Construction or contraction?

My friend spotted this sign in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His comment was, "No wonder they are hard at labor."

The words in Khmer say, "Under Construction". This is correct. The one who provided the English text needs to go back to school. It's probably a man, since men do not have contractions.

Maybe his English is under construction, or under contraction so he can't think straight.

Whichever the case, it always pays to check a few times before sending the final text for print.

Have fun with English!

Porn or Prone?

A friend posted this picture on Facebook.

Can Porn be an accident? Hmmm. Well, some men would tell you they were searching for something on the internet and a porn website popped up. Accident? Yes. But only if he shut it quickly. No, if he could not take his eyes off the pictures.

I digress.

This sign should read:

ACCIDENT PRONE AREA

Accident Prone means you are highly likely to meet with an accident in the vicinity. Therefore, you should stay clear or walk at your own risk. Whoever painted the sign obviously cannot spell. After all, "porn" and "prone" have the same letters in different order.

It pays to check several times, and with someone who has better English, than to end up being a laughing stock. With today's technology, a misspelled sign can go viral and make you a laughing stock worldwide. If you enjoy that kind of publicity, be my guest. I would rather be correct and unnoticed.

Correct spelling does have its benefits.

Have fun with English!

There is no "Aunty" and "Uncle" in Mandarin

Chinese New Year is coming up in a few days.  How am I going to navigate the multiple relatives, making sure I address the correct Aunty or Uncle in the correct term?  Here's a handy guide from Focus on the Family Singapore.



There is no "Aunty" and "Uncle" in Mandarin



Here's wishing you 身体健康 (good health)！