It's a living.
It's a living.
I’m Undecided About Ambiguity
Our church has a sign in the hall that reads: (Emphasis added.)
Work as if what you do matters.
This is meant as a pep talk for staff and parishioners. Change the emphasis and it could as easily be read as a defeatist challenge.
Work, as if what you do matters.`
The world is full of these alternate reads. One way to discover them is to read them aloud, I covered this in Hearing Yourself awhile back.
Robert J. Thornton a Lehigh University Professor, even wrote a book, the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations
Most of the time we rush right by these posters and phrases because we know the context, and allow for the ambiguity. We are concerned with other things, everyone is. That’s why learning to see these can be a great source of found humor.
This is similar to the lists of foreign signs translated into English. (Although I bet Mr. Axelsen would argue with us about this.) And to Jay Leno’s Real but Ridiculous Headlines from America’s Newspapers
Cosider the following examples from the University of Pennsylvania Department of Linguistics.
| Lexical ambiguity | ||
|---|---|---|
| For a chronically absent employee | A man like him is hard to find. | |
| For a dishonest employee | He’s an unbelievable worker. | |
| For a lazy employee | You would indeed be fortunate to get this person to work for you. | |
| For the office drunk | Every hour with him was a happy hour. | |
| Structural ambiguity | ||
| For a chronically absent employee | It seemed her career was just taking off. | |
| For a dishonest employee | Her true ability was deceiving. | |
| For a stupid employee | I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever. | |
| For the office drunk | He generally found him loaded with work to do. | |
| Scope ambiguity | ||
| For an employee who is not worth further consideration as a job candidate | All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this candidate or recommend him too highly. | |
| For an employee who is so unproductive that the job is better left unfilled | I can assure you that no person would be better for the job. | |
| Other | ||
| For a lazy employee | He could not care less about the number of hours he has to put in. | |
| For an employee who is not worth further consideration as a job candidate | I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment. | |
| For a stupid employee | There is nothing you can teach a man like him. | |
Give me ambiguity, or give me something else!
But there’s no need to live in ambiguity. Leave your favorite signs and phrases that make you go “Hmmmm….” in comments and…
There is nothing ambiguious about my desire to have you take advantage of a FREE subscription.
on Feb 26th, 2009 at 2:30 am
There is a sign in every Wal-Mart in Canada at the service desk which reads “Tell us how we are doing Canada?” When I point out the sign to people as very funny they usually look at me like “What are you talking about?” What ever happened to English punctuation?
My feeling is Wal-Mart is “doing Canada” the same way they “do” every place else. Great place to shop but not to work or to be a supplier.
Lily Tomlin is quoted as saying “When I grew up I wanted to be somebody. I see now I should have been mosre specific”.
on Feb 26th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
And let’s not forget this rather famous sign the New Orleans Police posted in certain areas of the French Quarter targeting tourists especially (and widely reproduced):
BEWARE PICKPOCKETS AND LOOSE WOMEN
(For “loose women,” read, IIBC, “prostitutes.”)
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I don’t know what’s more fun, pickling or bottling young girls…
peace,
mike
livelife365
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 9:11 am
A while back, I posted a picture of one of my favorite roadway signs. It says: “Men Working When Flashing.”
Who knew men could get paid for flashing????
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Fodder: I think WalMart is wonderful source of all things humorous!
Exaggerator: Considering the type of tourist that frequents the French Quarter at Mardi Gras, maybe this is a warning TO the pickpockets and loose women.
Mike: Considering the laws about providing alcohol to the underage, perhaps bottling is safer.
Sherry: What state is this in? I have only ever been arrested myself.
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Hey, I wanna see the flashers….
on Feb 28th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I like when I hear “I am sorry” It always gives me a laugh to answer with ” I know you are. How is the rest of your family?”
on Mar 1st, 2009 at 4:09 am
My fave, when someone calls for a refrence just laugh an hang up on them.
on Mar 1st, 2009 at 6:36 am
It’s South Carolina. C’mon down.
on Mar 1st, 2009 at 10:41 am
Dani:
maybe we’ll come to town on tour: Look for the Chunk-N-Dales
Ettarose:
That’s why, tears ago, I started saying “I apologize…” I was tired of telling folks my family was sorry too.
Amyoops:
Excellent! and much better than saying “Who?”
Sherry:
South Carolina? I’m packing my overcoats now!
on Mar 2nd, 2009 at 12:11 pm
That’s an amusing sign.
on Mar 3rd, 2009 at 9:59 am
Umbibous statements provided are really interesting. More of these will keep us in good mood providing enough matter to share with friends and kids in the family.
Gopal G.
on Mar 11th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Interesting read. Ambiguity is an awesome topic. I think I will subscribe to this site
on Mar 12th, 2009 at 7:13 am
SG & Gopal: Thanks for reading. top in again soon!
Prometheus: Thanks for the subscription. Your MispentLife blog is an interesting read as well!