R-e-s-p-e-c-t

Find out what it means to me:

And I apologize to Sister Ree for that...

Anyway, it struck me yesterday that the key difference between the RID Code of Ethics that I grew up with, and the RID Code of Professional Conduct is the word respect.

Here is the Code I grew up with (it is out of date so the link may not last forever):

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. has set forth the following principles of ethical behavior to protect and guide interpreters and transliterators and hearing and deaf consumers. Underlying these principles is the desire to insure for all the right to communicate.

This Code of Ethics applies to all members of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. and to all certified non-members.

Interpreters/transliterators shall keep all assignment-related information strictly confidential.

Interpreters/transliterators shall render the message faithfully, always conveying the content and spirit of the speaker using language most readily understood by the person(s) whom they serve.

Interpreters/transliterators shall not counsel, advise or interject personal opinions.

Interpreters/transliterators shall accept assignments using discretion with regard to skill, setting, and the consumers involved.

Interpreters/transliterators shall request compensation for services in a professional and judicious manner.

Interpreters/transliterators shall function in a manner appropriate to the situation.

Interpreters/transliterators shall strive to further knowledge and skills through participation in work-shops, professional meetings, interaction with professional colleagues, and reading of current literature in the field.

Interpreters/transliterators, by virtue of membership or certification by the RID, Inc., shall strive to maintain high professional standards in compliance with the Code of Ethics.

And here is the short form of the current Code of Professional Conduct (underline emphasis mine):

A code of professional conduct is a necessary component to any profession to maintain standards for the individuals within that profession to adhere. It brings about accountability, responsibility and trust to the individuals that the profession serves.

RID, along with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), co-authored the ethical code of conduct for interpreters. Both organizations uphold high standards of professionalism and ethical conduct for interpreters. At the core of this code of conduct are the seven tenets, which are followed by guiding principles and illustrations.

The tenets are to be viewed holistically and as a guide to complete professional behavior. When in doubt, one should refer to the explicit language of the tenet.

TENETS
Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.

Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.

Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.

Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.

Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues, interns, and students of the profession.

Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.

Interpreters engage in professional development.


I suppose it is like common sense - which isn't all that common. I grew up with the assumption that all people deserve respect, including me. So I respect those with whom I work. They may not do things my way, they may not sign my way. But the goal of the job is to communicate, not be right.

There is so much I could say on this subject that I suspect it will become a new series.

Today I just ask that you look over the two codes. See the differences and ponder with me: why was it necessary to remind us to be respectful of each other?

Idioms and Idiomatic expressions

Today I thought I would compare three idioms that reference cash - since the economy is on so many minds.

cash in (something)
- to exchange coupons or bonds for their value in money
I cashed in a large number of my savings bonds in order to get some money to buy a car.

cash in on (something)
- to make money from an opportunity
The former basketball player cashed in on his popularity to open a very successful restaurant.

cash in one`s chips
- to exchange or sell something to get some money (from the chips used in a poker game)
I decided to cash in my chips and go back to school.

As you can see, they have three very different meanings.

The first can be most easily signed as "EXCHANGE". (available at aslpro.com)

The second may be best as "OPPORTUNITY"- the way I grew up signing it. Instead of the versions most of the online dictionaries have (initialized O-P from TRY), I learned it as if grabbing something off the palm of my hand, dominant hand open to closed as it brushes past the non-dominant palm. (If you cannot find an example on line, let me know and I will post one at you-tube).

Now the third one I thought meant something different, and found this definition at the freedictionary.com

cash in one's chips - pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life.

So if the third idiom "to cash in one's chips" means to sell soemthing off, like used in poker, then I would say it would be signed the same way as the first; EXCHANGE.

However, as I recall it being used, if someone "cashed in his chips" I would think DEAD.

Just my humble opinion.

Any disagreement?

Idioms and Idiomatic expressions.

I was looking about The Idiom Connection and came across these two:

fall head over heels

- to fall down (and maybe roll over)

The little boy fell head over heels when he fell down in the park.

fall head over heels in love (with someone)

- to fall deeply in love with someone

The young man fell head over heels in love with the girl in his English class.

Perhaps it is merely where I grew up, but I seldom hear "head over heels" for anything other than love these days. Recently a sportscaster used a less polite form of "rump over tea kettle".

But as usual, what you really want is how I would sign these: The first concept I think is best conveyed with ROLL modfied to show where the person experienced the fall. (This sign is available at ASL Browser.)

The second concept is more familiar as FALL IN LOVE (Thanks to Lifeprint.com for the animated gif.)

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

So I planned to post this yesterday - but the best laid plans and all... sigh.

Anyway, so here it is:

Red-letter day
Meaning
In earlier times a church festival or saint's day; more recently, any special day.

Origin
This comes from the practise of marking the dates of church festivals on calendars in red.

The first explicit reference to the term in print that we have comes from America. This is a simple use of the term "Red letter day" in the diary of Sarah Knight - The journals of Madam Knight, and Rev. Mr. Buckingham ... written in 1704 & 1710, which was published in American Speech in 1940.

The practice is much earlier than that though. William Caxton, referred to it in The boke of Eneydos, translated and printed in 1490:

"We wryte yet in oure kalenders the hyghe festes wyth rede lettres of coloure of purpre."

The term came into wider use in 1549 when the first Book of Common Prayer included a calendar with holy days marked in red ink. For example, Annunciation (Lady Day), 25th March, was designated in the book as a red-letter day.

The term is sometimes written without the hyphen - 'red letter day'.


So how to sign it? DAY SPECIAL or DAY GREAT perhaps? In some contexts perhaps even DAY TREASURE. (As usual, these glosses can all be found at aslpro

resource: The Phrase Finder

Idioms and Idiomatic expressions.

Here are a couple of sports idioms, from The Idiom Connection.

carry the ball

- be in charge (from carry the ball in American football)

The director decided to let his assistant carry the ball on the assignment for the new sale's contract.

drop the ball

- make an error or mistake, handle things badly

The government dropped the ball on their decision to expand the airport runway without consulting the local residents.

As you can see, in meaning these are opposites that have honestly nothing to do with each other. I expect in both cases to translate by meaning only: CONTROL in the first case and FAIL or MISTAKE in the second (all signs available at aslpro.com)

This brings me to consider the current phrase "EPIC FAIL". At the moment, it is still merely an emphasized FAIL - any thoughts on where the teenagers may choose a different sign?

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

all ears

-to be eager to hear something, to be very attentive

My sister was all ears last night when I talked about starting a home business.

all eyes

- to be watching very closely, to be wide-eyed with surprise

My friend is all eyes when he goes to a basketball game.


While it would be easy to translate these the same way, I think there is a small distinction worth noting. The first shows eagerness while the other shows surprise. Therefore, it may be possible to show ATTENTION with facial grammar marking the difference.

However, I would probably save the ATTENTION sign, with eager body and face, perhaps even paired with the sign EAGER for "all ears." (both signs available at aslpro.com under these glosses.)

I would probably use an idiomatic version of SURPRISE/AMAZEMENT. I cannot currently find a free example on the web, let me know if you do. It is made with the mouth open - adding to the feeling of surprise, with both hands as fists at the eyes, then opening wide (I wiggle each finger as the open wide and close again).

If you really cannot imagine what I am describing, email me and I will do my best to get a vid up somewhere.

Signing off (I know, bad pun... sorry)
resource

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Idiom: 1. A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.)

Idiom: 1. a group of words which, when used together, have a different meaning from the one suggested by the individual words, eg it was raining cats and dogs
2. linguistic usage that is grammatical and natural to native speakers (Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006)

Looking at these definitions, it is clear to me why I resist making the often-requested video of English idioms in ASL. The only way to approach one is meaning-for-meaning. There are a few English idioms that have ASL idiomatic equivalences (TRAIN-GONE is a decent substitute for you missed the boat). Unfortunately, most of the time, the color is lost and only the menaing can be saved.

This intermittant series will explore English idioms and see if by determining meaning we can come up with options for how to sign them. I will use glosses as set forth in American Sign Language by Cokely and Baker-Schenk (known affectionately as "the Green Books").

If it turns out during this exploration I change my mind and video some options, watch this blog for youtube annoucements.

That's all for now! Happy SPring Break!