I saw a billboard the other day advertising the House on the Rock. If you’ve been there, you know what it’s like. If you haven’t, perhaps you’ll make plans to go. Fans of American Gods know about it, thanks to Neil Gaiman’s interest in it. And yet …
The billboard exclaimed “AMAZING YET INDESCRIBABLE”.
Yet?
Why use “yet” there? Isn’t it logical, sensible even, that something amazing could also be indescribable? Used as a conjunction, “yet” means “but” or “though.” “Amazing BUT indescribable”? “Amazing THOUGH indescribable”?
WHY? I must have pondered this for a good ten minutes or so after seeing the sign.
I still don’t have a good answer.
Grammargeddon! 
Did you see this in Wisconsin? Could it be an example of dialect for the upper Midwest?
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Yep, it’s on Hwy 11 just east of Hwy 120 (in the Lake Geneva area). I suppose it could be dialect, but I can’t say I’ve heard anyone in my daily dealings use “yet” in a way that stopped me cold like this one did. That also presumes the location of the advertising firm, to my way of thinking.
It’s weird. At least it’s weird to me. And I’ve lived in WI since 1984 (and before that in northern IL).
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My guess is based off observations of similarities between accent and word choice from people of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Again, just a thought.
Hope this puzzle causes a lively discussion and doesn’t gnaw at you for days.
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Ha. I’ve already moved on, except to write up this post. Thanks for commenting!
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