Well, it does say 'Fucking' without an umlaut on the sign, and you would suppose that the inhabitants would know.
As for writing 'to' instead of 'too' I hang my head in shame. Of course I noticed it afterwards, but you can't edit comments.
Speaking of alterations, there was a proposal to rename Shitterton 'Sitterton', which was roundly defeated by the inhabitants voting against it. A triumph for good sense.
I know you translate lots of stuff to German, so you will surely know that, when words are rendered into *all capitals*, it is customary to drop any diacritics. Similarly with capitalisation at the start of sentences. I was taught that much during French lessons in the sixties. With the expanded character sets available now, I often see that convention ignored, quite incorrectly IMO. It is done because it can be done rather than because it is correct, an all to common problem nowadays.
I take my life in my hands here as I instance Toys Я Us (Oh! It takes Cyrillic.)
The sign you mentioned, here, isn't in full capitals. It's conventional to omit accents when French is in full capitals, and I think the same goes for Spanish and at least sometimes sometimes for Italian (though here the grave accent may be rendered as a following apostrophe: CITTA').
But usually not for German, where the umlaut changes the sound of the vowel more radically than an ordinary accent. In fact a German umlaut isn't an accent, it's a mark representing an omitted following e, and developed from an old-fashioned handwritten German e which looks like a very narrow и.
Sorry, Billy, to burden your comments with linguistic nitpicking. To cheer everyone up, here is a sign that advises boys and girls of the importance of fucking slowly.
My apologies to Billy as well and my thanks to you, Tachy. I suspected that you were likely to have a better knowledge of this than I, but was setting out what I knew (or thought I did!) The whole thing indicates how senility grabs you when you do not realise it. As a normal over-horny (or perhaps immature) male, I have a picture of myself by one of the village signs. In fact, it is the successor sign to the one I posted. And mine is definitely *all in capitals*. But I could not post it from my computer. So I found the example in Wiki and my mind said Yes! that is the one! from recognition of the roof behind. I failed to observe that it was in proper case. Now it is my turn to hang my head in shame! Only goes to show that the wheel goes round. You have added to my stock of knowledge and I will not forget. Kudos.
You may wish to check out this particular cleaned-up version, Mr Cat: http://www.zombiechatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/727px-intercourse_pennsylvania_welcome_sign_2000px.jpg
My reading over the decades has taken in much from previous centuries where the use of that word is taken, in the first instance, to mean conversation. So much so that when I see it in that context, it does not even occur to me to misconstrue it. Like everyone else, in modern context, one imagines only one thing. I have been known to take advantage of this in my more scandalous postings in another place.
I got married in a place called Lickey End - despite the promissing title my wife was never keen on felatio
ReplyDeleteThe notice for Shitterton is carved on a large stone because people kept nicking the original sign. The new sign is to heavy to steal.
ReplyDeleteI live near the ultimate placename.
ReplyDeleteNo other can beat it.
Nominally, I am resident of a town not far away from Fücking in Oberösterreich.
Billy, you might like to post this picture so I include the tab:
http://bit.ly/ybedV
Thërë's nö ümläüt ïn Fucking.
DeleteI have an Austrian produced map which says otherwise, Tachy. However, I grant you that the pronunciation appears to be Fooking.
ReplyDeleteThere is a pleasant restaurant just north of the village which I often visit for dinner.
BTW s/b too heavy to steal! :-P
Well, it does say 'Fucking' without an umlaut on the sign, and you would suppose that the inhabitants would know.
DeleteAs for writing 'to' instead of 'too' I hang my head in shame. Of course I noticed it afterwards, but you can't edit comments.
Speaking of alterations, there was a proposal to rename Shitterton 'Sitterton', which was roundly defeated by the inhabitants voting against it. A triumph for good sense.
I know you translate lots of stuff to German, so you will surely know that, when words are rendered into *all capitals*, it is customary to drop any diacritics. Similarly with capitalisation at the start of sentences. I was taught that much during French lessons in the sixties. With the expanded character sets available now, I often see that convention ignored, quite incorrectly IMO. It is done because it can be done rather than because it is correct, an all to common problem nowadays.
DeleteI take my life in my hands here as I instance Toys Я Us (Oh! It takes Cyrillic.)
The sign you mentioned, here, isn't in full capitals. It's conventional to omit accents when French is in full capitals, and I think the same goes for Spanish and at least sometimes sometimes for Italian (though here the grave accent may be rendered as a following apostrophe: CITTA').
DeleteBut usually not for German, where the umlaut changes the sound of the vowel more radically than an ordinary accent. In fact a German umlaut isn't an accent, it's a mark representing an omitted following e, and developed from an old-fashioned handwritten German e which looks like a very narrow и.
Sorry, Billy, to burden your comments with linguistic nitpicking. To cheer everyone up, here is a sign that advises boys and girls of the importance of fucking slowly.
Sorry, cocked up first link to the sign that SC mentioned. It's
Deletehere. The second link is OK.
My apologies to Billy as well and my thanks to you, Tachy. I suspected that you were likely to have a better knowledge of this than I, but was setting out what I knew (or thought I did!) The whole thing indicates how senility grabs you when you do not realise it. As a normal over-horny (or perhaps immature) male, I have a picture of myself by one of the village signs. In fact, it is the successor sign to the one I posted. And mine is definitely *all in capitals*. But I could not post it from my computer. So I found the example in Wiki and my mind said Yes! that is the one! from recognition of the roof behind. I failed to observe that it was in proper case. Now it is my turn to hang my head in shame! Only goes to show that the wheel goes round. You have added to my stock of knowledge and I will not forget. Kudos.
DeleteYou may wish to check out this particular cleaned-up version, Mr Cat:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.zombiechatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/727px-intercourse_pennsylvania_welcome_sign_2000px.jpg
Thank you, Mr Anonymous
DeleteMy reading over the decades has taken in much from previous centuries where the use of that word is taken, in the first instance, to mean conversation. So much so that when I see it in that context, it does not even occur to me to misconstrue it. Like everyone else, in modern context, one imagines only one thing. I have been known to take advantage of this in my more scandalous postings in another place.