Annals of Verbosity

Spotted on the Metro in Genoa: Fate attenzione allo spazio fra treno e banchina means “pay attention to the space between train and the platform.” In London they simply say “Mind the Gap,” which, by compare, seems a miracle of brevity.

Mind the Gap

Comments

Marian's picture
Marian on December 17, 2007 - 01:35 Permalink

How’s the weather? I’ve posted some videos of the storm you’re about to get on my defunct blog.

oliver's picture
oliver on December 17, 2007 - 03:58 Permalink

But at what cost? Such succinctness wouldn’t be a surprise from a language with a special word for everything—and I believe English does indeed have more words than any other language. Maybe we should count the words on the subway signs in a country that speaks Pidgeon.

oliver's picture
oliver on December 17, 2007 - 03:59 Permalink

Sorry: “Pidgin” not “Pidgeon”