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WRENCH: The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "wrench"
The sign for "WRENCH" is produced with the dominant hand in "V" handshape and the non-dominant hand in the "1" handshape.

The index finger of the non-dominant hand is in between dominant hand's index and middle fingers. The index and middle finger of the dominant hand touch the non-dominant index finger. The dominant hand moves up and down at the wrist while the non-dominant hand is stationary.

 

The "WRENCH"-based concepts of MECHANIC and/or PLUMBER are what could be considered "context-sensitive." If you combine the sign for "WRENCH" with [enough context] you end up meaning either "mechanic" or "plumber" -- even without adding the "person" ending.

 

Mechanic / plumber -- can signed either with our without the PERSON suffix. It depends on the amount of context in which you do the sign WRENCH.

 

The "low-context" version of MECHANIC / PLUMBER adds the PERSON suffix. If it is not clear that you are discussing a person (and not a wrench) then you can (and generally should) add the PERSON sign to the sign "wrench."

 

The "high-context" version can (and often does) drop the person ending because the meaning can be clear from the rest of your sentence. If it is obvious you need a mechanic and/or a plumber (and not a just a "wrench") then you can just sign WRENCH and don't need to add the person sign.

 

 

WRENCH:



MECHANIC or PLUMBER:
This sign can also mean "plumber" if you are talking about water and pipes.


Sample sentence: SOMETHING BROKE, YOU PREFER HIRE MECHANIC, [bodyshift], F-I-X your-SELF, WHICH? (If something is broke, do you prefer to hire a mechanic or do you prefer to fix it yourself?)


 

 

 


 

Notes: 

Also see: DRILL

HAMMER

PLIERS

SCREWDRIVER

TOOL




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