Live with Meredith – 2025 – 4/22

In this session, Darla (filling in for Meredith) explored how to effectively interpret common English idioms into ASL, focusing on conveying the metaphorical rather than literal meanings. Darla shared insights gained from an idiom workshop she’s attending and provided examples of how to sign several idioms appropriately.

Key Idioms and ASL Interpretations:

• Caught between a rock and a hard place

  • ASL signs: “Stuck,” “On the fence,” or “Not sure,” depending on context.

• Raining cats and dogs

  • ASL interpretation: Use facial expressions (puffed cheeks) and the sign for “heavy rain.”

• Break a leg

  • ASL signs: “Good luck,” thumbs-up gesture, or “do well.”

• By the skin of your teeth

  • ASL interpretation: Classifier “F” pulling away from head, indicating a very narrow margin.

• Beat around the bush

  • ASL interpretation: Finger circling around, indicating indirect or rambling speech.

• Walk a mile in their shoes / Shoe on the other foot

  • ASL interpretation: “Flip,” indicating role reversal or perspective change.

• Two peas in a pod

  • ASL signs: “Exactly the same” (emphasized), or “Best friends.”

• Hold your horses

  • ASL signs: “Wait,” “Be patient,” or “Chill out.”

• Piece of cake

  • ASL signs: “Easy,” “Simple,” or a gesture meaning “nothing.”

• When pigs fly

  • ASL signs: “Impossible,” “Never happen.”

• Long story short / In a nutshell

  • ASL interpretation: Using the sign for “story” elongated and then condensed into a concise gesture, meaning “summarize.”

• If it had been a snake, it would’ve bit you

  • ASL signs: “Obvious,” “Right in front of your face.”

• At a loss for words

  • ASL interpretation: Open mouth classifier, or gesture indicating silence, meaning “nothing to say.”

Additional Topics & Q&A:

• Interpreting Clarifications:

  • Difference between signing “looks like” and “likes”:

    • “Likes” signed using feeler finger from chest outward.

    • “Looks like” signed using a gesture near the face indicating similarity or appearance.

  • Difference between signing “inform” and “obey”:

    • “Inform”: signed from head, outward, crossing slightly.

    • “Obey”: signed from forehead outward without crossing.

  • Signing “strict”:

    • Correct signing uses bent “V” handshape at the nose, with variations to indicate severity.

• Becoming a Certified Interpreter:

  • Explained varies by state; generally requires either associate’s or bachelor’s degree, followed by specific testing.

• Rochester Method:

  • Explained method where every word is fingerspelled in English word order, rarely used today.

Wrap-Up:
Participants engaged in practice and asked clarifying questions about signing nuances. Darla encouraged ongoing practice and offered to cover more idioms in future sessions.