London Windows, a Puzzle or Two . . .

Thanks for all the sympathetic and reassuring comments on yesterday’s post. We have been having a lovely time getting to know my soon-to-be son-in-law’s parents. As it turns out, they took Wednesday’s events in stride, having been inured, as Brits (albeit longtime Canadian residents) to bad sports fan behaviour — actually, I think they rather thought the riot small potatoes, although perhaps, like my London blogging friend Alison, they were relieved to have the media eye shift momentarily.

But I thought we could shift our eyes back in that direction. I’m still running around a bit crazily here, although this morning I’ll be getting pampered in the hairdresser’s chair. The wedding — to correct a mistaken impression I seem to have left — is not until next weekend, but there are myriad items on the to-do list.  So it’s pictures again, this time of a wonderful London store that I didn’t have time to get inside, but that will be top of my list for next visit. Although I suspect my charge card just shivered in fear, reading that . . .

And then there were these intriguingly English-as-a-Second-Language? windows in FCUK (French Connection, United Kingdom) — setting out the gender differences.

Food for thought. . . Hmmmm. . . .

Ponder those deep questions, would you? while I’m sitting at the hairdresser’s. We’ll chat soon . . .

6 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    17 June 2011 / 5:35 pm

    Oh yes those French Connection windows – apparently they've been a flop – everyone is thinking, whit?

  2. LPC
    17 June 2011 / 7:12 pm

    I believe those windows are a harbinger of our future. The Euro, if you will, of language. The natural progression from almost no one knowing the difference between its and it's, no one knowing the different between less and fewer, and a vivid demonstration of how communication evolves.

    Or it's just stupid marketing.

  3. materfamilias
    18 June 2011 / 1:41 am

    B&P: Although they're sticky, right?
    LPC: Yes! I just finished reading Robert McCrum's Globish: How English Became the World's Language. . . especially in the last chapters he covers some of this evolution. interesting stuff. . .

  4. Susan B
    18 June 2011 / 8:14 pm

    I do love those "Few and Far" windows though. They remind me of the Talking Heads music video for "And She Was…"

    In Italy especially, I noticed many younger people wearing tee shirts in odd, nonsensical english or for nonexistent universities. I'm not sure if they are meant to be ironic, or if the wearers just didn't know the difference.

  5. materfamilias
    19 June 2011 / 2:45 pm

    Pseu: I know! They're kinda trippy! Plus I love the different fonts/scripts.
    Interesting about the t-shirts; I'd associate that phenomenon more with Asia, although I do remember seeing some in France as well.

  6. Susan Tiner
    20 June 2011 / 4:56 pm

    I am always stepping with purpose into problems.

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