MommaBean's Best Of: And So We Begin With Linguistic Contortions

Well, I've had this blog going for over two years now. And, I think we've had some laughs (and tears) together, my 3 readers and I. However, lately, my 3 readers have been joined with new names and faces in the commenting section. Newbies may have missed some of the most fun things I've captured with my trusty cell phone camera (see my really early posts for information about the life-changing event that was my cell phone purchase). So, I thought I'd do a best of. It has the benefit of sharing the joy with more folks and being a lazy woman's post, teehee.

As most of you probably know by now, I find so many things about Jordan absolutely wonderful. And, one of the things I love most is the license they take with the English language. That, in fact, is what has inspired this series. So, we'll begin there, with unique practices in the realm of spelling. I've intentionally left out the multitude of Saloons around Amman (no not Western watering holes, rather hair and make-up places for my non-Ammani readers, are there any?). Those are simply too ubiquitous, but here are some I hope you'll enjoy whether as a re-run or a new-to-you replay!

This is the best of my 2 years' worth of errors. It's not only wrong (in so many ways), but it's one of the few blog posts that seems to have shamed the vendor enough to change the sign. Yep, my 3 readers must have some pull because two of my Best Of pictures are of things you can no longer see... Here's the one for tonight, the one... the only...



Now, my brother suffers from dyslexia. For anyone who is unfamiliar, this is a problem in the wiring between the eyes and the brain. One of the symptoms of this problem is severe difficulty in spelling. My dear bro could always remember that beauty had extra letters, he just wasn't sure what they were or where. I think the guy who created this sign suffered from the same affliction...



This next one is what I referred to as an uncomfortable chiropractic treatment. If you can read Arabic, you'll see it actually is a store selling Cedar Decorations (Decor)...



The next three are all P/B issues. I've dedicated more than one post to this topic. So, here's a collection of my favorite P/B mix-ups (too bad I never got a snap of the Fresh Brince of Pel Air store...)







Now this one comes from a company having no excuse. An American company allowing this one to pass... what a shame, teehee.



Perhaps this one should be captioned right letters, wrong order?



This one wins awards for how many creative spellings they fit into such a small space. Negts and Fahettas. Who could ask for anything more?



Now, with only 4 words here, is a 50% accuracy rate good or bad? I'm going to have to go with bad... really bad.



This next one comes from the Saudi postal system, actually. Several readers found this disturbing on multiple levels. I presume they were aiming for Unknown... they missed.



Here's another one hailing from outside Jordan... this time Dubai. If you'd like some tea, just go for the Heet...



And last, but certainly not least. is one that tripped up MemeBean when she was visiting. This is a misspelling that comes from a mispronunciation. Vowels are often a problem (both in writing and saying words). So, this one is quite fun. I shudder to see the fabric serviced by this contraption...



There are many runners-up that I just had to stop somewhere. But, who can forget the shy pillow (it's Extra Blush and Bouncy), the flowered cow (Rose Beef, anyone?), and the Swiss Patsry's available in town? But really, I did have to stop somewhere, didn't I? Stay Tuned for the Next Installment (That's SO not what they meant).

Happy contortions (bad spellers of the world... untie)!