Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Be
careful of thegap between thevehicle and theplatform it isnear , inboarding oralighting .
Etymologies
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Examples
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rolig commented on the word mind the gap
The warning posted everywhere on the Toronto subway, referring to the gap between the trains and the platform. Judging by the images below, I assume this phrase is used in the UK too.
September 13, 2011
vsrixyz commented on the word mind the gap
Very common in the UK. You can also buy T-shirts that say "fuck the gap." A bit harsh if you ask me.
September 13, 2011
bilby commented on the word mind the gap
I have a feeling it originated as a safety message used by the London Underground.
September 13, 2011
yarb commented on the word mind the gap
Yes, part of the auditory landscape of London. The reason it's so well imprinted on the London psyche is not just its repetition but the intonation used in the recorded messages. "Mind... the GAP." There's a suspenseful delay before "the gap" which seems to imply that there is more to the gap than we're being told, or that the "the gap" isn't just the gap between the platform and the train, but a more terrible existential gap into which we shall all of us assuredly fall sooner or later.
September 13, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word mind the gap
Oh! It could also be a warning to graphic designers about the retail clothing chain's attempted logo change. (Here's how Wikipedia tells it: "On October 6, 2010, Gap debuted a new logo in an attempt to create a more contemporary presence in the retail market. The new logo was made with Helvetica typeface and did away with the blue box that had become iconic with the brand. There was a public outcry against the new logo, especially in the graphic design community. The company returned to its previous "blue box" logo on October 12, only a week after the new logo's debut.")
September 13, 2011
rolig commented on the word mind the gap
Yes, Yarb! Now that you mention it, I remember that ominous recording on the London tube. It's rather chilling when you think about it.
Good one, Ru. The Gap Gaffe is right up there with the Classic Coke Kerfuffle in the Annals of Really Terrible Marketing Blunders.
September 13, 2011