The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-06-21

been continued down to today, though
more often To he found In the provinces
than IN metropolitan areas. When m
secs the picture of IA flying arrow n
knows that IL Is n bnthhousc, as the
word for shooting an arrow (yulru)
sounds like yu-iru, taking n hot bath.
Dealers in sweet potatoes write up the
ideographs for %jusanri (thlrteen ri),
which means that the potatoes are
nicer than chestnuts (kurl-yori-umai),
ku-ri, meaning nine ri, and also chest
nuts; the ~sylloglstic Specification being
that MS thirteen ri are greater than
nine ri, so sweet potatoes are finer
than chestnuts. The kite maker puts
the picture of an octopus (tako) on his
door. rs the word for kite (tako) Is
much the same as that for octopus
the y%crnacular. The dealer In bean
Jam buns has n horse ove his shop,
because the word for horse (uma) has
the sound OF umai.umai (sweet-sweet),
not unlike foreign yum-yum. for the
same meaning. Such notions may APP
pear childish, but In the peaceful
Tckugava days people were evidently
at n los; for novelty and had to do
something to preclude cnnui. Such
signs are now seldom seen.
Some Eccentric English.
To foreigners, of course, the more
interesting signs are those essaylng
English inscriptions, which often are
very charitable for their eccentric at-
tcmpts at spelling and wording. When
you see n sign reading tailor of Re
sistant Wet Cat" you know that there
is a good place for cheap waterproofs.
"Baggnges. Sent Any Direction by In
tcrnal Railway" reans an express Of
flee. Modified Milk for the Scientific
Feeding OF Infants and Invallds" Is OF
doubtful Significance, as Is also "Shlfts
Repaired Here" No one doubts the
meaning OF "Horsc.Bif Shop" though
why the appeal IL made To English
readers no one seems to know. "COnt>
Made From Any Hides Yours or Ours
sounds dangerous, hut simply mean,
fu- will be made up from skins
brought To the shop. various Kline
Hairs has the same meaning. 'Lndi"'
Furnished In the Upper Story" vii
bring You n blouse waist "Whale nnC
All Relating II Are Sold" seems more
ambiguous than It Is.
The stranger will naturally ask VIII.
such ridiculous wording Is thus impu
IDENTIFY stuck up before the public whcl
II would be so easy to have the Eng
fish corrected before being painted nj
the sign. Those asking such n ques
I ton but show how unfamiliar they ar
with the country they have come" t
1 visit. The man who sets himself u,
aS Il painter of foreign signs Is not 20
= Ing to admit that he cannot cOmpoS
the device to he painted on them. Pos
= Sihly he gets some schoOlboy to fin
9 the words In the English dictionnr
that corresponds to the japanese id"c
r graphs, and so he paints these word
Il in any order that seems to him hes
II Bat what Of the man who pays for N
sign. Does he not object to paylr
for Il sign covered with n tumble {
y mistakes and then holding them up
r public view? Well, he does not knO
ii the difference, and so long as he
lr none the wiser the painter will NJ
III find II profitable to seek correct En-
81 glish for his signs. In Japan mar
ie things are done incorrectly simply b
N cause those who pay for the work {
r. not know the difference.