A person named "Lyn"
writes:
Dear Dr. Bill,
My question is regarding the sign for 'expired.' Meaning 'expired'
as in 'an expired driver's license.' Or, as in 'these pills expired
six months ago.'
To express 'expired,' I use the sign that means: dissipate;
dissolve; disintegrate; melt; fade-away etc. This refers to the sign
that starts with a Flat O hand; then all fingers slide toward the
base of the hand until you have an A hand shape.
My question is two-fold. Am I correct, or incorrect, in using that
sign?
Secondly - is there another sign (or other signs) that would be more
accurate and more in keeping with true ASL?
Thank you for your time and expertise - and willingness to share the
same with so many ASEllers!
- Lyn
Dear Lyn,
Your sign choice
of "dissolve" is a clever idea but not the best sign in this
situation.
There is a very specific sign for "expired license."
How you do it is you hold
up two "L" hands with the thumb-tips near each other (or even
touching), palms pointing forward, and index fingers pointing upward
(as if you were going to sign "LICENSE"). Then you rotate your
dominant hand so that the index finger (of the "L" handshape) is
pointing down. The thumb-tips are still pointing directly at
each other and are still touching or nearly touching. The difference
now is that one "L" hand is pointing up and the other is pointing
down.
Cordially,
Dr. Bill
You can learn
American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars
