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Polish is an official language in the UK?


Mr_Bruxelles 2 | 12
12 Dec 2011 #1
Since when Polish is an official language in the UK?

LoL


  • Warning in Polish
EdWilczynski 3 | 98
12 Dec 2011 #2
Absolutely positive that isn't a real City of Westminster sign.
Lyzko
12 Dec 2011 #3
Ever since the late '80's, early '90's when former Chancellor Helmut Kohl proposed that German be made one as wellLOL
Stronger case both geopolitically and economically for German though, I would say-:)
Wroclaw 44 | 5,369
12 Dec 2011 #4
Since when Polish is an official language in the UK?

there have been signs in Polish at victoria coach station and other places for years.
peter_olsztyn 6 | 1,096
12 Dec 2011 #5
Of course with spelling errors. Looks like author even wasn't willing to cooperate with Polish translator ;) but I like the idea.
How to say in English krótka piłka?
Lyzko
12 Dec 2011 #6
I presume you don't mean a literal translation.
peter_olsztyn 6 | 1,096
13 Dec 2011 #7
Yup.
Krótka piłka, jeśli Cię złapiemy płacisz 500 funciaków.
Sidliste_Chodov 1 | 441
13 Dec 2011 #9
Since when did Polish have the letters " æ ", " Ỳ " and " Ù "?? lol

It is not a fake, trust me.

It may be genuine, but it's full of mistakes ;)
isthatu2 4 | 2,694
13 Dec 2011 #10
Since when did Polish have the letters " æ ", " Ỳ " and " Ù "?? lol

You still think native English speakers will be working in whatever dept of Westminster Council that produced that do you?
Ok, its mistakes in Polish you highlight,but you get my drift :)
Sidliste_Chodov 1 | 441
13 Dec 2011 #11
It may or may not be a genuine sign, but considering all the Poles in the UK, there is NO excuse for such mistakes these days; not for a big organisation like Westminster.

I can understand why an Asian shop in a small Midlands town would put up signs which say things like "Polska Produkts" or "Polskie Chleb", but as there are probably more Poles in London than in Katowice these days, there's no excuse ;)
OP Mr_Bruxelles 2 | 12
13 Dec 2011 #12
ahahah, that made me laugh, it's true thought...
Wulkan - | 3,187
13 Dec 2011 #13
Since when Polish is an official language in the UK?

I can see that sign is in English and the language I have never seen before.
Wedle 15 | 490
13 Dec 2011 #14
Of course with spelling errors. Looks like author even wasn't willing to cooperate with Polish translator ;) but I like the idea.
How to say in English krótka piłka?

Who ever translated it was having a laugh, did you notice the danish letters. I am 100% certain this sign is not an official sign from the City of Westminster.
rozumiemnic 8 | 3,854
13 Dec 2011 #15
Absolutely positive that isn't a real City of Westminster sign.

me too ed, there's no council logo.
JonnyM 11 | 2,611
13 Dec 2011 #16
I am 100% certain this sign is not an official sign from the City of Westminster.

I've seen this one before, about a year ago. Apparently it's real and the mistakes are due to the sign being printed by computer.
Havok 10 | 903
13 Dec 2011 #17
@quote=Mr_Bruxelles

The way I see it you brought up two good points:

1) Polish people p1ss in the streets of London. (btw, I'm a bit surprised that only Polish would ever do that.)
2) Your local government doesn't know what your official language is.

Obliviously a Polish person didn't approve of that sign because most would know how to spell things in Polish.
ShawnH 8 | 1,491
13 Dec 2011 #18
Equally important is the fact fines are payable in zloty. Was it a favourable exchange rate that day?
Harry
13 Dec 2011 #19
1) Polish people p1ss in the streets of London. (btw, I'm a bit surprised that only Polish would ever do that.)
2) Your local government doesn't know what your official language is.

It could be that Poles are more likely to be p1ssing in the street than any other group. That would certainly fit with what I see in Warsaw. It seems that p1ssing in the street here is considered by some to be entirely acceptable.
Seanus 15 | 19,672
13 Dec 2011 #20
Officially non-official maybe
grubas 12 | 1,384
13 Dec 2011 #21
There's a phrase in Polish that passers-by traditionally call out when they see it.

A what?Jebnij się w łeb człowieku.Traditionally majority of passers-by look the other way.
Havok 10 | 903
13 Dec 2011 #22
It is not a stereotype to say that I see more people p1ssing

I apologize for my delayed response; I was detained with my toilet cleaning duties.

Now, how do you know that?

You were raised in the outback and then you immigrated to Poland. Did you mean to say that people in Poland p1ss more in the streets than people who live in the Australian outback?

Well, I have to agree with that because dirt roads are no streets, so yeah, definitely you can’t be p1ssing in streets of Austrailia cause you don’t have any in the first place.
JonnyM 11 | 2,611
13 Dec 2011 #23
Jebnij się w łeb człowieku.

Much less crude than that.

Traditionally majority of passers-by look the other way.

Everyone was staring when the tram passed not one but two men performing the other bodily function a few weeks ago in Warsaw. Right in the street, by Most Gdanski. Though you're unlikely to see any signs about that in London, whether in Polish or not.
Harry
13 Dec 2011 #24
Everyone was staring when the tram passed not one but two men performing the other bodily function a few weeks ago in Warsaw.

Was that somewhere near Fantom by any chance?
Havok 10 | 903
13 Dec 2011 #25
Everyone was staring when the tram passed not one but two men performing the other bodily function a few weeks ago in Warsaw. Right in the street, by Most Gdanski. Though you're unlikely to see any signs about that in London, whether in Polish or not.

Have you been to London? London streets paved with ****, and I doubt there are enough Polacks living there to do the job properly.
JonnyM 11 | 2,611
13 Dec 2011 #26
Have you been to London?

Often and recently. Dreadful place.

I doubt there are enough Polacks living there to do the job properly.

I wouldn't personally use that word for Poles however it seems they do need some things in life explaining to them - another Polish language notice, in this case instructions on how to use a lavatory:

Was that somewhere near Fantom by any chance?

No but I did hear of a German guy who was kicked out for walking round suggesting something like that.
grubas 12 | 1,384
13 Dec 2011 #27
Everyone was staring when the tram passed not one but two men performing the other bodily function a few weeks ago in Warsaw.

Tram passengers are not exactly passers by or are they?You better tell me what's the pharse we, the Poles allegedlly say when see person urinating on the street.personal comment removed Also in Poland it's considered impolite to stare and/or comment and you may get punched in the face for doing it.
JonnyM 11 | 2,611
13 Dec 2011 #28
Tram passengers are not exactly passers by or are they

Yes, they are, for want of a better lemma.

You better tell me what's the pharse we, the Poles allegedlly say when see person urinating on the street.

You might recall my post asking if anyone remembered.

.Also in Poland it's considered impolite to stare and/or comment and you may get punched in the face for doing it.

Proof you're crazy - Poles stare all the time and there are even threads on here about it.

There isn't an official language in the UK - Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Ulster Scots and Irish have a special status in their territories. But except for that, even English isn't mandatory. But British pragmatism dictates that signs should be understood by whoever is meant to see them. Hence a few roadsigns in areas where the drivers are likely to be Polish:

whitchurch

And allegedly signs in Haworth in Japanese, pointing to the Bronte Parsonage.
Harry
14 Dec 2011 #29
There isn't an official language in the UK - Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Ulster Scots and Irish have a special status in their territories. But except for that, even English isn't mandatory. But British pragmatism dictates that signs should be understood by whoever is meant to see them.

Which explains why leaflets from British councils tend to be available in a selection of languages. The local council where my mother lives now publish most of their leaflets in Polish. Here in Warsaw even the office which is specifically tasked with dealing with foreigners can’t be bothered to produce forms in any language other than Polish. As for the sign which is the subject of this thread, perhaps the number of person being picked up for this offence in the area who were Polish and claimed that public urination is completely acceptable in Poland led the council to spending taxpayer money on new signs. What one sees in Warsaw, combined with the Mr Prawo Jazdy incident in Ireland, would tend to support that thesis.

nd allegedly signs in Haworth in Japanese, pointing to the Bronte Parsonage.

There also used to be signs in Japanese near the Honda factory just outside Swindon. Not sure if they are still there or not.

Says more about you than me really.

That you are expected to simply tolerate homophobic abuse here also says a lot about this forum, and none of what it says is in any way good.
OP Mr_Bruxelles 2 | 12
14 Dec 2011 #30
As for the sign which is the subject of this thread, perhaps the number of person being picked up for this offence in the area who were Polish and claimed that public urination is completely acceptable in Poland

Yes you are right there Harry, this sign was near the entrance of a park, and there are quite a lot of homeless people staying or sleeping there, most of them were Polish.

Talking about that, one thing I do not understand is why are there so many Poles homeless in Brussels and London. I mean why would they leave Poland if it's to be homeless abroad? They are often middle-aged or more, here in Brussels you find them in and outside the train stations such as Gare du Midi. And there are also quite a lot of Polish homeless begging outside big supermarkets here in Brussels, I often buy 'em tobbaco and have a little chat with the ones haging around the Carrefour near my house. but this I saw in Poland as well, most the big supermarket I have been in Poland had beggars outside.


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