Here is a street sign from Tel Aviv’s Ramat Hachayal area, a vibrant hi-tech hub. The sign hangs on a building at Hanechoshet st., as stated in English.
The Hebrew is more detailed: it has the street name at the top, followed by the fine print, which explains the name. Nechoshet in Hebrew means copper, and so the text on the sign educates us:
Copper st. / An easily worked metallic element. Serves primarily to make thin electric wires.
Well, Duh!…
The origin of this utterly unneeded explanation can probably be traced to the commendable practice of adding explanations to street names referring to little known persons or events, such as
Rafael Weiss st. / Biblical scholar, 1940-1974.
Not every passerby can be expected to know every biblical scholar, or politician, or artist from bygone generations, so this is somewhat useful.
Knowing when to break a standard mold and leave a field empty in a template is a sign of intelligence…or perhaps a sort of mini Turing Test?
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