One of the things I like to do when travelling is to smile and one of the things that makes me smile is seeing puns and good word play. This can often come out in signs for shops and other services. A good example of this is the small town of Wath near Sheffield which has a wine shop called the grapes of Wath. That one could only be done there!
But, of course, seeing signs in English which are not quite correct, or signs in the native language which sound rude or funny in English is my bread and butter … why? Because they bring a smile to my face. So I thought it would be a fun post to look at a few of them and maybe tell the story behind them.
I thought I might as well get the shock one out of the way first. Yes this says what you think it says, but I don’t think the f word has such a clout in German as it does in English. This message was found in Wurzburg in South Germany. Apologies if I have managed to offend anyone, but I found it funny!
Another one in Germany, this time highlighting not knowing the nuances of English, though to be fair it does confuse some native speakers. If you are unsure what “dogging” means in colloquial English, at least in the UK – then this short (10 minute) clip from British comedian Peter Kay’s, ‘car share’ series will put you right, however the clip does contain very strong language.
Back in Hamburg, I did wait on the bench outside for a while, but nothing happened. Not even a dog went by!
This sign was spotted in Bordeaux, France … Interesting as it is close to the border with Spain where the word “soso” means bland.
Then there are the words which look amusing to us but are just common words in the country’s own language. The word “shite” means ‘sale’ in Albanian … so the jackets are on sale and it’s not a comment on their quality. I saw this word quite often around the city and I always said it to myself in a Glaswegian accent and it never failed to make me smile.
Tirana Albania was quite a find for signs … I tried to order “hodgepodge” at least twice in order to find out what the hell it was, but both times it was already sold out (so they said.) I didn’t dare try diapers though.
This one was a sign of the times as mascara translates as “mask” in Portuguese – this notice was spotted in Porto. I liked the idea of having to raid my makeup bag before going into the shop, though.
Another example of how my mind works. I did wonder what sort of sweets they might sell.
This sign was on lots of the buses I took in Zaragoza, Spain. I often wondered where the disposal of customers’ office was and made a mental note never to go there.
In this final photo, I am sure the owner’s of the place knew what they were doing and must have heard the phrase many times from British tourists.
So there you have it, just some of the signs that have made me smile over the last few years. Do you have any yourself you could share, I would love to hear about them.
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Comments
OMG ! THESE IS SO FUNNY Thank you Steev for bubbling up several laughs today!