# American Sign Language for "Cubs" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249 "2008-07-30T17:06:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/1 "2008-07-30T17:06:38Z")
In ASL, how does one sign “Cub” or “Cubs,” as in young bears and the baseball team from Chicago? I know the signs for “small” and “bear” - is that it: small + bear? Also, what does it mean when one makes the letter “C” and then brings it to their chest? One of my clients uses signs, and I don’t understand a lot of them. He uses that one a lot. (And no, he’s not calling me something vulgar - I know most of the vulgar ASL signs!) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/2 "2008-07-30T17:31:48Z")
Slight piggyback to the OP’s question: how are sports teams’ names rendered in ASL? I am thinking that many proper nouns are finger-spelled, but I’m not sure if that rule is 100% applied (e.g. “Detroit Tigers” might have “Detroit” finger-spelled with “Tigers” given a single sign). ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/3 "2008-07-30T17:33:07Z")
[QUOTE=HeyHomie] In ASL, how does one sign “Cub” or “Cubs,” as in young bears and the baseball team from Chicago? I know the signs for “small” and “bear” - is that it: small + bear? Also, what does it mean when one makes the letter “C” and then brings it to their chest? One of my clients uses signs, and I don’t understand a lot of them. He uses that one a lot. (And no, he’s not calling me something vulgar - I know most of the vulgar ASL signs!) [/QUOTE] I would guess either a choking gesture or perhaps a folding one. 😃 Go, Chisox! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/4 "2008-07-30T18:22:40Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] I would guess either a choking gesture or perhaps a folding one. 😃 Go, Chisox! [/QUOTE] Spoken like a typical Sox fan. You pay attention to your own team and not worry about ours. (Actually, I thought is was a bit funny.) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/5 "2008-07-30T18:26:38Z")
If you want to say “I’m a Cubs fan”, you need to make your thumb and forefinger into the shape of an “L” and put it to your forehead. 😃 …and if you’re a Nats fan, you bend the forefinger down halfway and isolate the middle finger… :o ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/6 "2008-07-30T19:06:40Z")
With two fingers of either hand, simulate outfielders crashing haplessly into one another as they lose the ball in the sun/lights. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/7 "2008-07-30T19:41:01Z")
Wow, this is a lot of non-responsive answers for **GQ** , no? Yes, I am jealous that I was beaten to all the good ones. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/8 "2008-07-30T20:08:05Z")
I imagine to make a cubs sign, you first make the sign for “bear”… “The hands cross and scratch which represents a bear scratching itself.” …and then make the sign for “baby” See this one at: [http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm](http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm) Make your arms swing back and forth like you’re rocking a baby. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/9 "2008-07-30T20:16:28Z")
Please note: Turns out my link above only takes you to the asl browser. You’ll need to follow the instructions to sign bear and baby. For the bear, just cross your arms and scratch your chest. My toddler grandchildren know that sign (and baby) plus many others. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/10 "2008-07-30T21:31:41Z")
[QUOTE=HeyHomie] Also, what does it mean when one makes the letter “C” and then brings it to their chest? [/QUOTE] That sounds…uh, I mean, it looks…like the sign for “cop”…you make a C hand and tap the chest where a cop’s badge would be. There are lots of english words that don’t have exact ASL equivalents. There might be a sign for “cub” but if there isn’t then “baby bear” or “bear baby” or fingerspelled C-U-B would be used. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/11 "2008-07-30T21:43:43Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Spoken like a typical Sox fan. You pay attention to your own team and not worry about ours. (Actually, I thought is was a bit funny.) [/QUOTE] [Cubs diss hijack] And you call yourself a South(west)sider? I gave up on organized sports after that thing in 1994. They can all kiss my ass. - What do you call 25 guys watching the 2008 World Series? The Chicago Cubs.\* I had no idea Wikipedia had this article. > **[Curse of the Billy Goat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Cubs_futility_theories)** > > The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis's pet goat, named Murphy, was bothering other fans, and so the pair were asked to leave the stadium. Outraged, Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more", which had been inte The C... Hey, maybe the Cubs should create a new position: “Futility infielder.” [/Cubs diss hijack] ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/12 "2008-08-01T01:54:37Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] [Cubs diss hijack] And you call yourself a South(west)sider? [/QUOTE] I blame it on my parents and the ubiquity of WGN. Folks are off-the-boat Poles, don’t give a damn about baseball. Cubs played day-only home games up until 8-8-88, and WGN broadcast every game. I grew up watching the Cubs, ergo, Cubs fan I am. It’s a bit disturbing, though, because these days (and I mean for the last several years), many Southwest Side bars display Cubs memorabilia. It’s really disconcerting to me, because, growing up in this part of town, being a Cubs fan was certainly looked down upon. I had to endure many years of (playful) teasing, and the Cubs lost every last goddamn crosstown classic (the closest they ever came was tying one year) I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Daffyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daffyd/32/8923_2.png) [@Daffyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daffyd)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/13 "2008-08-02T02:04:58Z")
As an aside… The ASL sign for the Toronto Maple Leafs is an open flat hand on the chest - sort of like the giant Maple Leaf they use on their jerseys except sideways… and when Gretzky used to be big, his ASL sign was the number 99 on your arm where it would be on a real jersey… Much quicker than having to spell out his name… There probably is some kind of sign used for the Cubs, but when team names are short, often Deaf people will just spell them out… ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/14 "2008-08-02T02:19:32Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I blame it on my parents and the ubiquity of WGN. Folks are off-the-boat Poles, don’t give a damn about baseball. Cubs played day-only home games up until 8-8-88, and WGN broadcast every game. I grew up watching the Cubs, ergo, Cubs fan I am. It’s a bit disturbing, though, because these days (and I mean for the last several years), many Southwest Side bars display Cubs memorabilia. It’s really disconcerting to me, because, growing up in this part of town, being a Cubs fan was certainly looked down upon. I had to endure many years of (playful) teasing, and the Cubs lost every last goddamn crosstown classic (the closest they ever came was tying one year) I remember. [/QUOTE] Ah, a subtle form of brainwashing then. WGN, World’s Greatest Newspaper…yeah, you didn’t have a chance. The Sox are the Rodney Dangerfields of baseball (or at least, back when I cared about baseball they were). For some unrelated reason, my bro called me in Oct 05 and asked me if I thought the Sox were going to take it all. “Huh?” So I watched that Series and then resumed ignoring them and the rest of MLB. A buddy (Cub fan) of mine and I agreed once that you’ve got your minor leagues, then the Sox/Cubs, then the majors—because any real talent the Chicago teams got was quickly traded away for some magic beans. And BTW IMO the best trade the Sox ever made was Harry Caray in exchange for nobody. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sign-language-for-cubs/458249/15 "2008-08-02T02:25:04Z")
My experience is that proper nouns and local celebrities and points of interest will have locally “coined” signs or _name signs_ as identiy symbols - a sign that is only or mostly known only to the local deaf community. Not sure if this is so with sports teams since some of them could have national interest. I can’t find a good link on name signs - maybe [this one](http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/excerpts/BIDCone.html), but I’m not sure why it has singled out New Zealand names signs. As far as I know, all signing communities use name signs.