You may like to read a story suggesting a World Punctuation Day that has just been posted in the October edition of The World's First Multi-National e-Book: http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle
The UK daily literary e-zine Open Writing has also posted it, at http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2007/09/lets_have_a_wor_2.php : Best wishes, Eric.
Maybe they are supposed "out" themsleves by shouting. This reminds me of the Florida sheriff years ago who put up a sign reading "sobriety check point ahead" and pulled over everyone who turned around.
Then again, the numerals "911" are actually what one types into one's phone in order to place an emergency call. It seems like a perfectly called-for use of quotation marks to me.
You do put in the string "911" into your phone. So "dial '911'" could be legitimate, as a literal statement of what to dial. "Call '911'," however, is not, because the object of "call" is the person, place, or thing you are trying to reach, as in "call Mom." In other words, you call 911 (the emergency dispatch center) by dialing "911" (the series of digits).
I like someone's suggestion of making sense out of it by using the other interpretation of the word "call," meaning "to shout." Technically, that would require a comma added before the quotation marks, but this isn't the blog of necessary-but-missing commas.
Greetings from Sydney, Australia.
ReplyDeleteYou may like to read a story suggesting a World Punctuation Day that has just been posted in the October edition of
The World's First Multi-National e-Book: http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle
The UK daily literary e-zine Open Writing has also posted it, at http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2007/09/lets_have_a_wor_2.php
:
Best wishes, Eric.
Maybe they are supposed "out" themsleves by shouting. This reminds me of the Florida sheriff years ago who put up a sign reading "sobriety check point ahead" and pulled over everyone who turned around.
ReplyDeleteeven aside from the misuse of quotes, that is one dang scary/funny sign.
ReplyDeleteThen again, the numerals "911" are actually what one types into one's phone in order to place an emergency call. It seems like a perfectly called-for use of quotation marks to me.
ReplyDeleteI can see someonelooking for the quotation mark on the keypad of their phone, and plowing into a tree.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're hoping you'll be so drunk that you'll think it's a different 911 than the one that reaches the police who will come and arrest you.
ReplyDeleteI see this sign everyday and wonder if I'm supposed to call if I'm drunk.
ReplyDeleteYou do put in the string "911" into your phone. So "dial '911'" could be legitimate, as a literal statement of what to dial. "Call '911'," however, is not, because the object of "call" is the person, place, or thing you are trying to reach, as in "call Mom." In other words, you call 911 (the emergency dispatch center) by dialing "911" (the series of digits).
ReplyDeleteI like someone's suggestion of making sense out of it by using the other interpretation of the word "call," meaning "to shout." Technically, that would require a comma added before the quotation marks, but this isn't the blog of necessary-but-missing commas.
I never have seen a sign like this. It is very funny!
ReplyDeleteThis can be only a joke. Would you guys call ?
ReplyDeleteI think it actually means that you should call 911 if you SEE a drunk driver, not if you are one. We're being sarcastic.
ReplyDeleteThat meens "call a drunk driver". This is the only way otherwise it would make no sense
ReplyDeleteIt´s only a joke?
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! Great snapshot! I love it!
ReplyDelete