January 4, 2005
Signage Without Copy Editors
The NY Times Metro section tackles the world of mis-spelled signs, mostly by immigrants, even titling the article, "The Grate American Dreem." The article dips into the sociological waters of the American immigrant experience, namely the New York one, with pockets of so many different cultures, but all of them prone to some funny misspellings. As Gothamist has trouble with the English language ourselves, we found the story charming, because our experiences are certainly informed by the signs we see on a daily basis. Like knowing that the pizza place that serves "lazange" when we need it.
The above photograph was taken by Rachelle Bowden at the Port Authority. And countless New York signs can be seen at Mike Epstein's Satan's Laundromat.
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Dig this page for some misspellings
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/queens/woodside/banzai/index.htm
www.forgotten-ny.com
Oh, yeah? What about the pretentious names for cosmetics, i.e., Lancome stuff?
Not NY-centric, but don't forget:
http://www.engrish.com/
There is a subway sign somewhere, I forget where, but way uptown, maybe 184th? Where the word is spelled :
STRETT
I kid you not.
I used to have a picture of it, but lost it in the digital shuffle.
In my hometown a few years ago, a new housing development went up where all the streets were named after trees. My brother was walking around it right after they put the street signs up and noticed one that read "Dessert Palm." They fixed it later, unfortunately.
And then there's the restaurant just today which was advertising "jumblia" as its soup of the day. (Jambalaya)
Isn't this what the NYC Department of Corrections is for?