What a bobbing fist indicates in American Sign Language

YES

This affirmative gesture mimics the motion of nodding your head up and down.

In American Sign Language, a closed fist bobbing up and down once or twice is the standard sign for "yes." The clue plays on the visual similarity between that hand motion and a fist moving in agreement, directly pointing to the answer. Since "YES" is a short, common word, it fits neatly into crossword grids while testing knowledge of ASL basics. No wordplay here—just a straightforward connection between gesture and meaning.