Traffic authorities say 25% of all Stop-and-Go driving will be ended if we end traffic boners. Public opinion can do it!
My Shell station is local headquarters for the Share-the-Road crusade.
We'll attach the emblem to your car--give you the booklet showing how "Screwdrivers" snarl traffic.
Now you're all set to help cut Stop-and-Go driving 25%!
That's swell!
--Ypsilanti Daily Press, January 10, 1940
6 comments :
A reader question came in on email: "According to the Wikipedia page I found, Shell's signal flags say "GRP"... I have no idea why."
Answer: It turns out the flags indeed stand for those letters separately, but together they mean, in mariner's code, "I am giving way."
Kinda like how individual Chinese ideograms can have individual meanings but when combined mean a totally different word.
Or like "cow" + "[baseball]
catcher" does not equal "cowcatcher."
Great question!
But what exactly is a "traffic boner"???
"Boner" is an old slang term for a stupid or embarrassing mistake. This ad is from a series of Shell ads describing dopey things bad drivers do that inconvenience others.
ah. I thought maybe it had something to do with getting t-boned. :-/
Very reasonable guess!
One of the most legendary mistakes ever made in the annals of baseball is known as the "Merkel Boner," where the player of that name forgot to touch the bag to make a game-winning out. Players on the opposing team realized, searched through the crowd, found the game ball, made the play and won the game. I believe (but now I'm getting fuzzier) that it was in a world series and the game was replayed, causing Merkel's team to lose the series.
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