Friday foolishness: foreign words

[AAllan at AOL.COM]

>From an Australian columnist
http://www.smh.com.au:80/news/0009/11/text/column8.html

We tapped a rich lode of anecdotes when we told the story of Catherine
Conlon, who traipsed all over Rome following signs and looking for Senso
Unico - then found it meant One Way (Column 8, September 2). David Rich , of
Wahroonga, driving in Germany, was baffled by signs to Umleitung at some
crossroads. The dictionary finally provided the answer: Diversion. Arriving
in Buenos Aires late at night, and wanting to report a theft to police, Fay
and Morrie Robinson, of Bondi, left their hotel on foot and without a map -
but they noted from a sign that they were staying right next to the Jockey
Club. Later, trying to retrace their steps, they found there were a lot of
Jockey Club signs - it's a brand of cigarette. Gerry Freed, of Mt Ousley,
said many hours were wasted looking for the little German town of Ausgang.
"Signs to it appear on all the autobahns, but locals are unhelpful when you
ask directions." George Grosz, of Randwick, got a postcard from a friend
travelling in Italy: "Greetings from Olio Sasso". He'd glimpsed the name on a
railway station - it's a brand of olive oil.

- Allan Metcalf