Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Vernacular Arabic in all its glory.

 Yesterday I fell on some brilliant examples of vernacular Arabic, first there's the Caritas ad above plastered on a wall which uses "do I look like Caritas to you?" used among people as a way of saying "hey, I am not an ambulant ATM" - used for the client itself it plays brilliantly on the paradox.
 Next Josons by way of selling Safari gunshots (pity the Safari logo is too small!) says "my gunshot is stronger than yours" an allusion to the way kids speak "bayye a2wa min bayyak" (my dad is stronger than yours).
 So, when a Sajj furn (Open air over bakery) opens near Sagesse school, what do you call it? Sajjesse obviously. Seriously, an extraordinary example of home grown copywriting.
And this from a witty bus driver... "smoking is allowed one day, banned the next, well today is the banned one!"...

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