I was at an antiques store in Jim Thorpe, PA, and first noticed these two carved African heads, which I liked. But then the sign behind it caught my attention, and as you can see here, the visible part reads “Slow Thickly.” What the heck is that? A closer look behind the materials below reveals “Slow Thickly Settled,” and from what I can gather, this is a type of sign commonly seen in Massachusetts.
So what does it mean? Of course the “Slow” is the instruction to the driver, but “Thickly Settled” refers to being in a densely populated zone (with houses close together), and therefore urging a mandatory 30 mph (or 25 mph in some cases) speed limit, warning drivers to slow down for pedestrians. “Thickly Settled” seems to be an official phrase adopted by the state of Massachusetts, as can be seen here. What makes it even more curious is the fact that the term was used in Massachusetts as far back as the 1830s, long before the widespread use of automobiles, so who were they warning to slow down? Horses and buggies? Obviously I’m not saying this road sign is that old, it’s clearly not, but the use of the phrase is indeed that old, which makes it more interesting.
I can think of some other uses for “thickly settled:” the feeling one might have while sitting in an upholstered chair watching football after having a huge Thanksgiving meal. Or a big bowl of ice cream that has started to melt might find the ice cream thickly settled into the bottom of the bowl.
Keep in mind this was in an antiques store in Pennsylvania, I wonder if there are states other than Massachusetts that display these signs?