Describing things
Size, color, temperature — and how degree lives in the movement.
Focus
Adjectives scale with the body
BIG pulled farther apart means 'huge'. A tense, sharp HOT means 'scalding'. The degree word is built into how you move.
Spotting folk etymology
OLD is taught everywhere as stroking a beard. It isn't — it's a cane. A first look at how confidently-repeated stories can be wrong.
Signs in this lesson
Open any sign for its full history, sources and minimal pairs.
Hold both 'L' hands near each other and pull them apart to show size.
Set a claw hand at your mouth, then twist it away sharply, as if throwing out hot food.
Hold two fists in front of you, shoulders hunched, and shake them as if shivering.
Close a 'C' into an 'S' hand as it moves down from the chin, as if drawing down a shape below the face.
Touch a flat hand to your chin, then bring it down onto your other flat palm.
Touch a flat hand to your chin, then flip it over and throw it down.
Watch out for
Pairs in this lesson that learners mix up — the drill will test exactly these.
- BAD / GOOD — Same start at the chin. GOOD lands palm-up on the other hand; BAD flips palm-down and drops.