The feedback may not be as overwhelming as I expected, what with the preoccupation with Christmas festivities and all, but I would like to give you a second installment of my “Funny Signs” project.
Noelle de Guzman was kind enough to provide URLs of some funny signs she took and which she uploaded on her Flickr account. (Irrelevant-and-bordering-on-the-irreverent trivia: Noelle holds the distinction of being my first-ever master’s thesis advisee. Did I do a good job? Just ask her!)
Anyway, let’s start with something predictable, especially if a product were made in China.
Do you know the meaning of “mini lordliness”? Is there such a term? Is there a difference between a “love of house” and a “house of love”?
I know, you have so many questions that have nothing to do with solving world hunger.Or something as simple as the horrendous traffic in Metro Manila. Then again, you can argue that this sign is meant to solve that.
Taxi lang po ito (This is just a taxi).Nothing ungrammatical here, and this could actually be the driver’s profound way of telling motorists behind him (or her, a taxi driver could be a woman!) to understand if, for some reason, the vehicle suddenly brakes or swerves. Don’t you know that the driver needs to eke out a living? He or she needs to get from point A to point B even using a straight line, never mind the lanes and the turns!
Or perhaps the sign is meant to ward off robbers. It’s not a luxury car, after all. It’s just a taxi!
If you think the sign above is a case of “stating the obvious,” what do we make of the one below? This sign is located at a well-marketed mall located near C-5. (I doubt if you need a clue, clue!)
I have an idea: Instead of “Entrance” posted outside establishments, why don’t we use this instead? If it’s not an exit, then it should be… Wait! People may think it’s a dead end! We should opt therefore for “Not an Exit, Not a Dead End” instead of “Entrance,” right?
From the obvious and easy, let’s look at something that will test your mastery of prepositions.
I will just let you find out for yourself what’s wrong with this sign. Suffice it to say that you are not smarter than a fifth grader if you don’t know the answer!
Just like my previous post, I would like to end with something (somewhat) adult-oriented. Don’t get me wrong. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the sign. Maybe it has to do with the Filipino term we use for a certain kind of shorts. Or maybe I just have a dirty mind.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!
These signs are pretty funny, especially the last one. However, the ‘Not an Exit’ sign isn’t funny at all because it does serve an extremely important purpose–at least people know that it isn’t an exit since fire exits can normally be found in very similar narrow off-shoots. I’m sure you know that but I thought I would still say something for those who don’t realize its purpose.
Reply: Thanks for your comment. I guess “context” is instrumental in assessing whether or not a sign is funny. You raised an interesting point about “Not an Exit” being not funny and very useful in times of emergency, though I am sure you will agree that a more direct sign that says “Fire Exit” would be more helpful for those who need to run to safety. Then again, a sign that says “Not an Exit” can also guide people through when looking for the nearest fire exit. In any case, I wish you all the best. Cheers!
They could just have put “NO EXIT” on that corridor, or placed some kind of “Authorized Personnel Only” sign there if they didn’t want people wandering into that place. :D I still don’t know where that corridor leads.
Reply: I guess we’ll have to revisit the mall, if only to know where that corridor leads.
naku…magpipista kayo dito sa dubai sa dami ng weird signs
Dear Sir,
Am sorry but i have to ask you again, becuase i trust you for this matter. ok here we go.
what is the difference between the “I and ME”, I mean in using them in a sentence, or in verbal communication. When is the right time to use the “I” and “ME” .
Example:
I and my friend …….
You know better than I….
or
Me and my friend….
You know better than Me
Sir am really confused which of the “I and ME” is going to be used.
can you help me on this sir.
thank you
Reply: The word “me” is used as an object while “I” is used as a subject. For example, the statements “This reply was written by me” and “I wrote this reply” are both grammatically correct. To cite a common grammatical mistake in conversational English, you should say “It is I” instead of “It is me.” With regard to the examples you cited, the first set of statements is correct, though I have to admit that “Me and my friend” is widely used (even if grammatically incorrect) in conversational English. Hope this helps. All the best!
“Not an Exit” signs’ primary purpose is to alert people in cases of emergencies (i.e. Fire), warning people that particular direction does not lead to an exit. The sign is widely used here in the U.S.
Reply: Thanks for the comment. That gives a new perspective to this particular sign. What proves to be “funny,” at least in the Philippines, is the fact that the fire exit doors in many establishments are normally locked for reasons we do not know. “Not an exit” is used, oddly enough, to refer to dead ends in the hallway. I think the sign “Dead End” would be more direct and accurate. All the best!
Hi, Danny.
I’m a writer in Indiana. Among other things, I write a weekly column about grammar, and I am starting a blog to accompany that column. May I have permission to use your Fitness First and Love of House photos in my blog? I’m happy to provide the address should you approve. Thanks!
Reply: Sure. I think that won’t be a problem as long as proper attribution is given. All the best!
hi.
asking permission to grab some of your photos and feature it in my blog. rest assured proper credit is given. thanks.
Reply: Sure. Thanks!