This Friday, in the hopes you will have a chuckle all weekend, I thought I would do something different and share one of my favourite Australian comedians with you, the lovely Adam Hills. He is one of those comedians that is unfailingly nice and always hilarious.
Everything he does amuses me, but as a person that loves words and language this show about Auslan (Australian sign language) he did at the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival has a special place in my heart.
My favourite part of this clip starts at about the 3:20 mark, and is about a very Australian phrase loosely translating as ‘I am very annoyed with you, and everyone around you’.
I will give you a language warning before you watch it in case you are of delicate sensibilities.
Awww, it’s not that bad, go ahead and watch it. I guarantee that you will laugh, and possibly be tempted to make up some of your own sign language. If nothing else you will have learnt an amusing Australian phrase that should not be used in polite company.
If you enjoyed that clip, here is a link to another show where he has an Auslan interpreter on the stage with him. He incorporates her into the show wonderfully, saying things just to see what she will sign through her laughter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtW-RtMJkwY (I love the bit where he asks if there are any deaf people in the audience and a bloke calls out ‘pardon?’)
Buried words and Bushwa. 
love adam hills, and definately his ‘aussie’ sign language.
I’m sharing the Adam Hills love, I find myself wanting to use that particular bit of sign language regularly now I know it!
How glad am I that I’m Welsh ! I’ve seen Adam on many panel shows over here but never seen his routine, unless he incorporates the leg into it which he’s shown on one show I saw. Very, very funny and clever.
Fair dinkum sport, you have some great Aussie exports but any chance of you taking Rolf Harris back now?
The leg is a very funny part of his show at times 🙂 I didn’t know that he was on shows overseas, I would love to see that!
No. Just no. Rolf is yours now. I have noticed him back on the telly recently doing a remake of the old British paints ads. That is quite enough of him. Just no.
I’ve seen that one! He is definitely my favourite ‘straight’ as in standup comedian [Nick Minchin is of course my favourite singing and dancing one :D]
Wouldn’t that just be a dream show, Tim Minchin and Adam Hills. One unfailingly nice, the other unfailingly naughty. Where can I buy tickets!!!
lmao – get in line lady!
Speaking of Tim Minchin I saw that he’s being feted for his work in a West End musical! But we saw him first 😀
I think there is space enough in the front row for us both to stare adoringly 🙂
Ok I’ll bring the popcorn, you bring the tissues 😀
I took a one-day course in sign language a few years ago. It is quite difficult yet very satisfying to learn and many of the expressions seem to make perfect sense that this is how words or a concept should be communicated. Interesting that there isn’t a ‘universal’ sign language and that it varies from country to country.
For a long time, and for no logical reason, I always assumed that there was only one sign language worldwide. Of course, now that I think about it that is completely ridiculous!
Both of the kids have had kids with disabilities in their classes over the years and have picked up a bit of the sign language used by them which is called Makaton. I have to say that the actions used for words are very logical ones and we still use a few of them in our house!