Lately I was reading the fine-print on a box of perfumes my friend had received as a Christmas gift. The Polish version read: "Uzywac zgodnie z przeznaczeniem" which can be roughly translated as: "Use only as intended" . Every normal person knows that perfumes are used to mask the smell of unwashed bodies (French usage) or to seduce men (the usage of the rest of the civilized world). So what does the English fine print say? "Do not inhale!"
Yes, in some cases it certainly is better not to suggest to Poles the original and creative usages they may put things to.
Reminds me of one of L.M. Montgomery's stories (I believe it was one of hers - correct me if I'm wrong.) where the mother/caretaker/ leaves the children at home and for some reason tells them at parting not to stick their heads through the gate. Up until then, the thought had never entered their minds - but once it was implanted there, it took strong hold and of course they end up doing the very thing they were warned against.
Polish non-conformism in these times of relative peace, when there is no longer any organized, absurd system of reglementation in place expresses itself in interesting ways. But that's a topic for another, longer post.
I would like to conclude with the remark that reading labels on boxes, clothing etc. can be very amusing (although some of my friends refuse to approve of my penchant for reading cereal boxes) and also informative. Like the time I checked the label on my bathing suit only to find the washing instructions limited to this admonition: DO NOT SOAK.