If you’ve poked around my site a little, you know I’ve always got my eyes peeled in Rome for some good Random English. I post examples I find around town. It’s been awhile (or maybe I’m just getting used to it), but I spotted this pearl of an example on Sunday while shopping at Rome’s American-style mall, Porta di Roma.
This one is particularly good because 1) the English is random (this is a shopping center in the suburbs, trust me, no English speakers in sight); 2) it doesn’t actually have any discernible meaning in English to begin with; and 3) the translation below it exquisitely demonstrates the Italian laziness that I both hate and envy.
Read this, imagining you’re an Italian person who doesn’t speak English (which is most of them). Would you be like, “Oh now I get it.” ??
Note the stunning glasses on the model.
Wait … I thought Porta di Roma was a pizza place across from Comerica Tower!
HA HA TODD!!!!! I’ve been going to this mall since July, way out in the suburbs, and I have kept thinking, “There’s something else called Porta di Roma…What is it??” Now I remember!! HA HA HAAAAA!!!! Thanks for reading, friend!
Really? Perhaps it’s a north vs south thing. I found that many (northern) Italians would claim not to speak English, though what they meant was they felt uncomfortable speaking English. In reality their English was usually far better than my Italian. Just wandering through your site. I love Italy, my wife and son are both attorneys. Noticed under “interests” you listed SCUBA. Seems to be popular with Italians. Headed to Bonaire in June.
Thank you for clicking around my site! I don’t know how they come up with some of the titles. I’m sure whoever picks them speaks English. I do understand some of them (I mean, I appreciate that some things cannot be translated), but I cannot fathom things like “The Desire to Win” for Teen Wolf. I’ve never been to Bonaire but I’ve been diving a little in the Caribbean. Just went diving in Africa, too, and I must say the best diving I’ve ever done is in Hawaii! Thank you again for reading, come back soon!