Misspelled Graffiti

[Griffin]

We were in a playground at the weekend with Grace. As I was lifting her onto the slide I noticed graffiti scrawled on the underside of it...

"Fuck The Natsies"

Complete with incorrect swastika. It's pretty much the most random thing I've seen so far this year.

[magicbastarder]

seen on o'connell street, near the savoy - "JVC Feet doctor - respectabel".

or on a wall on abbey street (my bus used to pass it every day)
"rachel stevens is a geebag tramp slut
broke is her by day"

[PMan]

From the "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" book I think but there was one where somebody had written "Nígger's Out" to which was appended ".. but he'll be back later".


(The í is to stop p45 doing ####### with Níggers - stooopid computer)

[Qu1zMaster]

Council workers put up a sign in Dunlaoghaire along the waterfront years ago:
"Road Closed Tempery"

[Dell]

Google throws back 127,000 search results for tempery. First page all look like mispellings. Imagine the rest are too.

[ender]

Handmade sign on Inis Mor, 1992..."Beware of Gard Dog". (Not technically graf, i know)

I still, to this very day, lament *furiously* that I had no camera phone when I saw "Bin Ladin's Ma" scrawled on a Tallaght wall soon after Sept. 11th.

[TheFunkeyGibbon]

I was disappointed to find there was no genetically mutated insects in the shop I went into with a 'clearants' sale.

[Pógxsmuhowney Pohl]

this was kinda funny ..from the BBC a while back relating to Beijing Olympic sign:
Beijing stamps out poor English



Occasionally, a sign makes sense

China has launched a fresh drive to clamp down on bad English in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Previous attempts to wipe out Chinglish - the mistranslated phrases often seen on Chinese street signs and product labels - have met with little success.

Emergency exits at Beijing airport read "No entry on peacetime" and the Ethnic Minorities Park is named "Racist Park".

A road sign on Beijing's Avenue of Eternal Peace warns of a dangerous pavement with the words: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery are Very Crafty".

Menus frequently list items such as "Corrugated iron beef", "Government abuse chicken" and "Chop the strange fish".

A year later the Beijing Tourism Bureau set up a hotline for visitors and residents to tip off examples of bad English, and said results would be reviewed by a panel of English professors and expatriates.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

What are the more memorable examples of Chinglish that you have seen?

Your comments:

A lot of common errors were transposing errors, for example: First Aid Centre was Fivst Aicl Centrt. Another sign read: Help potect the cultural relecs, help protect the railings.



I have two favourites from spending many years working in China. At the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi'an a sign said "Cherishing Flowers and Trees" which meant "keep off the grass". The other on a cruise on the Yangtse River, "Don't Bother" instead of "Do not Disturb" on the cabin doors. There were many others but these always made me smile.
Lee Tomkow, Santa Barbara, California


Whilst living in Beijing about a year ago, I came across a park in a residential area in the Shunyi district which (although intended for use as a 'dog park') was translated to 'Dog-Bark Park'. Not to mention an apartment building which, for some bizarre reason beyond my knowledge was named "An Australian Lady and Her Lifestyle".
James, Spring, TX, USA


At the Simatai section of the Great Wall of China there is a sign that reads: People and flowers, plants help each other in breath, if you pick the flowers they will die, and you will reduce your life too. A lovely message somehow gone somewhat wrong.
Ollie Boothroyd, Windsor, UK


"Site of jumping umbrella" (paragliding site)
Michael Pye, Cambridge, UK


"No striding". On a menu: "The oil explodes the shrimp". "Pleasant aftertaste". On a sign: "Keep fire in safe hands, we live in a safe world."
Emily, Bremerton, WA, USA


My favourite is: "Please take advantage of the chambermaids" on a hotel brochure.
Andrei Pogonaru, Bucharest, Romania


At one of the bigger train stations (and I'm kicking myself right now because I can't remember which one!) there is a huge, and I mean huge, sign which states simply "Question Authority". Remember, this is an incredibly heavily controlled officially Communist state. The sign is merely pointing to the help desk.
Peter Douglas, Edinburgh


The taps in my hotel room in Beijing had a fancy engraved sign "No Drinking Without Dealing" - I suspect they meant "boiling". There are so many examples but my favourite may have been at the Ming Tombs "Environmental Sanitation of the Scenic Spot Needs Your Conserve" - indeed it does.
David Graves, Seattle, USA


Forbidden: Prostitution, gambling and drag abuse!
Lou, Beijing, China


I have stayed in Shanghai many times for work. The new subway at Jing An Temple was proudly opened early for tourist trips. All the east exits said "East Exit". All the west exits said "Wast Exit". The next trip back the offending words were covered with duct tape.
James Phethean, Helston UK


When I was living in Beijing in 2000, I saw a sign in front of a rock garden in the Forbidden City that warned tourists "Please do not climb the rocketry".
Craig, California


Airline Pulp - The only English description on a snack package handed out with drinks on Southern China Airways.
Andrew Hobbs, Henley on Thames, UK


While working in Taiyuan, north of Beijing we had the pleasure of visiting a local tourist attraction, one of the signs that had us chuckling was, "do not overtransgress" which is a good guideline, but I don't think you would find a similar sign in an English speaking nation.
Vincent vandenHeuvel, Strathroy, Canada


On a menu: worm pig stomach. No thanks, I had it for breakfast, honest.
Janet, Edinburgh


While staying in a hotel in China I noticed that in with the free (complimentary) bath stuff was a number of items for sale including a pair of boxer shorts labelled "Uncomplimentary Pants"!!
Stephen Mowll, Poole, Dorset, UK


From a recent trip to China to teach English, my favourite example of a mistranslated phrase belonged to a chocolate snack cake whose slogan promised: "This tastiness cannot be carried, even with both hands."
Alia, Austin, USA


A sign in the Shanghai metro read: "After first under on, do riding with civility".
Zachary Scott, Chicago, United States

[Pógxsmuhowney Pohl]

I am a bit ashamed of it now, but when I was starting out I changed tyres for a garage in Dublin where we had to fill out a time sheet at the end of the day. I worked with this kid that was a total illiterate and I would help him fill out his time card. It kinda went like: Wash elephant -2hours. Fill mugs with sugar -15 minutes. Steal change from glove boxes-42 minutes.
I am only ashamed of it because the girls I was chasing were not impressed with a guy who changed tyres.

[Qu1zMaster]

While we're on bad English abroad, when I was in communist Bulgaria, there were signs all along the dual carriageway reading "Forbidden the flawless stopping".
Presumably no stopping unless your vehicle develops a flaw.

[Dell]

While we're on bad English abroad, when I was in communist Bulgaria, there were signs all along the dual carriageway reading "Forbidden the flawless stopping".
Presumably no stopping unless your vehicle develops a flaw.

Or you're not allowed to stop unless your stopping manoeuvre is perfect.

[RockyRoader]

Still my favourite, from the Asian corner shop near us in London:
"Back in 5 minutes. Sorry for the inconvince"

[Dot.Bomb]

Madrid :)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/1250487794_a9b39249d4.jpg

[twentymajor]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/2116999959_701c338c7c.jpg

[hi]

Someone gave the signwriter a belt of a hammer halfway through this one but he pulled it together by the end. Seen in Toronto.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/115/267859581_1090222a7d.jpg

[mmcg]

From a recent trip to China to teach English, my favourite example of a mistranslated phrase belonged to a chocolate snack cake whose slogan promised: "This tastiness cannot be carried, even with both hands."
Alia, Austin, USA

Class!

[Black Smile]

Someone, let's call him Fizzco Phil, presumably wanted to be called 'Psycho Phil' but spelt it 'Physcho Phil'

We did not fear his terror.

[RockyRoader]

Our band "Psycho Ceilidh" had the same problem back in the day, BlackSmile

Pyscho Ceilidh also made an appearance - Pissco almost caught the mood of the band!