# Why am I seeing the word "Como" spraypainted on bridges? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031 "2008-02-17T23:16:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/1 "2008-02-17T23:16:02Z")
Why? I mostly see it on the Capital Beltway near the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/2 "2008-02-17T23:25:05Z")
You mena like graffiti? Complete WAG: New gang? Possibly of italian/lombardy descent (Como is a city in Lombardy italy). I don’t know the population density of italians or anything in the area though so. Like I said, complete WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/3 "2008-02-17T23:30:20Z")
Como is also a Spanish word, as in “[Oye como va](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DynWq6-zheI)” Listen to how it goes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/4 "2008-02-17T23:38:08Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Como is also a Spanish word, as in “[Oye como va](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DynWq6-zheI)” Listen to how it goes. 😉 [/QUOTE] I realize that, but of course I was trying to find a some possible emotional/blood tie to it and outlining “its a spanish word” leaves us where we started (the word “como” is on a bridge, maybe implying the people who wrote it know a lick of basic spansih). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/5 "2008-02-17T23:45:55Z")
Remember [Cool “Disco” Dan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_%22Disco%22_Dan)? That used to be _everywhere_. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/6 "2008-02-17T23:46:16Z")
Well, the bridges are above roads… Could be their version of “zoom zoom” for all we know? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/7 "2008-02-18T01:03:49Z")
Perry’s ghost is being naughty. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/8 "2008-02-18T01:46:47Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Remember [Cool “Disco” Dan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_%22Disco%22_Dan)? That used to be _everywhere_. [/QUOTE] Back in the 80’s, Dan was the Mongolian Empire of D.C. area taggers. I, for one, miss his work. Remember [Borf](http://www.flickr.com/photos/realnothanks/1150703653/)? Maybe Como is just a similar moniker/slogan. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/9 "2008-02-18T02:25:43Z")
I for one miss the “Surrender Dorothy” on the bridge approaching the Mormon Temple. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/10 "2008-02-18T03:34:33Z")
My guess is that some tagger has adopted “como” as his tagname and is putting “throw-ups” on bridges in the area to build “respect”. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/11 "2008-02-18T05:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] Why? I mostly see it on the Capital Beltway near the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland. [/QUOTE] Is that the same overpass that used to have “Save Dorothy” painted on it? I always thought that was clever. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/12 "2008-02-18T05:56:42Z")
[QUOTE=King Friday] Is that the same overpass that used to have “Save Dorothy” painted on it? I always thought that was clever. [/QUOTE] Hee! Nice to know others remember that. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/13 "2008-02-18T06:21:45Z")
[QUOTE=aktep] My guess is that some tagger has adopted “como” as his tagname and is putting “throw-ups” on bridges in the area to build “respect”. [/QUOTE] My best guess as well. Tagger names don’t usually have any deep philosophical or political meaning. Those tagger kids are just a weird subset of juvenile offenders. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/14 "2008-02-18T12:46:08Z")
[QUOTE=King Friday] Is that the same overpass that used to have “Save Dorothy” painted on it? I always thought that was clever. [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure it is. But it said “Surrender Dorothy”. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/15 "2008-02-18T14:21:25Z")
“Surrender Dorothy” also has a Wikipedia entry: > **[Surrender Dorothy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_Dorothy)** > > "Surrender Dorothy" is a famous special effect used in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, where the Wicked Witch of the West flies on her broomstick to write the two-word phrase across the sky. The phrase later attained local fame as graffiti in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. > The first appearance of the phrase is in the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz (it is not in the novel or any previous adaptations). In the scene, Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) has reached the Emerald City with her comp... ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/16 "2008-02-18T17:59:55Z")
I also enjoyed the work of [Borf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borf) as well. I miss Surrender Dorothy, but still see Cool “Disco” Dan’s work around DC. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/17 "2008-02-18T20:56:45Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] I’m pretty sure it is. But it said “Surrender Dorothy”. [/QUOTE] Ah yes, I knew it was something like that. I remember seeing it as a young lad written in big black letters. I try my best to stay off the Capital Beltway, but whenever I venture to the Nissan Pavilion I pass that overpass and remember (not accurately apparently) that graffiti. For those who’ve never seen that church, it pops up out of nowhere when you’re driving and it is quite a sight. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/18 "2008-02-18T21:47:44Z")
What does “Surrender Dorothy” have to do with the Mormon temple? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/19 "2008-02-18T22:44:13Z")
I live in the DC area and I have seen the Como graffiti also, in various locations. **acsenray** , when you’re driving around the Beltway, you see the Mormon temple and it’s this huge fantastical looking white castle-type thing, and it looks like something out of the Wizard of Oz. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031/20 "2008-02-18T23:10:56Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] What does “Surrender Dorothy” have to do with the Mormon temple? [/QUOTE] Because it looks like the Emerald City. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-seeing-the-word-como-spraypainted-on-bridges/438031.md?page=2)