Street Sign Language Lesson XLII - Lamentations

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In this 42nd episode of Street Sign Language Lesson, we deal with signs that take a little work to understand. As usual, Italians write these signs in all caps, see Lo Stampatello: How Italians Write. Stop screaming at us, okay?

[1] AFFRETTASI – CHE CASA VUOI DI PIÙ?
“Hurry up – what more do you want as a house?”

A satirical (?) sign that works at a few levels. Affrettarsi means to hurry up and it looks exactly like a sign used for renting a house, written as affittasi. So, in that sense it’s absurd because the sign is on a telephone booth. And, telephone booths like this are never used these days so the sign is likely a commentary on the difficulty in finding housing and a commentary on abandoned places in Italy. See the sfitto signs below.

[2] ASPETTA IL VERDE
“Wait for the green (light)”

We saw this sign in a car wash. Yes mom, we have carwashes in Italy.

[3] CERCASI CAMERIERA/E - MEGLIO SE CON ESPERIENZA, MEGLIO SE PERSONE ASIATICHE.
“Wanted waiter – preferably with experience, preferably Asian.”

Not sure you’d see this sign in a restaurant in the US. CERCASI is like AFFITTASI in that you see them in signs wanting or advertising something. In this case, it's passive as in "a waiter is wanted" or "a house is for rent".

[4] L’ECO DI BERGAMO NUOCE GRAVEMENTE ALLA SALUTE
“The Eco di Bergamo seriously harms your health”

We saw this sign at the NATO IDGZ Station at Dosso dei Galli. For more information about that visit, see the post A Visit to ACE High - NATO IDGZ Station at Dosso dei Galli, Brescia Italy. The author clearly has a beef with the Bergamo-based newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo. He/she uses the verb nuocere – to harm or damage.

L’Eco di Bergamo was founded in 1880, with ownership majority-controlled by the Curia of Bergamo (Diocese of Bergamo) and following a centrist line, close to the Catholic Church.

[5] PASSO CANTO ALTO. PASSO DEL FURBINO. PASSO’ UN CRETINO.
“Canto Alto Pass. Footprint of the sly one. A jerk passed by.”

This sign was spotted hiking around Canto Alto (see keyword canto alto). The creator of this sign is mad – rightfully so – that someone left trash on the trail. The sign uses different senses of the word passo. “Passo” as in a mountain pass, “passo” as footprint, and “passò” (passato remoto of passare) as in the person passed by this location.

[6] PER SCARICARE: SE FATE PIPÌ - PREMERE PULSANTE PER QUALCHE SEC. SE FATE ALTRO – MEZZO SECCHIO ACQUA!

“To flush: If you pee – press the button for a few seconds. If it’s something else – a half bucket of water!“ 

This was seen at Rifugio F.A.L.C. (see A Hike to Pizzo Tre Signori and Rifugio F.A.L.C.) where the toilet needed to be explained. 

[7] SI PREGA DI CHIUDERE IL CANCELLO – SENZA SBATTERE – GRAZIE.
“Please close the gate - without slamming it - thank you.

Can we just say thanks for mentioning “no slamming”.

 

 

[8] SFITTO N17. SFITTO N18.
"Vacant number 17. Vacant number 18."

We had to look up the word sfitto when we saw this. This “graffiti” is a performance piece from the Venetian artist Freak of Nature. The performance is meant to raise awareness about abandoned shops in the city center.

The artist painted her trademark green strokes resembling bamboo on empty store fronts. Color us not impressed and thanks a lot FON because now we’ll have to stare at green eyesores for 10 years.