White people sign like THIS.

Black people sign like THAT.

Weird. I was taught Nebraska sign. That being, I was taught by deaf people from Nebraska.
The signs I know resemble what the article describes as "black sign".
I've always thought the sign across the country had dialects, just like speech.
Hmm...

For once, the tag was used correctly.

Thanks, submitter.

I remember reading a story where a deaf kid got shot by gang members 'cause they thought he was throwing gang signs at them.

Shoulda used the white sign language I guess.

I know I can't understand them.

Him: Your head starts hear and moves down.
Her: Not for 25 bucks it doesn't

Earpj: I've always thought the sign across the country had dialects, just like speech.

There are... I know there's a Quebecois Sign Language, and a Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, and there's certainly regional variations beyond those.

Misch: Earpj: I've always thought the sign across the country had dialects, just like speech.

There are... I know there's a Quebecois Sign Language, and a Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, and there's certainly regional variations beyond those.

Sign language is like any other language: there are many regional dialects and styles, and just because you know,
say, American Sign Language doesn't mean you can speak to someone who speaks, say, British or French or
German Sign Language.

And even in ASL, the regional variation in 'words' can trip people up. My wife studied sign for many years, and told
me that the sign in NYC that she learned for 'shoe' (tapping your fists together in front of you) meant 'homosexual'
in California.

And then there was the story one of her fellow students told in class about a couple who were going on their
honeymoon to London, but unfortunately the student wrote the presentation using a very old ASL dictionary. The
sign that used to mean 'London' when the book was published has morphed into a sign that is about the most
uncomplimentary term you can think of for 'lesbian'. I once told the story to someone who was a native ASL
speaker (his parents were deaf, though he was not), and when I used that sign, he went pale, practically grabbed
my arms and told me with grave seriousness "Do NOT ever use that sign with a deaf person!"