States Flashcards
Alaska
Hawaii
California
Washington DC
Add a “D C” to the end of the sign “Washington.”
Washington
Washington: Hold a “W” hand near your right shoulder and bring the hand straight forward.
Oregon
The sign for “Oregon” is an “O” off of the shoulder.
Some people do a small circular movement as they come off the shoulder.
Arizona
o do the sign for “Arizona,” touch the thumb of your dominant “A” hand to one side and then the other side of the chin. Also, I tend to do a slight downward movement on each side of the chin.
Montana/Museum
The sign for “Montana” starts with two “M” hands together that move apart and then down.
Colorado
you start with a “C” handshape on your upper arm and you make a couple of arcs as you move down the arm with your “C” hand.
Texas
do an “X” hand on your dominant hand and move it to the right (if you are right handed, or left if you are left handed) and down.
It is sort of like drawing a “7” in the air using an “X” hand.
New York
slide a “Y” hand forward and back on the palm of the non-dominant hand.
If you need to specify “New York, city” vs “New York, state” you can add the CITY sign or the STATE sign.
State
To sign “state” as in, “the U.S. has 50 states,” touch the side of an “S” hand to your left palm and then use a small arc to move the “S” hand to the lower part of palm.
City/Town
touch your hands together as if showing a roof top. Separate them slightly as you move the hands to the side and touch the hands together again.
America
Think of log cabins or log fences.
Interlock your fingers and then move your hands in a circle. The movement is as if you stirring soup in a pot. (A melting pot, heh.)
Country
Use flat dominant hand. The non-dominant hand can be be one of several handshapes: loose, fist, flat, etc. and it doesn’t change or affect the meaning of this sign.
The Y-hand moves in a circle on your forearm. Think of holding a shield with your left forearm and polishing the front with your right hand.
farm/rural
A good way to remember the sign farm is to think of a farmer wiping his or her chin.
Canada
To do the sign for “Canada” thump (lightly) on your upper right chest area twice with the palm-side of your right hand. (Unless you are left handed, in which case the location is on the left side of the chest.)
Mexico
Hold a “V” hand up near your forehead and swing it forward twice as if showing the front part of a sombrero (Mexican hat).
