To perform this sign, start with both hands in open '5' handshapes with your fingers slightly spread. Hold them just in front of your chest with your palms facing inward toward your body. Move your hands inward toward each other in a quick, short motion, and be sure to include a startled or fearful facial expression.
Sign 'loud' and 'noise', then use the sign shown in the video for 'fright', bringing your hands inward with a scared facial expression.
Sign 'stage' followed by the sign for 'fright' to convey the sudden fear or anxiety of performing in front of an audience.
Sign 'wake up', then use the quick inward motion of the hands to clearly show the feeling of 'fright' or being startled.
Sign 'loud' and 'noise', then use the sign shown in the video for 'fright', bringing your hands inward with a scared facial expression.
Sign 'stage' followed by the sign for 'fright' to convey the sudden fear or anxiety of performing in front of an audience.
Sign 'wake up', then use the quick inward motion of the hands to clearly show the feeling of 'fright' or being startled.
The video demonstrates the sign for 'fright' (being scared or afraid), which is commonly confused with 'freight' due to their similar spelling. To talk about 'freight' as in cargo or shipping, you would typically use the ASL signs for CARGO, BOX, or SHIP instead.
In ASL, facial expressions are a crucial part of grammar and meaning. For a sign related to fear or fright, a startled or scared expression shows the intensity of the emotion, making your sign clear, natural, and easy to understand.
While it is technically possible to sign 'scared' or 'fright' with one hand if your other hand is occupied, it is standard and much clearer to use both hands moving inward simultaneously to convey the full impact of the emotion.
