So I Married A Deaf Man: Those darn Idioms

Oh, idioms. Sweet, cruel idioms. You say one thing, but mean something else. Do you know how hard you are to translate? Near impossible.

I understand you, most of the time. But only because I was raised hearing you often. So often that I forget you are there sometimes. You are so familiar that you roll off my tongue without even a second thought.

Hubs, however, doesn't know you so well. In fact, you are almost a stranger to him. And you confuse him. A lot.

I know that when you say, "I plead the fifth" you mean you don't want to incriminate yourself. But Hubs is left scratching his head..

When I hear "Get a grip!" I think of a person who needs to chill out or calm down. Hubs thinks that the person needs to hold on tighter with his hands.

"My hands are tied" comes out of my mouth when I tell my kids that they can't go to the movies because I have to work. Hubs reads this and pictures someone with their hands literally tied behind their back.

You are my nemesis when I am at work. You sneak in, all unexpected, and throw me for a loop. (See, like that.) You know you don't translate well. Why must you insist on rearing your ugly head at such inopportune times?

But don't worry, little English idiom. I have a friend for you.

English idiom, meet ASL idiom.

Oh, yes. You will be great friends. You see, ASL idioms are no easier to translate than you are. Harder, actually.

I see "Train Gone" and know that you are referring to a lost opportunity. But an innocent English speaker would have thought it just meant that the train had left the station.

I see a slight repeated movement of the lip and I know this translates into, "That's is really interesting." But a hearing person may think you have a twitch.

I see the left part of your nose scrunch up and down a few times and I know that the Deaf person is saying that they've been there, done that. For most non-signers,  this may bring back memories of "I Dream of Jeannie."

So, Idiom, you have a way with words. A way to pass so much information with only a few words. Sometimes you are the only way to say what needs to be said. And yet, you cause so much confusion when crossing language barriers.

Here is a little advice that I have learned about communication.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Try it, Idioms, and you might just disappear.