SIGNS which have popped up in York city centre have left some people scratching their heads.

Temporary yellow and black signs at street level and parking suspensions give in the streets around York Minster give advance notice of ‘Exercise Obtundity’.

They were spotted at Bootham Bar, then leading along High Petergate up to the junction with Duncombe Place.

York Press:

Signs at street level advise of road closures between 4pm and midnight on Monday, January 22.

Parking suspension signs say all parking is suspended between 11am and midnight on the same day.


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Social media posts have included helpful anagrams of the word obtundity, and an early bid has been made on X, formerly known as Twitter, for ‘word of the year 2024’.

So what do we know?

‘Obtundity’ is the name specified for a training exercise taking place around York Minster on Monday, January 22.

It is being led by police and will involve North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and City of York Council.

York Press: Another of the signs in Duncombe PlaceAnother of the signs in Duncombe Place (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Residents and businesses have been provided with information and a Monday evening in January was chosen so as to limit disruption around the Minster.

The Press dusted off a copy of the Concise Oxford Dictionary and learned that to ‘obtund’ is ‘to blunt or deaden’ and the Collins English Dictionary provides ‘obtundity’ as a noun – the state of having the senses numbed or less sharp’.