Ye Olde Rot Gut Bottle Shoppe
Chateau Greasy Steak
Ristorant Phoney Maroni
(I made these up.)
Of course when I see a problem my critical eye can't let it go and I take a photo. I have a large folder of these signs. I, like many English speakers in Taiwan, would like to get a job as a sign proof reader. You'd think that before committing a sign to eternity you might have it proof read. Sometimes I think the mistakes are deliberate, to generate even more interest.
Here are 5 such signs:
This is one of the cram school that help students prepare for the national exams. It's certainly expressive.
I didn't know that implantology was a word, but again very descriptive.
This chip shop sells different flavors. The "primal" flavor sounds interesting. (A dictionary(Chinese to English) can be a misleading tool.
Coffee or Cafe is a little confusing so how about "cofe"?
Smoking is forbidden in the student dorms so of course the smokers are out at the dorm entrance littering with their nasty habit.
2 comments:
These signs are great! I especially like the "Meaty American School" one. You should send your file to Jay Leno--if he still does that kind of thing. Or you could self publish a coffee table book with them when you get back. Your blog is entertaining!
Do our signs in Chinese in Bellevue, like in restaurants, have the same kinds of mistakes?
It is very funny though the Taiwanese don't think anything wrong with it since it is a foreign language. Most of Taiwanese do read the English sign. But if it gets the foreigner attentions, it might be fun just to make the mistake. I am sure you find my English has plenty of mistake such as honey I used to spell it as hony! It is like "ma, ma2, ma3 ma4", the four tones of similar pronouciation have four different meanings. Isn't language fun?
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