J Category

Question 1

J:

Answer 1

Thumb-ring finger=curled.
Pinky=extended.
Orientation: Move hand downward and then upward in a J-type loop.

Question 2

Jack:

Answer 2

Letter J shaken side to side or fingerspell it.

Question 3

Jail: Noun

Answer 3

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
V handshape.
Orientation: Have the palms of both hands face you with the fingers pointing upwards. Have the dominant hand closer to you than the non-dominant hand is. Slap the back of the dominant hand against the palm side of the non-dominant hand’s fingers.

Question 4

Jail: Verb - “to be thrown into the slammer”

Answer 4

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
V handshape.
Orientation: Have the palms of both hands face you with the fingers pointing upwards. Have the dominant hand closer to you than the non-dominant hand is. Slap the back of the dominant hand against the palm side of the non-dominant hand’s fingers. Then have the dominant hand move past the non-dominant hand and move downwards.

Question 5

Janitor:

Answer 5

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
S handshape.
Orientation: Have the dominant hand on top of the non-dominant hand. Have the side of the index finger on the dominant hand face you. Thrust both hands slightly forward twice. Then do the “person” sign.
Notes: I think the motion is like the janitor mopping or something.

Question 6

Jealous:

Answer 6

Dominant hand: 
Index finger=slightly curled. 
Thumb, middle-pinky=curled. 
Non-dominant hand: nothing. 
Orientation: Place the side of the index finger near your mouth with the back of the hand facing you. Then turn the hand so that the palm faces you. 
Notes: It also means “envious”.

Question 7

Jewish:

Answer 7

Dominant hand:
Index-pinky=extended, separated (but close together), and turned downwards.
Thumb=extended, almost touching the tips of the other fingers.
Orientation: Have the tip of the thumb under your chin. The other fingers are pointing upwards. Run the index-pinky down your chin. Put the index-pinky together and the thumb against the other fingers.

Question 8

Job:

Answer 8

Dominant hand:
I handshape.
Non-dominant hand: nothing.
Orientation: Have the hand turned to the side with the pinky pointing upwards. Then turn the hand so that the palm faces you and change into a B handshape.

Question 9

Join:

Answer 9

Version 1:
Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
Thumb-pinky=extended and separated.
Orientation: Have the back of the hands face you and the fingers pointing upwards. Then turn the hands to the side (with the fingers still pointing upwards). Then turn both hands into F handshapes but with the index and thumb circles interlocked with each other.
Notes: It also means “connect”, “of”, “member”, and “own”.
Version 2:
Dominant hand:
H handshape.
Non-dominant hand:
C handshape.
Orientation: Have the dominant hand turned to the side with the fingers pointing upwards. Have the non-dominant hand turned to the side with the fingers pointing to the side. Rotate the dominant hand down so that the fingers point outward and place the dominant hand inside the non-dominant hand.
Notes: It also means “participate”. Opposite of “quit”.

Question 10

Joke:

Answer 10

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
Index finger=curled but not turned downwards.
Thumb, middle-pinky=curled.
Orientation: Have both hands to the side with the fingers pointing outward (if they were extended). Run the dominant hand on top of the non-dominant hand 2-3 times. For inflection, smiling would be good.

Question 11

Joker:

Answer 11

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
Index finger=curled but not turned downwards.
Thumb, middle-pinky=curled.
Orientation: Have both hands to the side with the fingers pointing outward (if they were extended). Run the dominant hand on top of the non-dominant hand 2-3 times. Then do the “person” sign.

Question 12

Judge:

Answer 12

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
F handshape.
Orientation: Have both hands turned to the side with the middle-pinky fingers pointed outwards. Then move the hands up and down asynchronously. Then do the “person” sign.

Question 13

July 4th:

Answer 13

Version 1: 
Fingerspell July. 
Then do the number 4 with your hand turned to the side and the fingers pointing upwards. Flick the hand so that the palm then faces you.
Version 2: 
“Independence” + “day”.

Question 14

Junior:

Answer 14

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
Thumb-pinky=extended and separated.
Orientation: Have the palm of the non-dominant hand face you. Place the palm of the dominant hand on top of the index finger of the non-dominant hand.
Notes: You can also just do the number 9 sign but tap the thumb and index finger together a few times. Also, fingerspelling “J-R” is another version.

Question 15

Just kidding:

Answer 15

Fingerspell J-K.

Question 16

Jesus:

Answer 16

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
Number 5 handshape.
Orientation: Have both hands turned to the side with the fingers pointing upward. Then on the dominant hand turn the middle finger downward and tap it against the palm of the non-dominant hand. Return the dominant hand to its former position and do the same movement again but this time with the non-dominant hand tapping the dominant hand.
Note: It’s like you are tapping the nails in his hands.

Question 17

Jungle:

Answer 17

Dominant hand:
J handshape.
Non-dominant hand:
B handshape.
Orientation: Have the back of the non-dominant hand up and the arm horizontally across your chest. Place the elbow of the dominant arm on the non-dominant hand. Then shake the dominant hand back and forth. Then move both of your hands to the side and access your chest.
Notes: The movement across your chest symbolizes multiple trees.

Question 18

Jar: Can

Answer 18

Version 1:
Fingerspell it.
Can move positions of the hand similar to “job”.

Version 2:
“Glass” + “bottle”.

Version 3: High Context
“Bottle”.

Question 19

Jar: Push

Answer 19

“Push” or jab to the side with your elbow.

Question 20

Jar: Mentally jarring

Answer 20

Dominant hand: 
S handshape. 
Non-dominant hand:
Index finger=extended. 
Thumb, middle-pinky=curled. 
Orientation: Have the back of the dominant hand face you. Place the tip of the non-dominant hand against the palm side of the wrist of the dominant hand. Then knock the dominant hand back and forth once.

Question 21

Japanese:

Answer 21

Dominant hand and non-dominant hand:
L handshape.
Orientation: Have the hands turned to the side. The fingers would be pointing outwards if they were fully extended. Touch the index finger and thumb touch each other on their respective sides and pull the hands away from each other.

Question 22

Jump:

Answer 22

Dominant hand:
V handshape.
Non-dominant hand:
B handshape.
Orientation: Have the non-dominant hand palm up. Place the tips of the index and middle finger on the palm of the non-dominant hand.
Notes: The index and middle fingers of the dominant hand represent legs. Lift the dominant hand of the nondominant hand and curl the index and middle finger like someone jumped off the ground and bent their legs.