Thread: Watch your speed :-)

I was driving back home to London along the motorway today and in big neon letters across a motorway sign was written - WATCH YOUR SPEED: it's a regular sign that means 'Don't travel too fast'. But really - 'Watch your speed' - like 'Look at your speed' - Yep, I'm looking at my speed and it's way too fast, or, whilst looking at my speed I careered across several lanes of traffic and crashed into the central barrier

Just thought I'd mention it.......

English can have funny sentences...like the signs that appear in American neighborhoods saying "Slow children playing"...it means drive slow because there are children around, but its funny with a literal interpritation as in the children whom are playing are slow...

Originally Posted by Angel_of_Death-NZ

English can have funny sentences...like the signs that appear in American neighborhoods saying "Slow children playing"...it means drive slow because there are children around, but its funny with a literal interpritation as in the children whom are playing are slow...

In Russia we have a sign "Осторожно дети" which is funny because it can be interpretated as "beware of children". But there's a certain share of truth in that.

The best banner i've ever seen was a "Береги природу - мать твою!" - мать твою here is like in the end of a phrase "your mother f#@k off" so it sounds like "Keep the nature - you mazaf...a"

Originally Posted by JJ

The best banner i've ever seen was a "Береги природу - мать твою!"

Another version is "Люби Родину - мать твою!"

I heard a shoes company advertisement "Мы обуем всю страну".

@ Friendy and JJ: Lol, you mean like this?

Originally Posted by Friendy

Another version is "Люби Родину - мать твою!"

But I've really saw a photo in "Krokodil" magazin in the end of 80's and there was "Береги природу...."

Originally Posted by Ник

@ Friendy and JJ: Lol, you mean like this?

Да, текст тот же, но я видел ещё чёрно-белое фото в журнале "Крокодил" в конце 80-х годов.

Originally Posted by JJ

Originally Posted by Friendy

Another version is "Люби Родину - мать твою!"

But I've really saw a photo in "Krokodil" magazin in the end of 80's and there was "Береги природу...."

I haven't seen any signs like that until now. I only knew it as a play on words.

Lots of peopel have been writing to the Independent newspaper with signs like that - one which I like is:

TRY OUR SAUSAGES! YOU'LL NEVER GET BETTER!

А вот что у нас делают. Уверен, что дизайнер стыдливо добавил слово «пыль» по настоятельному требованию директора

So he's embarrassed because of пыл/пыль?

I think the main phrase 'сосу за копейки' is pretty funny on its own, right?

The phrase “сосу за копейки” is completely sensible. Beyond its normal meaning (what vacuum machines usually do) word “сосать” also means “blowjob.” That's the main idea of this double-sense ad. I just think that somebody in the design agency considered it too dirty and decided to add “пыль” (with less font-size and less visible colour) to smooth the meaning. I think it's stupid because it is the same as to say “Sorry, but look, we didn't mean this!” So why make the banner at all..?

Right, thanks!
It was quite tricky to figure out the nuance there, although I got the basic idea ..
And for my efforts I've learnt another dirty word in Russian...

The Samsung guys did not invent the thing. They just translated and adapted the oldie: "Nothing sucks like Electrolux."

i remembered somebody told me that there was something like "Мы научили мир сосать" from Чупа-чупс.

Originally Posted by Oddo

TRY OUR SAUSAGES! YOU'LL NEVER GET BETTER!

Excellent - I like that...

Even better:

"LAMBS! PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOGS ON LEADS!"