T-shirt statements

Wise Words: make a statement

While I was on holiday last week I noticed that tourist t-shirts never seem to change. All the usual tourist spots are still full of the same corny t-shirts. You know the ones I mean — the ones that make you cringe: “My mum/dad/niece/whoever went to Greece and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” .  Does anyone actually buy them? I’ve never seen anyone wearing one. 

July is supposed to be t-shirt weather, even if it doesn’t feel like it this year. When the sun does come out though, a t-shirt is one of the best things to wear (unless your company has a formal dress code — then you just have to sweat it out.) Just make sure that your t-shirt makes sense. Check the grammar and choice of words before you buy (if it’s made in China or Greece be extra vigilant).

Many statements in English from foreign manufacturers are just a random selection of words that, at best, mean nothing, or, at worst, are offensive. When my daughter was much younger, her Greek grandmother used to send her t-shirts that were printed in Greece. They were usually pink and covered in beautiful sequins and glitter — perfect for a four-year-old, you would think. The only problem was they had DOMINA written in huge capital letters smack bang in the middle. Not the kind of statement a four-year-old should be making. I often wondered whether the manufacturer was ignorant or just mischievous.

There are some t-shirts out there that are pretty clever. How about making a statement about the environment by wearing one made from recycled plastic bottles? A lot to say, a company based in California, is making t-shirts from non-biodegradable material and printing eye-catching “green” statements on them. I like the way they make use of words that have more than one meaning.

"If you "turn somebody on" — or you are a "turn on" — you make somebody feel excited, especially in a sexual way. If you turn on a light, you make it work. I also like "buzz" at the end. It means exciting.

Someone who is "flush" has a lot of money. If you "flush the toilet", you make a lot of water go down it to clean it. We can also use the expression “flush sth. down the toilet” in a metaphorical way, meaning that you waste something.

Have you seen any t-shirts statements that you like?