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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread For the Irish blokes #121824 02/01/2004 9:02 AM Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC This is a picture I took while in Ireland. http://signsoflife.goose24.org/?sign=24 In America when one says "who cares?" it's meant sort of sarcastically, which is obviously (I hope) not the case in Ireland. What perzactly does this mean? TEd Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: For the Irish blokes #121825 02/02/2004 10:55 AM Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK dxb Pooh-Bah dxb Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK Well I happen to have an Irish name, so I’ll have a go. ‘Who cares?’ Has the same ‘who gives a damn?’ meaning on this side of the Atlantic. The sign is to attract attention and make you think. On the one hand, perhaps drivers who are still being careless are displaying a ‘Who cares’ attitude, on the other hand if you answer the question with the inward thought ‘I do’, then you will drive more carefully after seeing the sign; at least until you are out of Westmeath! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: For the Irish blokes #121826 02/02/2004 5:35 PM Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 79 Dublin, Ireland hibernicus journeyman hibernicus journeyman Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 79 Dublin, Ireland The explanation above is spot-on. There is no regionalism here, just a way of attracting attention by using a phrase that on the face of it is utterly inappropriate (the dominant meaning is a rhetorical way of saying "nobody cares; it is of no importance"), but has a second, literal meaning that is a query or a challenge to the reader. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: For the Irish blokes #121827 02/03/2004 1:28 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Ted, ohmigawd, some of these are priceless! How'd you ever find that site? Oh, never mind, I forgot who I was speaking to. I think the one "next" to yours is just about my favorite (the monolith); I also like the Japan one where there is apparently no way to meet the deadline, and I love the monkey one, esp. the drawings. Must confess that I first interpreted "Signal Turns When Speeding" meant that it must be okay not to signal your turns when you're not speeding! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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