Beware of Dog

Even though it was cold enough inside the house that I put on a sweater, a quick poke of the head outside revealed that it was about 75, sunny and clear, so I decided to walk to the bank, post office and library. Along the way I passed a fenced in yard with a "Beware of Dog" sign hung on it. Forget the fact that the fence was about waist high, and any dog contained by it of limited threat. It occured to me just how formal and antiquated the word "beware" actually is. "Danger." "Warning." These are words you see every day, on signs and elsewhere. But when was the last time anyone actually used or encountered the word "beware" outside of a "Beware of Dog" sign? All it does is make me think of Universal's classic "The Wolf Man" - 'be-vare!" - or Burt Bacharach's "Blob" song - "beware of the blob!" - not very timely references.

Now, if there was a big hound of the Baskervilles-type creature roaming around the mist covered city, then yeah, beware. But some barking puppy? Forget it.