American Sign Language: "yogurt"

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The majority of adult Deaf native signers tend to fingerspell "yogurt."

YOGURT:

 

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Notes:

In a message dated 4/26/2005 12:57:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time, jgirasol@ writes:

Dear Dr. Bill,
I'm teaching my 19 month old twin boys how to sign...their cousin is Deaf...and i can't find the sign for "yogurt"...my one son has made up his own by flapping his arm like a chicken wing :) ...but i would like to teach him the correct ASL sign.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Joy S_______

Joy,

Most adult Deaf will tell you to fingerspell the concept "yogurt."

I have seen (but I do not recommend) an initialized version of the sign ICE-CREAM done with a "Y" handshape instead of an "S" handshape.  Some people criticize that sign as being "Signed English."  My concern with that version is that it conflicts somewhat with an advanced variation of "MISTAKE" that means "to make repeated errors."  You might even see the sign "SOUP" initialized with a "Y" handshape.  Again, this is not "standard."  Only time will tell if either of those signs gains a foothold in the community.  Or some other sign may eventually become popular.

- Dr. Bill
 

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Hi Dr. Bill,
I saw the post about “yogurt” and wanted to tell you that my ASL tutor agrees that there is no formal sign for yogurt, which is really unusual, because there’s been such a health food explosion, and yogurt is now as common and popular as bananas for babies. 
Suzie Fairweather, my family’s ASL tutor, says that one of the preschool teachers at the BC Family Hearing Society has developed the following sign, which I thought I’d pass on to you.
Hold the non-dominant hand in a cup shape, as yogurt mostly comes in little cups, and have the dominant hand in the “Y” shape. Dip the thumb of the Y into the top of the cup and bring it to the mouth.
...We discovered that our younger daughter (one year old next week) is profoundly deaf when she was nine months old. We’re being tested for Waardenburg Syndrome. Tasha is not signing much yet, but our preschooler, Fiona, signs like a house on fire, and I’m using sign language in "story-times" here at work. ...
~ Marion
 

YOGURT (variation)
Non-standard  (see discussion)


The movement tends to repeat.

 

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