Sign Language （間違っている英語の看板） Archives - Page 17 of 44

Cut it out!

Cut place

X Cut place

Tim says:

You’d better put a bandage on that cut place…

It’s hard to understand what “cut place” means. I suppose a barber shop is “the place for haircuts”, so it makes sense if it’s explained. But it could just as easily be a place on your body that’s been injured by a knife, as it could a barber shop!

To make it a little better as marketing, perhaps you could write:

O Great cuts!

周囲にある英語を見て、果たしてそれが正しい英語なのだろうかと感じる英語はありますか？「あの英語は絶対に間違っている」という英語の表記はありますか？看板の写真を撮って、Machigai.comに送りましょう！とんでもない英語だったら、このコーナーで出します！

The information counter’s passport collection

Please present your passport to the information counter.

X Please present your passport to the information counter.

Tim says:

Don’t you want it back?

“Presenting something TO someone” sounds like you are giving it to them, and not expecting them to return it. You’re simply going to show them your passport and receive it right back, so it’s better to use “at” instead of “to”.

O Please present your passport at the information counter.

Someone help him get out from under it!

under a round

X Plain-clothes policeman Under a round

Tim says:

I think the the writer of this sign wanted to say that the policeman’s rounds were “underway”. But this is just weird. What is a round? A round of ammunition? Theater in the round? I hope the round isn’t something heavy!

Please note that “plainclothes” is all one word.

O Plainclothes policeman making the rounds O This area under surveillance by plainclothes police

Here is an incorrect sign.

Here is fire refuge.

X Here is fire refuge.

Tim says:

“Here is” is what you say when you’re handing something to someone. Just like “Here is my business card.” But this sign is actually identifying the location where the reader is standing. So it should say:

O This is a fire refuge.

I’m designating this as an English mistake

dear my baby

X …except for the designated some restaurants where…

Tim says:

This is partly a word-order problem, but also, they didn’t need to use both “the” and “some.” “Some designated restaurants”, “the designated restaurants”, or even just “designated restaurants” would be fine.

O …except for designated restaurants where…

My dear copywriter…

dear my baby

X Dear My Baby

Tim says:

It sounds strange to have “dear” followed by a possessive pronoun. Either “my” should come before “dear”, or you could just do away with “my”.

O My Dear Baby O Dear Baby

Which one?

an escalator

X Please take an escalator to Imoarai-zaka

Tim says:

“An” escalator? This sign is right near an escalator! The sign is referring to a specific escalator, so it should use “the”!

Saying “take an escalator” implies that it’s up to you to decide which one to use. But there’s only one.

O Please take the escalator to Imoarai-zaka

Walking Up Nogizaka

10min by walking

X Chiyoda-Line 10min by walking

Tim says:

This is a very common mistake. Although we do say that we go places “by car” or “by train”, we don’t say the same with walking, because it’s not a vehicle. We say we go places “on foot”.

Also, there’s no need for the hyphen in “Chiyoda Line”, and there should be a space after the “10”!

O Chiyoda Line; 10 min on foot

This lamb’s luck ran out!

Luck of lamb

X Luck of Lamb

Tim says:

If you’ve listened to Machigai Podcast very often, you’ve heard the features “L or R” and “A or U”. The person who wrote this menu needed to listen, because he or she made the wrong choice on both questions! It should be “Rack of Lamb” — 「仔羊のあばら肉」.

If the lamb had been luckier, the menu writer could have written “lack of lamb”: 「仔羊不足」！

O Rack of Lamb

Up through the Out Door

Go up Exit 3

X Go up Exit3, and go left side.

Tim says:

“Exit 3” (be careful to add the space!) does include a stairway, but as an “exit”, it’s primarily a doorway. So you should use “out” instead of “up”.

“Go left side” is quite strange. Surely “turn left” is better.

O Go out Exit 3 and turn left.

Category: Sign Language （間違っている英語の看板）

Cut it out!

The information counter’s passport collection

Someone help him get out from under it!

Here is an incorrect sign.

I’m designating this as an English mistake

My dear copywriter…

Which one?

Walking Up Nogizaka

This lamb’s luck ran out!

Up through the Out Door

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