was signing the priests lecture "... gift from god..." and he signed "vagina from god" Apparently the deaf group my teacher was with cracked up so much that the service was stopped till the laughing stopped. The interpreters face then turned bright red matching his hair once he realized what he did. Oh and the hearing audience just stared confused.
Click to expand...

:laugh2::laugh2: Epic!
 
On the first day of my asl 4 class last year I guy that was in my asl 1 and 2 classes came in. I happened to be sitting by myself and he came up and asked me why no-one was f****ing me. He meant to ask why no-one was sitting next to me. It has become a huge joke in my group of friends.
 
I'm about to wrap up my second four-week summer ASL class. My instructor is awesome...she's very patient, and will explain what the bad-word signs are if we happen to come across them.

For someone like myself who really wants to learn more ASL and take it "to the next level," this thread is almost helpful. I say "almost" because it would be great if the mistakes could be explained. I didn't know that "work" and f**k could be confused! I only thought it was the "2" handshapes coming together horizontally that meant f**k!

I'm also learning that ASL is very regional. What means something in one part of the country means something completely different..or means nothing..in another part.

Now, when I meet a Deaf person, I sign, "IF I SIGN WRONG, PLEASE HELP ME." That way, there is no animosity for correcting me, and I learn along the way.

Thanks for a wonderful thread, and I'm looking forward to learning more here!

~Gregg
 
excellent idea, Gregg. from now on, I'm going to adopt this policy as well!
 
Wow this thread is awesome, very informative, and friggin' histerical. I can't wait to learn more. And I am absolutly going to adopt that policy of saying "I'm new, if I sign wrong, please help me" Very good suggestion!
I have been laughing all day, cause it took me that long to read all the posts.
:rofl:
 
For my first post here, I would just like to say mega-thanks for the stories; I've just read every single post from the thread's beginning. That, and you can call me a lucky mom, because despite my cracking up and repeatedly failing to suppress laughter (always more gnarly sounding than actual laughter, I think), I have not woken my 2-year-old who is finally snoozing beside me.

Looking forward to learning a bunch here.
 
i think i just told my sign teacher that i am yet-deaf instead of late-deaf. He figured it out when he asked me if i grew up hearing or HOH though (i hope anyway!)
Woops!!
*EQL*
 
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