Posted on 11/16/2006 3:56:42 AM PST by billorites
AMHERST – Did he cheat on his wife? Stop paying child support? Never call again after that magical first date?
A person named Kurt has done something wrong and someone wants to know why, and they're seeking the answer by putting up signs that say "Why - Kurt?" all over Amherst.
The green-and-yellow "Why - Kurt?" signs line the roads from the village to Souhegan High School and even cross into Merrimack and Nashua.
The message is simple enough, but the questions it raises have thus far remained unanswered.
"We want to know what Kurt did wrong," said Lynn Simoneau, owner of Silkscreen Graphics in Milford.
Dozens of these Why — Kurt? signs have been posted in Amherst and have appeared in the surrounding towns of Merrimack and Nashua. (NANCY FOSTER)
Simoneau and her fellow sign makers in the area, including the owners of Classic Signs in Amherst and the Sign Mine in Milford, said they weren't hired to make the corrugated plastic signs.
"I've seen them, though," Simoneau said, "and they've definitely raised my curiosity."
"We have been asking everybody if they know what the signs mean," said Kellie Kearns, an employee at Homestead General Store, "but nobody knows."
"They're everywhere," she said.
"We can't figure it out either," said a receptionist at Souhegan High School. "Would you call us if you find out?"
A Google search of the phrase "Why €" Kurt?" revealed about 19,000 possibilities as to what answer the mysterious signs might be referring to, such as the untimely death of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, or the anger one blogger feels about the fact that Kurt Schwitters was named the most important artist by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The signs could also point to frustration that NASCAR fans had over Kurt Busch's decision to drive a Dodge Neon in Atlanta.
Amherst Police Chief Peter Lyon said he's seen the signs and has wondered about their meaning.
"I'm guessing it's something personal," Lyon said.
The chief said his department might take some time this week to remove the signs, which are illegal, according to Town Administrator Gary MacGuire.
"Technically, they're a violation of the town's sign ordinance," MacGuire said.
... just glad my name isn't "Kurt" ...
Good one! ;-)
How do they know it's not Kurt asking "Why?" "Why" (signed) Kurt ...
Or, "Why Kurt?" as opposed to Jim, Pete, or Tom.
If the question were addressed to Kurt, it should be "Why, Kurt?"
Why Kurt!
Possible. People who misuse a dash probably are confused about other punctuation as well.
I think I'll give this a ping for the Verbal Mayhem list. It has potential :-).
No interesting typso lately, but here's a rather odd punctuation situation for your reflection on this rainy morning.
Cheers!
I think it is signed by Kurt.
The punctuation raises a distinct possibility that Kurt is why.
The dash is widely misused online and in the print media. It seems to be a lazy puntiation mechanism for people who don't understand commas.
Or maybe the question mark signifies that Kurt isn't sure it was really him who signed the question.
On another front, I saw a professionally printed sign in Greensboro the other day that said, "Forclosed? I By Houses." Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Good point. I hadn't considered "Why?" "Kurt!"
Maybe it was typsoed by rrrod. (I'm sure he'd make a killing on the houses, too!)
Well, I was taught that a dash signified a longer pause than a comma and that is grammatically correct, in a certain context, to use it instead of a comma. I think that this person wanted a more dramatic pause than just a mere comma would convey, hence they used the dash.
Mebbe they should figure out the pattern and follow the signs. Shirley they've been placed along a route that Kurt takes every day.
I think it's interesting that the article assumes that the sign is an accusation against Kurt, when there are so many other possibilities.
Exactly. It's actually a stylistic mechanism. Unfortunately, it seems to show up these days in all sorts of places where it isn't appropriate.
I think that this person wanted a more dramatic pause than just a mere comma would convey, hence they used the dash.
Maybe, but it looks to me like the laziness expalanation is more likely. We may never know!
Maybe Kurt just wants the attention.
I love em dashes. They can be used effectively and correctly, too.
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