Thursday, February 27, 2014

wow

Hoping this is war of worlds? Sorry. Skip if you like, I won't be offended.


I mentioned spread the sign before with USA's awful definition for the word "climate" rather than the offering the simple word climate that was asked for and that anyone would recognize, a variant of the word "weather" made with "C"s instead of "W"s, but now I want to see how they say the word "wow" and to see if that is even a word other places. It is a reaction, not a word. This is my curiosity.

Ukraine: Beautiful woman, "f" each hand, as Chef Boiardee says "fine" presented forward, crossed at the wrist, make a sudden swipe as the word "liberate" straight across as if to say, "table here perfectly set." It is a beautiful movement, the most elegant of all the wows offered. I like this word. A lot. I adopt it.

India: Playful girlish woman. Pulls an "O" from an open hand, splayed fingers, no actual "W" then opens the "O" and smashes the two hands knitting the fingers without bending. I like this one too. I'm taking it.

Var. Flapping both hands as if something too hot, while shrugging and expressing facially wuuuuuuuuu.

Republic of Baden, a mysterious place that I do not know about: Storybook beautiful girl. Rapunzel type. Closest to my amusing way of saying wow when not actually wowed. Mouth forms "O" W placed on each side of the mouth. "W" extends away from the mouth then returns, for cartoon effect.

They all wear the same shirt over there at spread the sign. I cannot link the words, you see, nor the videos clips each country offers, only the front page where a word is entered the results splayed on a new page, each country's flag displayed, for countries that responded with video to that word. Not all words have results. Some words have a dozen results. The shirts being all dark brown and all the same simple type is very good for consistency throughout the entire dictionary, eminently humanizing for all those people participating, it'd be a jumble otherwise.

Hello. I'd like to volunteer providing words for your asl dictionary. I'm quite clever sometimes. Here is my transcript.
That great! Here put on this shirt.
That's okay I have my own shirts.
This is a special shirt, made with special threads, for us here at Spread the Sign.
Noice. Actually, I have couple like these. I'd prefer to wear my own, if you do not mind.
Aaaactually, we do need you to wear this shit. Our video picks it up best. And no jewelry. Please remove your ring and your watch and your whatever that is. what is that? 
It's a snake.
Remove your sna... why do you have a coiled snake on your arm?
It's a thing, but about the shirt, the vibes are all wrong, I can tell from here, please allow me to buy one.
That is not possible. We have only seven of these shirts, and six are for women, see the bumps? You cannot wear those. All the men share the same shirt. 
You know what?, I just realized this is probably out of my league. You guys are experts and now I realize I'm not good enough.
But you passed the exams.
I cheated. Sorry. I'm a bum. I'll try to repent.
But I'm sure we ca...
Good day, apologies, I said, gotta go, that's my mom calling.

It makes a plain background straight across the entire dictionary through time as the collection of video clips is assembled. You'll notice interpreters at large are quite plain and if they're not plain then they're showing off jewelry or fashion and that is wrong.

Estonia: Dude. Raises loose fists in "A" position up to in front of  face and pops both up "A" hands to a higher level at forehead height. Looks like the word "limit."

Austria: Toll! Blond, "A" hand churns excitement at heart.

Iceland: open hand flicks splayed fingers as shaking off dust.

Poland: Blond woman. Straight up lewd in any language, immediately recognizeable as pumping action for low-level thrill, the "eeeEEEeeew" facial expression confirms the sign, like a taunting schoolboy. It looks like punk type sign. I would be offended seeing it, not supported.

Google translates the description offered in Polish for the word "wow"
ale jaja!, a niech to!, jej!, no no!, o! (wyraz aprobaty)
but eggs!, and let it! her!, no no!, oh! (an expression of approval)

There you go. But eggs!

United States. Excellent. Giant glass cock. (invisible jack off) One spurt wow. That is what that sign means, and it is amazing, she is impressive signing it. I want to know this woman immediately. If I noticed this from a distance, my impulse is join her.

Turkey: Mind simply blown. A single thought leaves the hand hanging there dead where it happened.

France: Excellent. What? Wow at the face, expression of shock, shake off the hand. Unmistakeable clear pure reaction.

Czech Republic: attractive woman, clearly demented. Holds up middle fingers of both hands, crossing the "fuck you" birds in an "X", slips one of the birds off into an "O" then returns to its exceedingly rude double perch. They must know the middle finger means "fuck you," they must, and that is why I am shocked. This is a cynical wow.

I'm always shocked. Maybe I'm wrong.

Finally, Sweden, a delightful appearing brunette, a woman I would like to know just by seeing this, zips two "W"s from her exaggerated "wow" mouth, then zips them back to normal size. She expresses a perfect WOW on springs, a delightful reaction shot.

I will now incorporate these reactions into my vocabulary and cause confusion at first and questions, when asked I'll say, "Oh, that's wow in Ukraine, or wow in India."

It's how I got "foxhole" from "foolish," incorporating "foolish" into "fox" is not the way to say fox, the real way involves whiskers, but by using "foolish" instead and twisting at the nose, provided an exceedingly silly pointed fox nose that fit the foolish situation of gathering for drinks at the Foxhole exceedingly well so it surpassed in usefulness the actual word for fox. It was picked up immediately and used throughout the period that club was open.

For my natural wow, my body automatically says that, no thinking involved. It shoots two Ws at the amazing thing while vocalizing audibly "Wow" so the "O is a black hole in my face, the Ws bolt out on their own and stick the object of awe in amazement, the abrupt pinching of both pinkie fingers and tossing both hands throws the Ws like six darts. It is an honest wow.

8 comments:

Chip Ahoy said...

Incidentally, as to not being offended. I sent a card to an isolated farmer in Nebraska who mentioned he is not so well. It's a bit dumb, took some work, an experiment using two batteries. The batteries won't last. I don't really like it at all. I said, "didn't write on this card so pass along if you like, I will not be offended."

In fact, I would secretly like that a lot, two hits with one paper stone.

I tossed the USPS receipt so could not track the package, did not know if the card made it or not. Out of character, I wrote asking if received, did it work if you got it? He said, "Yes, it worked. Very nice. Sent it on."

And i was offended.

"What? Didn't keep it as treasure for the rest of your life? Are you fucking kidding me?" I thought in a flash, then recovered. "Oh yeah, that's what I want all along."

Turns out he intends to send it along, and told me the plan, but that will not happen. I already visualized the piles of correspondence in separate stacks on farmhouse diningroom table, turned office, never to be cleared. He'll not get around to loading $5.00 stamps on a package to pick up. It cannot pass through regular mail, I don't think, so screw it, it's stuck there.

Chip Ahoy said...

The Indian girl is saying "world of war" not wow.

It occurred to me, her word is our word for "football." I used to conflate with "war" which is similar, war goes back and forth, football (american type football) smashes into each other resulting in a meshed mess like the sticks of a teepee, and that's what she's doing, nothing at all to do with amazement, it's a clash.

Michael Haz said...

I was just going to say that.

Michael Haz said...

How do people sign when they age and their finger joints become arthritic and don't operate well?

bagoh20 said...

Inspired by you Chip, I want to make a popup birthday card for the daughter of a friend. She's an artist, and it's just the kind of thing she would love if I can pull it off. She will be turning 21 at the end of March and her family and I are all going to her home in Chicago to celebrate with her for a few days. I thought you had a site that showed your cards. Is that still available? I'm starting from scratch, and so I need some info on the how, and a few ideas to look at to get me started.

Hey Lem, thanks for the link to my blog. You da man!

bagoh20 said...

What happens if you have Tourette syndrome and only use sign language? Does that happen?

Chip Ahoy said...

I'm moving this site where 50 are linked. On the right in a column, newest on top. It's dead now. Nothing can be added or changed.

It's taking a long time because each linked paged leads to a descriptive page usually but not always with additional links that describe construction and prototypes, most of them do. All must be moved to this site, pop-up page transition tank. Same content, different site, I'm halfway done moving things.

bagoh20 said...

Thanks Chip. That helps a lot. If I can do one anywhere near as good as one of those, I'll be happy. So many great ideas. I'm in awe.