Wordplay: Wit and Wisdom in Public Spaces
Hair-salon puns, like this one in Glasgow, Scotland, are permanent highlights of signage.
© Joyce McGreevy
Reading the Language of Signs Worldwide
Maybe it’s a sign, you think. You mean that literally. It’s Day 1 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and you’re staring at a wall of words that may signify the name of the street. Or a local ordinance. Or the route to Romania.
You know this much: it’s definitely in Cyrillic. Suddenly, you’re back in the pre-literacy of early childhood, experiencing the world as a dense forest of language whose mysteries you’re not yet able to penetrate.
Oh, I see: Signs are an indispensable element of our public spaces.
Showing Obvious Signs
Some signs require no language at all to make their messages clear. Glasgow University uses creative visuals to dish up directions to the student dining hall.
At Glasgow...
