The Betacantrips Travelogue

Seen on Language Log: some humorous Japanese signage. Do you ultraviolet rays countermeasure? 666 know your rights!

Not only are the stereotypical Japanese fastidiously clean,  they are also extraordinarily polite.  They will not just tell you to be careful not to endanger yourself.  They will be sure to preface the warning with a “please” (actually the word for “please” in Japanese, KUDASAI, comes at the end of the sentence).

In today’s Japan mail (from Kathryn Hemmann) come two signs, one warning, “Please Be Careful to Strong Sunlight” and the other, “Please be careful to traffic.”

The first example utilizes the intriguing device of a sign within a sign, and it is all in English.

The oven is just saying HI! What’s the big deal? Seen on Engadget Mobile: a highly unusual situation.

It seems that the phone somehow triggers the burners on his Magic Chef range to ignite when it’s called — in fact, they don’t just light up, they go straight to the hellish “HI” setting, as the appliance’s display is eager to point out — and other phones tested have incited similar effects.