FlAME War

Sofar likes to eat at a little restaurant called FlAME in Seattle. I'm assuming he goes for the burgers, and not the consistent use of uppercase L's, judging from these photos he took at the joint, which he describes as "one of those put-customers'-drawings-on-the-wall-type places."

Sofar softens the blow:

This one looks as though it was done by a kid, which makes it excusable, but I included it anyway because of the juxtaposition of the lowercase L and the uppercase I with serifs. Also I think it's funny when people start writing something on a sign and misjudge how much space they'll need.

I beg to differ, Sofar. It isn't excusable when kids do it, and it isn't funny.

AlDWYCH

Gary C is back with another FREEZE FRAME FIlM FIND. This miniature playing card, stuck to the bottom of a beer mug in The Prestige wasn't easy to find, especially since I was fast forwarding through the movie specifically to find it, based on Gary's tip. I resorted to searching for the term "card" in the movie script I found online, then honed in on that five second bit based on listening for the dialogue around it, and corresponding that dialogue to the script.

Screenshot taken around 01:35:15. The scene unfolds as written in the movie script on page 100:

INT. PUBLIC HOUSE -- NIGHT

Cutter is finishing his meal at the bar. He goes to take a swig from his pint and FREEZES- at the bottom of the glass: A PLAYING CARD. He looks around the bar. No one he recognizes. He reaches into the glass.

Cutter pulls out the card- an ADDRESS is written up one side.

And for the cartophiles out there, here is the actual 230 AlDWYCH, LONDON, where the restaurant Thai Square can be found:


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MEATlOAF: Bat out of L

MEATlOAF always gets a bad rap. This menu board entrée, discovered by Alex C at Esther's Deli in Salt Lake City, is no exception. It conjures up images of Meat Loaf and his Bat out of Hell album, which is appropriate, since the guy who prepared this menu might have had all the letters, ... but out of L's.

At least they got the BLT right.

Five Star no-L

Chris the Yard Sale Queen is back with another find, this time from Hollywood, Maryland. What's impressive about this sign, "STORE ClOSiNG PlEASE COME TO OUR lOCAT. IN HOllYWOOD", is that there are five — count 'em, FIVE — lowercase L's used where uppercase L's should be. The presence of the lowercase i in ClOSiNG is a nice attempt to balance the lowercase L situation, but it doesn't help much. This could technically qualify as an example of limited letter real estate, as is evident with the abbreviated lOCATION and the dangling D in HOllYWOOD. But it still makes me wonder what's up with these stencil letter kits always lacking uppercase L's. Do they just expect sign writers to construct their own uppercase L's by juxtaposing two lowercase L's?

A Bad PlACE

Our final Rimpy Week submission, found on tofutti break, asks the question, "IS This PlACe GReAt OR What!" Rather, it exclaims the question, by using an exclamation mark instead of a question mark. But more worrisome is the dysgraphic use of a random mix of upper and lowercase letters. Of course, the only one we're concerned about is the lowercase L, as in PlACe. And, no, the entranceway pictured above is clearly not a great place.

TRANSFER to REDBlUFF

In our continuing saga of The Home Depot offenses submitted by serious lowercase L contributor, Rimpy, we bring you this box, found in the receiving area of Rimpy's Home Depot, scheduled for TRANSFER to REDBlUFF. Unfortunately, it may never make it there, considering Red Bluff should be two words, and, like the T and R in TRANSFER, the rest of the letters will probably wipe off the clear tape wrap.

In this instance, I think the author probably wrote REDBUFF without an L, and squeezed in the lowercase L as an afterthought.

BLOODY BIG YARD SAlE

As part of Rimpy Week, I'm posting another find by our lowercase L sleuth who goes by the name Rimpy Rimpington. In this excellent example — which reminds me of my earliest exposure to the lowercase L phenomenon — not only is there a BiG YARD SAlE, but according to Rimpy, up close the sign looks like it was written with a bloody finger! So I'm willing to excuse the missing stroke on what should be an uppercase L, as the author may have been trying to conserve blood.

A SINGlE Mistake

In this second installment from Rimpy Rimpington, we revisit Home Depot, where they advise us to SAVE WITH A SINGlE.

Dim BUlBS at Home Depot

An avid lowercase L reader, known only as Rimpy Rimpington of The Punctuator, (formerly The Rants In My Pants), has recently submitted a slew of fine examples that are so good, I've decided to devote this week to his work.

So for this first installment of Rimpy's Week, we the employee who posted this sign was not the brightest of LIGHT BUlBS in the store.

And this one, while not as bad, is a few SlABS in the face of reasonable writing.

More lowercase L's from Rimpy in the days to come!

Brooklyn Blogfest 2009

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, it has been another busy month. But I will be making time to attend the Brooklyn Blogfest 2009 this Thursday in DUMBO, so if you happen to be a fellow blogger or fan in the area, stop by and tell me your lowercase L stories in person.