"garbage" ASL American Sign Language

Note: The "ASL Browser's" sign for trash or garbage (as of June 9, 2007) is generally considered to be the sign for "metal." I think if you ask 10 or more Deaf people you will find a preponderance supporting the version at Lifeprint as being "standard."
Additionally, the "ASL Brower's sign for "metal" is what "most" Deaf people use as the sign for: "ceramic, porcelain, cement, tooth, dentist, and one of the signs for glass."
Note: As of June 9, 2007 The ASLpro.com sign for "garbage" shows a combination of "DIRTY" and a classifier showing a large cylinder--which is obviously intended to mean a "can." Their sign for "garbage disposal" uses a regionally narrow variation of the sign garbage that is commonly used in many states to mean "lettuce/cabbage" followed by a widely accepted sign for disposal-"grind up."
Note: The best you can hope for is to keep at it until you find those variations that are widely used and recognized by the largest audience. And then keep adding to your own repertoire of variations that you recognize. For example, there is a lesser known (rare) variation of "garbage" that touches an "8" or "F" hand to the nose and then flicks the hand outward while opening up into a "5" hand.
Cordially,
Dr. Bill

In a message dated 4/30/2008 5:15:30 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, Rhonda writes:

Hi Bill,

I was trying to find a sign for "dump". Can't seem to find one anywhere, wondered if you had any ideas.

I have a hearing impaired son who is 8 and we take his spelling words every week and learn the signs for those.

Let me know what you can find.

Thanks a lot,

Rhonda

Rhonda,
It depends on what you mean. If you mean, "dump out the contents of a small container" then you would just mime the process.
If I want to say, "I need to go to the dump," then I'd sign, "I NEED GO D-U-M-P." The concept of dump would be spelled.
Alternately I could sign, "I NEED GO TRASH/GARBAGE" and it would be "understood by the listener that what I mean was "dump."

garbage / trash