When we were living in Australia one of the things that I loved was the wit and humor that was everywhere. If there was an opportunity to make a little joke it was taken. Words were used a bit differently than we use them in the USA and one time I had the ladies I was friends with tell me all of their little fun phrases.
Jut the other day I say “well, I didn’t come down in the last rain shower” and the person I said it to just burst out laughing. It has become one of my favorite phrases that I learned whilst living down under.
Another thing that really struck me was their attention to safety while driving. Most of our rental cars had a little coffee cup symbol that lit up on the dashboard after you had been driving for two hours. It usually is accompanied by 3 loud beeps and repeats at random intervals. The idea was that you needed to pull off, stop and take a coffee break. The problem was that was not always the easiest thing to do. I look at the distances that I drive now with no break and I suspect that that little coffee cup would be screaming at me.
Another way they tried to emphasize safety was with their road signs. Most were pretty direct. On a drive on the Bruce Highway I was able to write down these gems.
1. Break the drive, stay alive.
2. Every extra K kills.
3. A tired driver is a dead driver. (They don’t pull any punches.)
4. Power lines—look up and live.
5. Take a rest and refresh.
6. Rest if sleepy.
7. Tired drivers die.
8. No seat belts–no chance.
9. Drink drive–you’re a loser. (aka drunk driving)
A simple sign that always made sense to me was their “merge like a zip” sign. Doesn’t that explain how polite drivers should drive rather than driving super fast in an effort to not allow other cars to merge into the lane? Merge like a zip stays with me to this day and I think of it almost every time I have the occasion to merge or allow someone else to merge.
Do you notice creatively written signs where you live? If so, do you have a favorite? Tell me all about it in the comments section and Comment for a Cause. Every comment on the blog this month means a 5o cent donation to Corolla Wild Horse Fund. You can read more about it by clicking here.
20 Comments
Leave a commentThe Australians do have a great way of wording things. Pleased to see they realize the importance of stopping for a rest from time to time when driving. I haven´t seen any unusual road signs but I remember seeing in a tailor´s shop window in York, England. “Don´t faint in the street. Come inside and have a perfect fit!” It just cracked me up.
That one made me laugh out loud. Perfect way to get someone’s attention for that tailor shop. Thanks for sharing and starting my morning out with a giggle.
Glad I made you laugh!! Have a super weekend.
Wow! Quite a change from here in America. I like the “merge like a zip” sign….that’s a good one to remember. Like Darlene, I don’t have a witty traffic sign to share, but one that I remember was in front of a brake repair business. “No need to call for an appointment, we can hear you coming.”
Now that’s a good one sign. I just love it when people have a sense of humor and share it with the world. Thanks for sharing that one, Dianna.
The Aussies are so amusing. Merge like a zip! Love it. We use to have a sign in our neighborhood that read – Speed Bump Ahead… and directly under it…. when children are present.
Haha! That’s a good one! Makes me think that the kids were the speed bumps!
And I thought my husband’s “drive slowly over the sleeping policemen” jokes were bad. In some countries, at some times, he claimed, the usual word for a speed bump was “sleeping policeman.”
My favorite sign is at the t-intersection leaving Whitefish Dunes State Park in Door County Wisconsin. As you arrive at the t-intersection you are faced with a sign that says, “No right turn. No left turn.”
Door County! What a great place and that sign is awesome! What a great way to make people smile!
JoEllen Arends’ sample brings to mind the road above the Kroger supermarket in Kingsport, Tennessee. The road was always meant to steer customers toward a shopping plaza (it used to house other stores). From one side there are four places to U-turn and go back to the parking lot now completely occupied by Kroger’s, but from the other side, “No left turn, No U-turn” until everyone has at least driven past and seen where Kroger’s is!
My favorite sign wording in the U.S. is one I’ve not seen lately–“Maryland welcomes you. Please drive gently.” Wilma Dykeman Stokely loved that one too.
I love the “please drive gently” sign. What a nice way to say be careful!
I’ve never been to Australia but it was similar in London, where the signs & language were just slightly different. For example the bathroom signs didn’t say bathroom, head, loo or restroom just an arrow & the obvious word… Toilet. LOL
Sometimes direct is the better approach!
You lived in Australia? How cool is that? I loved the examples of the expressions and the signs. Those are wonderful! I got a kick out of reading them! I can’t think of anything here that would even be close, but I did see something regarding travel in the OBX: “Don’t be a clown. Air down!” I loved that one. If I see a bumper sticker with that on it the next time we’re back, you can bet that I will be buying it! (I can only fathom the wildlife that you must have seen…. I follow a zookeeper on FB that cares for Tasmanian Devils. Oh, they are just so cute, especially when they are little. Add in the kangaroos, koalas, oh my…and mustn’t forget the Great Whites. Wow!!)
We lived there for about a year while my husband was in charge of 7 sugar mills. It was a fun experience. We really ddi have an adventure and even if we were only in Queensland we certainly managed to do and see a lot of things.
I so enjoy our Aussie friends when we get to hear them speak. I’ll have to ask them about the road signs since they’ve never shared that with us. Daughter and son-in-law are traveling there in December to visit these friends, so I’ll be sure to tell them to check out the signs. I do like the merge like a zip one. If only folks did that here. (Sigh)
They just have a fun way of saying things and I wish I had taken more pictures of things that struck me but then I never seem to take the right pictures. 🙂
What interesting signs in Australia. They make a lot of good sense. Chuck and I would love to go to there someday.
I hope you make it there someday. It is a pretty amazing country and New Zealand is as well. Such gracious people in New Zealand .