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Old 09-03-2008, 09:22 AM   #11
BigV
Goon Squad Leader
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZenGum View Post
In Japan I noticed that too - there seemed to be a slightly higher concentration of foreigners on the 4th and 9th floors. 4 sounds like death, 9 sounds like suffering, so there is slightly less desire for these floors from Japanese people.

I have to wonder about architects bowing to superstition like this though. You reckon they put a rabbits foot in the foundations somewhere, to help keep the building from collapsing?
"sounds like" "looks like"

Question for ZenGum, Ibram, etc. What can you tell me about the concept of rhymes in the Asian cultures?

I don't think one culture is more or less superstitious than the other. I know for certain we have an abundance of ridiculous beliefs here based on... what? nothing. But I'm thinking about the ordinal names of the floors, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc etc. I can think of pleasant and unpleasant rhymes for those words but I don't see a change in popularity as a result.

first worst
second ...hm... blank
third turd
fourth worth
fifth myth

one hun nun
two spew poo screw
three pee
four whore
five dive
six dicks

So, anyway, what can you tell me about rhymes? What about a visual similarity between symbols? Does that carry a similar weight?

Thanks in advance.
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