On Detachment, pt2
How did I forget this?

One of the joys of being in a foreign country is that their first language is often something other than English. Obviously in places like China, this leads to such hilarious names as "Wan Ke Long Supermarket" (thanks for spotting that, Ms Crow), but I find it all the more funny when the country is a Western European one, where the languages are less far removed from one another.

So, around Basel, I felt the need, nay, the duty, to photograph the following:
An enormous department store with "PFISTER" emblazoned across the front
A butcher's called "KUHN." (Read aloud if unsure _{and marvel at the looks of disgust from colleagues who now think you're racist})
An electrical shop called "BONER-ELEKTROHAUS"

I also felt the need to get photographic evidence of the novelty condom shop called "Condomeria."

Oh, and we're not alone in this respect. After years of British tourists going to France to have their photo taken next to the sign outside the village of Condom, the French now get to giggle at:
Our food packaging, which proudly boasts "No Artificial Colours or Preservatives"
(Un preservatif = A condom)
A chain of Italian restaurants on our high streets, called "Zizzi"
(Un zizzi = A todger)

More to come if I can think of them (or find anything similarly immature on my camera)
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 9:37, 7 replies)

that's brilliant!!
I hate Zizzi, and their High-Street ubiquity.. lovely, you get a click for that!!
And shopping giggles...
(Beer Elf Thought this was like a campfire, anyhow, on, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 9:43, closed)

For last years Christmas do
we took our new French PhD student to Zizzi (they had an offer on). She burst out laughing but we didn't manage to coax it out of her til she'd had the best part of a bottle of wine, when she asked to see the manager and loudly proclaimed 'Why is your restaurant called willy?'.
(berk, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 10:20, closed)

KUHN
I went to schoool with a couple of brothers (and I don't mean brothers as in bros) called Kuhn.
The name is pronounce Ku-hoon.
(bof, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 10:57, closed)

Yeah, there's probably a reason they insisted on that pronunciation

(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 11:01, closed)

Schiphol some years ago
gave me the opportunity to buy

"5 kinds on Gouda cheese
mild/herbs/goat/sheep/cum"

Only 65 guilders!
(Biff..., Wed 23 Sep 2009, 11:03, closed)

Joy
Have a *click*. My personal favourite is the Danish for art: kunst. Chortles every time.
( calgacus Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 11:36, closed)

Haha!
I believe it's the same in German - hence Basel having signs for its "Kunstmuseum." There's a spelling mistake waiting to happen...
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 23 Sep 2009, 11:44, closed)