Sign Your Name...

I studied British Sign Language for a couple of years back in the early 1990s and still can hold a half decent conversation with various deaf or partially hearing friends. As some of you may know, if you're around deaf people a fair amount you will get a sign language nickname - it's a necessity to avoid spelling your name out every time you're mentioned. Thing is, you don't get to choose your own sign name. And boy did we know some funny ones; "Big nose", "Neil/Knee" "Dutch", "Bouncer", "Hearing Aid", "Squinty", "Old". Some seemed generic but we all knew who we were referring to. Sign names don't have to be unique just like "Dave" or "Steve" aren't.

Mine is a sort of "grin while shaking your crocked thumb and index finger tips in front of your teeth". Roughly translated it means "ha ha" or "grins a lot".

My nickname at school was also "grinner". Or to be more exact "grinner minimus" as my older brother was at the same school and he was a "grinner" too.

Funny how names stick.