this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2026
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me_irl
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In American Sign Language, raising eyebrows has many functions. It can be used to ask yes/no. You can set context when telling a story. With lowered eyebrows you turn a "w" word (who/what/when etc.) into a question.
But also, you use this more then you realize regardless of your language. If you lock eyes with a stranger at a bar then raise eyebrows, it means "you interested?" In regular conversation it means "are you serious?" or "wow!" depending on context. At a party it might be how you ask your friend across the room if they're ready to leave or if they're feeling safe.
As an autistic person, learning the syntactical rules of ASL eyebrow usage explicitly had a very real side effect of several "ohhhh" moments about eyebrow usage in casual conversation.