Close, But No Cigar

Whenever I see a placard on a Hong Kong shop door that reads "Close", I don't blame the sign makers for messing up, because English as a second language is difficult to learn.

After all, if Open is proper, logic dictates that Close would be correct. If not, then why isn't Open written Opened? You can see the difficulty that translators face.

And if they tried to solve the problem with a sign reading Come In, what would the correct opposite be: Stay Out or Go Away? Neither is a good choice, unless the store owner is crotchety.

There is one other theory: the sign makers didn't make a mistake; they dropped the "d" to save money in production costs. But I don't buy it.

If that were the case, then this sign wouldn't exist.

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