Think of an Octopus

[Debug Mode]

Got a random request off a lecturer the other week, he wants me to think of an Octopus*, Octopus being a metaphor for intriguing piece of English language, for the next year.

 

For example, he told me this story. He asked a student many years ago the same thing and they came back with a story they encountered during a work placement.

 

What happened was the work placement was out in Dubai, so she worked in one of the tall buildings which had offices. One of her colleagues had learned English to get the job, as it wasn't her native tongue. Despite the sheer size of the building, the colleague would never take the elevator down or up the building. Happened every day during her placement, she'd notice this woman just walk down an eternity of stairs.

One day, they were talking about general fitness, and this student had jested how their choice was definitely a health conscious one, but to her surprise, the colleague said it was a safety issue. She never used the elevator because of the warning signs saying "In case of fire, do not use elevator". She took it far too literally to think you should never use it just in case a fire breaks out during usage, for those who didn't get it.

 

It's intrigued me and I can't help analysing signs and announcements to use as examples to show an understanding of how much of a mess the English language is. There are plenty of messages I hear on the trains which I've got to start noting down as they never made much sense but I keep forgetting them.

 

In short, do any of you guys ever find such things out and about in daily life? Very interested in hearing from those who have English as a second language.

 

*Thinking of an Octopus is based on a movie, god knows the name, involving a man with an Octopus in a fish bowl and muses over the Octopus. Not a clue, but any one who can enlighten me will be thanked!

Edited April 26, 2010 by Debug Mode

[Dan_Dare]

Hahaha that's a quality story.

[Gizmo]

How about a Stop sign...at what point can I stop Stopping?

[Debug Mode]

How about a Stop sign...at what point can I stop Stopping?

 

That is actually brilliant.

 

I'm still trying to remember the announcement you get on trains these days, some thing like

 

"In the interests of passenger safety your attention is directed to the information leaflets near the exits" or something like that, but the actual wording made it sound as if it was something mystical and your attention had always been set to those information leaflets.

 

Really need to jot it down.

[dwarf]

Sounds as if you're referring to ambiguous phrases.

 

Headlines such as 'Prostitutes Appeal To Pope' have the splendid double meaning (though it's likely you'll notice the funny one first).

 

'Children make great sandwiches'

[MoogleViper]

There's the old eats, shoots and leaves joke. But that's to do with punctuation.

[Ashley]

Sounds like semiotic anecdotes.

 

Classic one they always used; "someone unfamiliar with how signs work (in a semantic sense) may think that the sign on the underground which says 'Dogs must be carried on escalators' means everyone must carry a dog with them when using the escalators" etc.

[Debug Mode]

Sounds like semiotic anecdotes.

 

Classic one they always used; "someone unfamiliar with how signs work (in a semantic sense) may think that the sign on the underground which says 'Dogs must be carried on escalators' means everyone must carry a dog with them when using the escalators" etc.

 

That is definitely it. Thank's for that, and shit there is a wasp in my room..

 

I did laugh though!