Words and their meanings on signs

[greensinestro]

I have seen my share of words that might make sense to me, but what about the homeless person, or the less than educated Joe out there? How are they supposed to know they are breaking the law if they do not know what it means?

Once at a subway in Atlanta, I saw a sign that said "No espitating on the sidewalks". Now, four letters spell out a word that I think make it obvious, yet others have no idea what this means, causing them to have no idea why they are being fined. Why not just say, "no spitting allowed?" And, even if they know what the word means, would one just say, "I can't spit on the sidewalk, so I'll spit elsewhere"?

How about no parking zones where the sign says "no standing"? You know there's some idiot out there who comes to a curb like this, and sits down!

[Heksubah]

Just to make a note, since I've been in that situation before... not all homeless people are less than educated Joes. Some of them are people with college degrees, intelligent people who either made the wrong decisions or who had life kick them in the backside.

I agree about the signs, though. There are lost of people, such as the CU L8R teen bunch, or the less than average Joes, who would see a sign like that and have no clue that they were breaking the law. It almost seems like it is a trap for those sorts.

[edible_hat]

Hell, some people can't even understand the signs that say "CLOSED" or "OUT OF ORDER"...

[greensinestro]

Just to make a note, since I've been in that situation before... not all homeless people are less than educated Joes. Some of them are people with college degrees, intelligent people who either made the wrong decisions or who had life kick them in the backside.

I totally agree, and no offense was meant toward people in this situation. My point of it was there are people out there, ones that are highly educated, and others who are not but have common sense, who would not know what these signs mean. As one other person put it, it's like a trap being set for the police to meet a quota with.

[Emrld]

When those signs were designed and made those were the proper day to day terms. It can take several steps let alone money to have them changed. (passing vote, city rules and regs etc.)

Language changes over the years . . .along with technology and termanology (but not my spelling skills)

(why does this thread have me asking why we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway)

[Becks]

Hell, some people can't even understand the signs that say "CLOSED" or "OUT OF ORDER"...

Just put up signs that say "NO".

[Bagga]

I'm afraid I wouldn't understand "espitating" - dictionary.com doesn't know it either .

I expect (hah!) the sign actually said "expectorating". A word that always used to make me laugh when I was a kid, as did "masticating". Yeah, I know - I was a proto-Beavis or Butthead.

[Andara Bledin]

I expect (hah!) the sign actually said "expectorating". A word that always used to make me laugh when I was a kid, as did "masticating". Yeah, I know - I was a proto-Beavis or Butthead.

Hey, don't forget titillating!

^-.-^

[greensinestro]

I'm afraid I wouldn't understand "espitating" - dictionary.com doesn't know it either .

I expect (hah!) the sign actually said "expectorating". A word that always used to make me laugh when I was a kid, as did "masticating". Yeah, I know - I was a proto-Beavis or Butthead.

The word espitating goes back to when I was in the high school marching band. By my senior year, I was in the leadership program, and we would have meetings with conversations on subjects like this, mainly with our band director in charge of them. I can't recall much of what else I learned, except for him talking about a sign with this word on it.

[MadMike]

One of my teachers had a expression for using overly-complicated words as in the sign. She called it "Using a $10 word, when a $5 word will do."

[MMATM]

Like using words like "serendipitous" when "lucky" will do.

Keep in mind that not all $10 words are longer than $5 words, as in the case of "ergo" ($10) and "therefore" ($5). However the ten-dollar "ergo" is longer than the five-dollar "so" which is also one of its synonyms.

[edible_hat]

Never use a diminutive word when a sesquipedalian one will do.

[Killer Bees]

I have seen my share of words that might make sense to me, but what about the homeless person, or the less than educated Joe out there? How are they supposed to know they are breaking the law if they do not know what it means?

Once at a subway in Atlanta, I saw a sign that said "No espitating on the sidewalks". Now, four letters spell out a word that I think make it obvious, yet others have no idea what this means, causing them to have no idea why they are being fined. Why not just say, "no spitting allowed?" And, even if they know what the word means, would one just say, "I can't spit on the sidewalk, so I'll spit elsewhere"?

How about no parking zones where the sign says "no standing"? You know there's some idiot out there who comes to a curb like this, and sits down!

Perhaps they meant "no expectorating"? That would make more sense with the spitting angle.

[greensinestro]

Perhaps they meant "no expectorating"? That would make more sense with the spitting angle.

Like I say, I was going by what I was taught years ago in high school. One of my other favorite vocabulary words was superfluous. Many don't have a clue what that means, although they know what surplus means.

[Calud]

*head asplode*

Too many unknown words, 404 - brain not found.