(Click photo to enlarge)
There's a 5-word rule for signs and billboard-type advertising. That means: stick to 5 words or fewer. The person who wrote this sign was smart to get our attention (well, it got mine, anyway) by stuttering the very first word (Ottawas's), but unfortunately this tactic loses its effect as the words pile up.
I think my favorite part of this sign is the fabulous example of linguistic ambiguity plunked right in the middle: "What you've missed, WE HAVE!" (Does it mean that everyone missed it or that the seller has captured what the tourists might have missed?).
Sure, sure, it's possible for a native English speaker to figure out what the sign actually means ... if you spend long enough working at it. But it's a sign for TOURISTS who may not be native English speakers, and who are too busy fiddling with their cameras to deconstruct over-wordy and badly written signs.
Thanks to Andrew S. in Ottawa for sending this photo!
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