Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[hbelkins]

This is also proper writing style, I believe.  In books, magazines, newspapers, etc, you're supposed to write out one thru nine, but just use numbers starting with 10.

This varies.  For most journalism (newspapers, magazines, etc.), the divide is two digits, but for books it is commonly three digits (100 and above).

AP style is to spell out zero through nine, and use numbers for 10 and above.

For ordinals, though, it varies. Congressional districts are numbers in all uses -- 5th District, not Fifth. Not sure about other ordinals.

[jakeroot]

Though, to be honest, it doesn't seem like the ordinal indicator is absolutely necessary on signage, even if the legal street name includes it

IMO, if it's part of the legal name, it should be on the sign, period.

Coming from an area where it's (apparently) quite normal, people still add on the ordinal indicator in speech and in writing anyways. I think it looks quite a bit cleaner without the extra bits:



The first image is from the Vancouver area, where I believe the legal street names do not, in fact, have the ordinal indicator. So those signs are correct in not using them. The latter two photos are from Pierce County, WA, which does apparently use the ordinal indicator as part of the legal street number, but negates its use on street signage. At any rate, I think all three signs are more easily readable than those that use ordinal indicators. Because, let's be honest: the most important thing is the street number, not the ordinal indicator.

[Scott5114]

If you say "I'm at the corner of Five Street and Thirty-One Avenue" you sound like you've been hit on the head a few too many times.

[jakeroot]

If you say "I'm at the corner of Five Street and Thirty-One Avenue" you sound like you've been hit on the head a few too many times.

Perhaps for lower numbered streets, but not as much for higher-numbered streets. "One-forty-four Street" vs "One-forty-fourth Street", for example. Both sound quite similar.

But again, no one says "five street and thirty-one avenue". That's just how it's written on the street blade. Why? I guess to keep it clean, or because the counties don't do it. Something, I don't know. Whatever the reason, I'm definitely fine with it. I think it looks better without the ordinal indicator, personally.



As long as we're on the topic; do most counties/cities/states across the country use the ordinal indicator on their signage? I know places like NYC don't use it, which is a fairly famous example, but I can't readily think of other places. Just so happens that the places where I spend most of my time (PNW) do not use it (for the most part).

[Scott5114]

Going from what I remember, "104th" is pronounced in Oklahoma City as "a hundred n' fourth"*, and "122nd" as "[a] hundred [n'] twenty-second". "Street" is usually dropped but the ordinal retained. We don't have any major streets above 200th, so I have no idea what we'd do there.

The ordinal indicator is consistently used on signs throughout Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Sometimes it will be omitted on things like construction signs, and it looks weird and wrong.

*or, if you're really wanting to save syllables and into this whole Southern Plains accent thing, "a hunnerd'n'fourth".

[CtrlAltDel]

This is also proper writing style, I believe.  In books, magazines, newspapers, etc, you're supposed to write out one thru nine, but just use numbers starting with 10.

This varies.  For most journalism (newspapers, magazines, etc.), the divide is two digits, but for books it is commonly three digits (100 and above).

Then, not that you asked, there's Chicago style, in which you spell out all numbers that consist of one or two words, as well as those numbers that that consist of one or two words followed by hundred, thousand, million, billion, and so on. And on top of that, there's a usage mixing words and digits, such as 127 million, 5 billion, and so on, which is often appropriate as well. 

[jakeroot]

We don't have any major streets above 200th, so I have no idea what we'd do there.

In my experience, it's the same way we treat the 100-series streets: first number by itself (eg. "two"), and then the following two numbers grouped together with an ordinal indicator (eg. "twenty-fourth"). As an example, this road is "two twenty-fourth" ("street" being optional, something I failed to mention before).

[Bobby5280]

I prefer ordinals to be used on numeral street names (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc). Bare numerals alone looks weird. The only problem is neither Series Gothic or Clearview has any "expert" character sets to optically treat ordinals in a superscript manner or other treatment. Quite a few advanced OpenType font families have their own native treatments of ordinals. Some fonts underline the ordinal glyphs.

[1995hoo]

I've never understood the perceived need for the "n"  and the "r"  in the ordinals for "second"  and "third."  No doubt part of my feeling is because "2d"  and "3d"  are standard in legal citation. Some media outlets, notably the New York Times, and some style guides, notably the Chicago Manual of Style, have traditionally used "2d"  and "3d"  (and similar forms for other references, such as the 63d Street Tunnel in New York), though I think the Times may have changed their standard.

[Bobby5280]

The terms "2d" and "3d" in popular culture mean something entirely different from second and third. If I see the term "3d" used in something I automatically think "three dimensional."

[1995hoo]

That would be "2D"  and "3D,"  both with the "d"  capitalized.

[US 89]

Consistency. "st"  and "th"  are both two letters.

[vdeane]

If two letters is too many, perhaps we could switch to French.

[GenExpwy]

If two letters is too many, perhaps we could switch to French.

I took a couple steps back from that shot, and discovered that Québec uses rather colorful reference markers.

[D-Dey65]

I like this one on I-90 north of Deadwood, SD.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4756733,-103.747867,3a,15y,105.56h,89.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUP3dp62AgnbznUUIQDLBxQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

The little park banner beneath it makes it a little less ordinary.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49084487153/in/dateposted-public/
Martin County, FL's attempt at a mileage sign in three pieces and arranged backwards.  The farthest should be the last but here its first while closest is last.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49088319666/in/dateposted-public/
This crazy diagramical signs are along some I-95 interchanges in District 4 showing the ramps configurations.

[J N Winkler]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49088319666/in/dateposted-public/

These crazy diagrammatical signs are along some I-95 interchanges in District 4 showing the ramps configurations.

This looks like Florida DOT's version of Zwahlen signs, which were pioneered in Ohio and are used extensively there (typical example).

[mrsman]

If you go just down the road on 14th Street from where you mention, you'll find this sign referring to "PEDESTIRANS" that's either a gem or an abomination, depending on how you feel about misspellings.
https://goo.gl/maps/nAWsTVB7WHt6BVNDA

At least it's only a letter flipped, not severely misspelled.

Despite the misspelling, it may be the only warning you have that you are entering a freeway, but again too late as far as being able to exit.  This would be a good candidate for a "freeway entrance" sign that is common in CA and a few other western states.

[US 89]

If you go just down the road on 14th Street from where you mention, you'll find this sign referring to "PEDESTIRANS" that's either a gem or an abomination, depending on how you feel about misspellings. (At least they spelled "bicycles" correctly. On Friday afternoon I walked past the assembly on Vermont Avenue that has two signs referring to "bicylces." Been that way for several years.)

https://goo.gl/maps/nAWsTVB7WHt6BVNDA

The ugliest misspelling I've ever seen was this one in Salt Lake, which GSV missed but I was able to get a (grainy) photo of. Pretty sure it's still up:

[ClassicHasClass]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49088319666/in/dateposted-public/

These crazy diagrammatical signs are along some I-95 interchanges in District 4 showing the ramps configurations.

This looks like Florida DOT's version of Zwahlen signs, which were pioneered in Ohio and are used extensively there (typical example).

I really like those. I wish California would use something like that. There doesn't seem to be any convention about how they sign junctions and which side of the road is which, so it's always a guessing game in unfamiliar areas. 

[Brian556]

This sign near Spencer OK is a mind f***. It says "Silver Creek Bridge Prohibited Not To Exceed 15 Tons". What the heck is that supposed to mean? Is it prohibited to be under 15 tons? Kinda sounds like it to me

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5076088,-97.3797009,3a,16.3y,348.79h,86.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssu89qzRGgIXVq2dOO7hqYg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[J3ebrules]

This sign near Spencer OK is a mind f***. It says "Silver Creek Bridge Prohibited Not To Exceed 15 Tons". What the heck is that supposed to mean? Is it prohibited to be under 15 tons? Kinda sounds like it to me

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5076088,-97.3797009,3a,16.3y,348.79h,86.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssu89qzRGgIXVq2dOO7hqYg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Tried to sound all smart; ended up making word salad.

[Eth]

This sign near Spencer OK is a mind f***. It says "Silver Creek Bridge Prohibited Not To Exceed 15 Tons". What the heck is that supposed to mean? Is it prohibited to be under 15 tons? Kinda sounds like it to me

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5076088,-97.3797009,3a,16.3y,348.79h,86.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssu89qzRGgIXVq2dOO7hqYg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The bridge itself is required to weigh more than 15 tons at all times. Sounds difficult to enforce, but I wish them luck.

[kphoger]

The ugliest misspelling I've ever seen was this one in Salt Lake, which GSV missed but I was able to get a (grainy) photo of. Pretty sure it's still up:

As I seriously doubt there is a definition of "vehical" in the state statutes, perhaps it's unenforceable.

This sign near Spencer OK is a mind f***. It says "Silver Creek Bridge Prohibited Not To Exceed 15 Tons". What the heck is that supposed to mean? Is it prohibited to be under 15 tons? Kinda sounds like it to me

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5076088,-97.3797009,3a,16.3y,348.79h,86.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssu89qzRGgIXVq2dOO7hqYg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The bridge itself is required to weigh more than 15 tons at all times. Sounds difficult to enforce, but I wish them luck.

That's the thing, see.  The bridge weighs less than 15 tons, and that's precisely why it's prohibited.