English Words - In France!

In an effort to incorporate US Culture into French style, sometimes English words are used on French clothing.  Sometimes it works.

Sweatshirt

Sometimes things just don't quite translate correctly.  Or, even if they are, they convey a completely different meaning.  For example, take this hoodie sweatshirt.  It features a US Flag and a US motto, of sorts...

US Flag and US Policy?

This shirt is pretty awesome.  I mean, what French child wouldn't want an American Flag sweatshirt that exhibits our imperialistic attitude?

Antiques Sign

This sign is funny for so many reasons.  The root of "antique" is latin for "before" or "ancient."  "Antique" is a French word. I can't tell if they are mocking the idea of English-speaking people collecting old stuff or not.  Of course, in the United States, an antique that is from the United States can't be very old anyway since the country is only 240 years old.  That's super young by European standards. 

I love that the antique store referenced by this sign is open excessive hours, 9 hours a day for 7 days per week.  Clearly this is a large conglomerate antique store, not one owned by a single person who wishes to work 63 hours per week.  

Before I mention the misspelling, or mis-conjugation, perhaps, I love how the buying and selling of antiques is discounted by the way the articles are described.  "Cool Stuff" would be validating, but the sign maker here added "Weird" and "Junk."  It just goes to show, those who buy and sell antiques are kind of weird about their junk.  

Finally... "Weirded."  Yes, the stuff was acted upon in a manner to make it weird.  It was weirded.  Not the adjective "weird," but the new verb that I will be using in the next round of mad libs the kids subject me to.  "WEIRDED"  Hey, at least it's spelled correctly with the EI in the right order.

  

A Sports Shirt

While my favorite sports shirt is over on woot, this one caught my eye.

Looks like a sports shirt...

It looks like a shirt you might wear while playing sports.  It's got short sleeves?  Basketball, maybe.  It's got a number on it, lucky number 53.  But the words are confusing to me.  I do not know where this "South End Training" facility might be.  Oh wait!  It's in Idaho.  Idaho, Japan?  

Yes... So I googled "Idaho, JPN" and was brought to the the "JBIS Search," Japan's largest horse racing information database.  Mystery solved!  This is a shirt a jockey would wear.  While training in South East Japan on his trusty mare, Idaho.  He is clearly jockey number 53 to ride Idaho, who is now 42 years old.  

Mystery solved!  Unless, of course, anyone else has insight related to any of these unusual signs.