# Re-arranging phrases. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2004, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309 "2004-10-03T11:22:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/1 "2004-10-03T11:22:15Z")
Walking to work this morning I spotted a sign. Naturally I re-arranged it in my head - Play slowly please Children driving So let’s make a fun thread of re-arranged phrases, signs, famous quotes. Ring them all, rule one and bind them in to the darkness. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/2 "2004-10-03T12:02:11Z")
Away Give. Na it doesn’t work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/3 "2004-10-03T12:03:15Z")
Even as Way Give…oops ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/4 "2004-10-03T12:10:22Z")
There is actually a term for this - ‘chiasmus’, which is “a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases”. For example, the line attributed to Mae West, “it’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men”. And, naturally, there is a website. Check out [http://www.chiasmus.com](http://www.chiasmus.com) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/5 "2004-10-03T12:34:55Z")
The first thing that came to mind was a local restaurant that sells t-shirts with amusing phrases on the back. There is one which reads “It is our business to do pleasure with you”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/6 "2004-10-03T14:11:04Z")
This pants is thread. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/7 "2004-10-03T15:12:09Z")
I was in New Orleans during the Urban Cowboy craze. In the window of a mechanical bull bar, there was a bumper sticker; **If you ain’t a cowboy, you ain’t shit.** I was severely amused. The proof is in the converse, of course. If you **are** a cowboy… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/8 "2004-10-03T22:43:40Z")
Then there’s always the “Slow Children At Play” sign, which doesn’t have to be rearranged at all. My brain on the other hand, well, maybe 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/9 "2004-10-03T22:49:56Z")
Not quite in the spirit of the OP, but there was a strawberry field on the edge of my village in England that had two signs outside it. At a certain angle as you drove towards it, they said: **Pick your own Children!** ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/10 "2004-10-03T22:56:44Z")
Wow, and I thought I was the only one to do this. I used to rearrange, “No parking at any time” to be, “No timing at any park”. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/11 "2004-10-03T23:18:35Z")
The old one about a defense attorney who had a sign on his door reading: Prosecutors will be violated. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/12 "2004-10-03T23:39:16Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Not quite in the spirit of the OP, but there was a strawberry field on the edge of my village in England that had two signs outside it. At a certain angle as you drove towards it, they said: > **Pick your own > Children!** That reminds me. In Liverpool I saw a _large_ professional looking sign which said “crap for Sale” As we progressed along the road it became clear what the sign really said. (Scrap for sale) (which, in hindsight, isn’t much of an improvement) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/13 "2004-10-04T02:15:08Z")
Hey! Here’s another one…why do we drive in the parkway and park in th–OW! Stop hitting! ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/14 "2004-10-04T13:57:01Z")
The mind gap. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/15 "2004-10-04T14:13:50Z")
The waste is a terrible thing to mind. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/16 "2004-10-04T18:49:31Z")
Seen on a bumper sticker: **The weather is here. Wish you were beautiful.** ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/17 "2004-10-04T19:11:32Z")
> [@Merhouse](#): > > Then there’s always the “Slow Children At Play” sign, which doesn’t have to be rearranged at all. I always contemplate that one and “Blind Child Crossing.” Is the crossing blind, or is the child blind? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/18 "2004-10-06T18:00:37Z")
I saw one somewhere, and I don’t think I quite remember how it goes… “Every time a kitten masturbates you kill God” Or something like that. It was funnier than my version. Actually, I think it was on the SDMB somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/19 "2004-10-06T18:08:32Z")
Re-phrasing ranges ar. The Board Dope Straight Message. You don’t have to work here to help, but it’s mad (from ‘Big Train’ UK comedy show) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-arranging-phrases/267309/20 "2004-10-06T19:12:28Z")
In the north they have signs on the highways that say, “Bridge ices before road.” I always read it as, “Ice bridges before road.”