This morning I saw a vanity plate, "HUTSPA."* It took me a second to get it. Then I laughed : ) I know some people hate vanity license plates, and a lot of them--the plates, I mean-- are stupid. (For example, I don't understand the need to put the type and/or color of your car on your license plate. "RED JAG" or "AUDI TT," for example. Yeah, I can see that. The license plate is about four inches away from the model name on your trunk. And what happens if you change cars? But to each his own...)
But I think sometimes that vanity plates are the only exercise in creativity most people allow themselves. It's like a game. You have to think of something that describes yourself or your life in seven characters or less that hasn't already been thought of by someone else. That kind of thing kills me. I can never do it. My creativity doesn't run toward the short and clever end of things. Ask any of my colleagues who've read my attempts at brochure headlines. This is why my license plate is a random string of letters and numbers that I've had to create stories and/or facts around to remember. Like, I graduated from college in 1997, so I'm pretty sure there's a 97 in there somewhere. Except I think that's on the Tahoe, which my husband is now driving. *sigh* Oh, well.
My absolute all-time favorite is one my parents saw in Peoria, and I later saw for myself: "SOTERIC." Hee. If you don't get that, let me know. And don't feel bad. It took us a while to get it, too -- which makes it all the funnier.
Which only brings to mind an exchange I had with my brother this weekend.
Him (upon realizing his new license plate is a random string letters and numbers): *sigh* I'm never going to be able to memorize this.
Me: Why do you need to memorize it?
Him (looking at me like I've questioned the need for oxygen): In case someone asks you for it. Duh. (The duh is actually silent here.)
Me: *shrugs* Tell them to hang on a minute, then go out and look.
Him: *shakes head and walks away from clueless sister*
I don't know... made sense to me! *grin* Who wants to use up valuable brain space on your license plate number? I already have too many numbers to remember. If I'm picking, I'm going with my ATM PIN over my license plate number. When has knowing my license plate number ever gotten me cash?!?
*HUTSPA is a deliberate (I hope!) misspelling of the Yiddish word "chutzpah," which is used to describe a nervy or brazen type person or action. Ha. I just looked up "nervy" to make sure I was spelling it right and found the definition is "insolently confident." Dude. What a great description. That has to be a character somewhere!!!!
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2 comments:
Here's my head scratcher plate of the day:
SCRFCE 6
I came up with 2 possibilities here. How many do you see?
"Here's my head scratcher plate of the day:
SCRFCE 6
I came up with 2 possibilities here. How many do you see?"
Well, I've got two, but one is stretching it a little, I think. My first thought was, SCARFACE. Like the movie that I've never seen with Al Pacino? (At least, I think it's Pacino. I get Pacino, DeNiro and Hoffman all confused sometimes.)
But the more esoteric (ha!) possibility is SACRIFICE. Taking out most of the vowels except for the final "e" because then it really wouldn't be clear. But I think that's stretching it. SCARFACE makes more sense as you'd be removing the same letter, "a."
What were the two options you came up with?
Hey, former Christ College student, isn't this what people did a long time ago to preserve the name of God? Removed all the vowels from the word? Consequently, no one is really sure what vowels should go back in?
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