40 Clever Signs That Should Not Be This Funny
Thanks to our phones and computers, spreading hilarious content with friends and family is easier than ever. A particular page has caught our attention with posts about laugh-inducing signs. In this Facebook group, people post the funniest sign blunders they have come across. You never know when you will be blessed with the sight of a terrible sign that will make you chuckle. Finding laughter in unexpected places helps make life a little more bearable. We’re talking about glaring spelling errors and comments that contradict each other. We’ve gathered a list of some of the wittiest and most bizarre signage we could find. Let’s look at them and give insight into some puns intended and, unfortunately, some horrible nonintentional mistakes.
The Comms Must Be Down
Tinnitus is a common hearing problem, and it is pretty easy to treat. Tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears, is when you have high-pitched ringing or other sounds in your ears. This sign has a pun intended meaning.
When people experience tinnitus, they tend to cup their ears with their hands, making it seem like they are making a call. Hence the joke; “tried calling the tinnitus helpline there was no answer it just kept ringing.” And obviously, it just kept ringing because, well, tinnitus makes your ears ring!
Genuine Fake Watches
The sign is an advertisement for a store that sells replicas and counterfeit watches. Replica watches are unauthorized copies of an authentic watch. Most top watch brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and others are often replicated. These replications are genuinely fake.
You have to put up a mortgage for most of these original watches. Most replicated watches are identical to authentic products, and occasionally it is difficult to find the discrepancy. At the same time, some replicas are shabbily made, hence the sign of genuine fake watches.
Royal Dansk Sewing Kit
Now, this is a classic one! We think there is an unspoken pact about using this particular cookie tin as a sewing kit worldwide. Most individuals use the Royal Dansk cookie tin to store sewing equipment or as a sewing pin cushion.
It serves as an excellent way to reuse the cookie tin instead of disposing it. This is why the famous Royal Dansk cookies have been put for sale under the sewing kit storage unit. It’s pretty clever when you think about it.
Creative Store Sign
This sign references the popular song Milkshake by American singer Kelis that’s been around for quite a few years now. The song lyrics are, “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.” So how does this relate to the shop’s clever sign?
The sign means that under the current guidelines at the store, only 20 people are allowed in at a time. Hence the statement your milkshake is only permitted to bring 20 boys to the yard max. It doesn’t mean only boys are allowed in.
Funny Veterinary Sign
People complain about the cost of their dog’s haircut and try to get the price reduced. Some veterinary shops charge quite a ridiculous amount for a dog’s haircut. Others try to DIY it themselves, and that has never gone well.
This veterinary shop placed a sign listing several reasons why your dog’s haircut costs more than yours. We have to agree. The veterinary shop does have several valid points, though, you wouldn’t poop on your hairdresser during a haircut, but your dog might.
Fart Squirrels
Kids pet skunks thinking they are squirrels and get sprayed by the mammals. The smell of skunk spray can be pretty hard to get rid of. We can not imagine how many incidents must have happened for this sign to have been put up.
The kids ended up calling skunks a fart squirrel due to the offensive odor of the spray it emits from its anal glands. Hence the sign states not to pet the fart squirrels to avoid any incident leading to unhappy parents and stinky kids.
Misspelled Road Marking
Road markings indicate the number of lanes on the road, where you may overtake other vehicles, which lane to use for turning, and where you must stop for signs or other traffic signals. Road markings serve as a guide for drivers and alleviate confusion.
School road markings are placed at the entrance of schools to reduce accidents between motorists and students. This road marking was misspelled. The road painter misspelled school as “SCOHOL.” One can assume the painter needed a drink or perhaps to go back to SCHOOL.
Contradicting Signs
The two signs placed on the gate and the fence contradict. The welcome sign is an old sign which means people can go in. However, if one post says welcome and the other says, please keep out, which are we to listen to?
You are welcome to the see fence but not welcome on the other side? The please keep out sign seems more recent, so we guess circumstances have changed, and people are no longer allowed beyond the gate. We don’t know the reason, but it’s best to heed warnings.
The Beginning Of The End
Post-apocalyptic science fiction is a type of science fiction set in a society after a catastrophe or other widespread disasters. The setting is where the end of the world has already taken place, and the characters are trying to survive and start anew.
After World War II, incidents that could only be imagined and read in post-apocalyptic fiction novels years back are manifesting and happening in current times. Due to The Corona Virus, many felt like we were in an apocalypse; therefore, it’s considered current affairs.
Anti-Social Sign
We all dream of kindly requesting that visitors “Go away.” Now is your chance! The go-away sign tells people that they should leave the area or premises; in an adorable way. It’ll be hard to get offended by this sign.
A friendly sign to keep away sales personnel and unwelcome people. Best and polite way to decline sale pitches, religious messages, and fundraising stories without attending to the door. This wouldn’t keep some door-to-door salespeople away, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
Order Three Ways Online
At McDonald’s, you can get your order in 3 easy ways only through the app. You just have to follow through with three simple steps, reducing the waiting time for your meal. This sounds great, but people might read a different meaning to it.
Some people go ahead to interpret this McDonald’s sign as sexual innuendo. The joke is that the text “order 3 ways online” also insinuates that you can order a threesome online at McDonald’s. It is very funny when you consider it.
Confusing Road Markings
Road signs are typically set up to advise motorists and relieve confusion. Road markings are meant to guide and indicate which lanes to use, where to make a turn, and more. This has to be one of the most confusing road markings we have come across.
This road mark does the complete opposite of guiding. Only what? Only a three-way arrow. You can only drive straight ahead and make a left or right turn. You are prohibited from making a u-turn. Many people in that community will probably appreciate a new sign.
A Private Sign
A private warning sign is a single face sign, erected on privately owned property and not upon public roads, that directs a warning to the public such as no trespassing, beware of dogs, no hunting, or other such warnings to keep others away.
We find this quite absurdly funny. This sign was not structured properly and was just created to stress people. The warning and instruction are coming a bit late. Ordinary people read from top to bottom. We already read it; what are you going to do about it, huh?
The Spiders Are Going Nowhere
The sign is supposed to reassure customers, but the choice of words used in this sign is far from reassuring. The store had a spider infestation problem causing it to close down for a while. They failed to make things better in an attempt to address the situation.
After the store reopened, it put up this sign to reassure customers that the spider infestation problem had been resolved mostly but not completely. There are still spiders, but not as many as before, so it is safe to come in.
Pokemon Go
Pokemon Go is a game that allows players to search locations called Pokestops in the real world to find Pokemon creatures to battle. The creatures are mainly located at important buildings and statues. Since cemeteries fit into this category, many are set up as Pokestops.
This particular cemetery must also have been set up as a Pokestop. The sign was put up to keep away and warn Pokemon Go players. Some players step and climb on graves, searching for Pokemon beast creatures to battle. Many consider this a disrespect to the dead.
Produce Sticker Label- Onion is The New Lemon
Food produce sticker labels contain a lot of information about the product you are buying. Information such as what type of product it is, the price, and if it is organically or conventionally grown. In this photo, we see a very unusual product labeling.
This image shows that the food produce packers placed a lemon sticker label on an onion. How that came to be, we have no idea. Maybe they ran out of onion sticker labels. Whatever the reason for this contradictory sticker, we can say it’s given us a good laugh.
Fairly Used Toilets
Purchasing second-hand products can help you save money. You get what you want for a quarter of the price of buying it new, and you’re doing your part to assist the environment by recycling products. However, one might wonder where to draw the line when purchasing used items.
25$ is quite a low price to get a toilet. The salesperson hung the notice to let potential buyers know that the toilet was clean and that only one person previously owned it. Even though it had only one owner, the owner must have had visitors who needed to use the restroom…
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor is a Latin word roughly meaning pain itself. It is a placeholder sentence used in designs. This text helps product creators decide where the content will be without waiting for the content to be composed and authorized.
The image is pointing out the Latin filler text. The texts are not supposed to mean anything significant. In this book, the editor forgot to delete it and type in the content that was supposed to be placed there. Readers may have to accurately guess the intended content for each image.
Misinterpreted and Misspelled Sign
When translating a language that is not your first language, it is quite common to make errors if you do not speak it properly or when using translation apps. In this sign, we are lucky. There are both translation and typographical errors.
Shui xian cao is a famous ornamental flower used for several purposes in China. The proper translation of the Chinese saying is, “I treat you like a pearl, like treasure, yet you treat me like Shui xian cao.” This Simply means, “I treat you like a treasure, and you treat me like trash.”
All in One Shop Signs
We all like a store where we can get a lot done. Nothing beats getting a little glimpse of your future while waiting for your shoes to be fixed. It’s a win-win. This sign is a list of services provided at the shop.
Apparently, you can get a tattoo at this shop, your palms read, your flat shoes fixed, and there is a mechanic on duty. While waiting during these services, voodoo dolls will be made for you. The store covers all vital grounds.
Relatable Keyholder Texts
Keychains are a favored souvenir for travelers. People use keychains to hold their keys to avoid misplacing them. They are a non-expensive gift that you can purchase for family and friends as a token of your vacation. In this photo, the keychains have an interesting print.
This keyholder is an adaptation from classic hotels and motel keyholders. The text on the keyholder doesn’t have a particular meaning. However, some people snack on cheese at night with no pants on. They can relate to this. Maybe keys to the cheese pantry will be attached to these keychains.
Misspelled Sign
This is a prohibition sign. These signs are placed to try and prevent people from engaging in certain activities in a given setting. They’re generally used to specify measures that are not permitted. Everything seems fine with this sign until you read the last word.
This sign warns people against throwing objects overboard and into the water. Polluting the water with metal, plastic, and others is against the law. On the post, the word law was misspelled as low. A little editing will easily fix the misspelled word.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke alarms detect fires by perceiving the change in the air using various technologies. Once they notice those changes are above a certain point, they sound an alarm bell so that you can get to a safe environment and warn others.
When you leave the bathroom door open, the steam from your shower can trigger the smoke alarms. This is quite a common occurrence. Some smoke alarms detect a change in air conductivity, not just smoke. We just hope there is no fire while you’re in the shower; that would be a terrible coincidence.
Escalator Signs
Slips, trips, falls, and clothing being trapped in the grooves and gaps of the escalator stairs themselves are some of the most common dangers to people’s safety when using escalators. Many children have a fear of escalators, and rightfully so.
The third rule was included to draw people’s attention to the sign. This sign reminds anyone who rides the escalator about essential rules they should follow. Individuals with heavy luggage and strollers(pushchairs?) should use the elevators to avoid accidents.
Neon Sign
The neon sign is used in outdoor design and interior decoration. Neon advertising is, without a doubt, one of the most stunning types of advertising. Its bright colors light up the night and easily attract eyes to the advertised business.
Neon signs are commonly employed in creating multicolored and dramatic advertising signage because they immediately capture customers’ attention. The joke is that the neon sign is advertising that it is a neon sign. It is very much stating the obvious.
Bingo Knight
Bingo is a game in which participants try to locate numbers on their cards as the numerals are pulled randomly by the organizer. The first person to mark off all their numbers in a particular pattern. So what does this bingo sign have to do with knights?
The sign is referencing The Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus is a international Catholic brotherly service order. Each branch of this catholic fraternal service order holds a bingo game on some evenings. Hence the term “bingo knight” instead of “bingo night.”
Absurd Business Slogan
A slogan expresses a brand’s personality, beliefs, ideology, and mission in a few carefully selected words in a few carefully chosen words. In advertisements and different marketing materials, a corporate slogan is a short phrase that appears after the brand name. It can be powerful, but in this case, it is hilarious.
This has to be the most absurd business slogan so far. Dasani’s business slogan means the sight of the Dasani bottled water will make your mouth water; it makes you want to drink water. Dasani is a brand of bottled water.
Insightful Sign
Insightful signs help us see into ourselves and other people. These signs and quotes enable us to see things that others overlook and can take purpose from those things when it’s not consistently clear. Some of these signs can be pretty confusing.
The text “you can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you” simply means that you can’t force others to change or improve, but you can choose the people you want to be around you. If this was a bit confusing before, now you get it.
Toilet Sign
We have so many questions regarding this sign, like why there are so many people going to the bathrooms with a pen in the first place. The paper simply instructs individuals to go back and check if they flushed the toilet after use.
Many people do not flush the toilet after use for some reason we are still unsure of. Some people went ahead to interpret this sign in another way. They used pens to check the sign to confirm that they flushed after using the toilet.
Food Display Labels
Every bakery, supermarket, or café has products on display. Food labels help customers identify the food being displayed. This helps people recognize foods that they are allergic to or sensitive to. We guess the worker on duty also doesn’t know what the pastry is called.
Although in Germany, there is a small baked sweet bun pastry called a “Teilchen.” In the German language, “Teilchen” could roughly be translated to “thingy.” The teilchen pastry could have different types of fillings. Hence the pastry is labeled custard thingy.
Confusing Toilet Sign
Most public toilets have signs and instructions regarding their use. This sign can be confusing. What should not be put in the toilet, the paper towels, or the paper towel dispenser? It may seem like this warning sign isn’t necessary, but you’d be surprised at how many people will learn from it.
Paper towels are not flushable. They don’t dissolve quickly in water and are likely to cause the toilet to back up and clog the pipes. Hence the instruction is not to put the paper towels in the toilet but rather use the bin. This sign teaches a good lesson and prevents damage to the bathroom.
Incomplete Sign
A prohibition sign is a type of signage that is put up to try to restrict certain activities in specific circumstances. They’re frequently utilized to identify acts that aren’t permitted in a given setting. For example, this sign could have meant no smoking allowed.
This sign has no meaning as the text is incomplete. The vital part of this sign is missing because what is not allowed? Or is the instruction no void allowed. The middle text faded out with time, or someone used white paint to cover it.
Unique Restroom Sign
Another restroom sign fail. Putting up a poster is an essential component for any business that wants to make customers feel safe and comfortable. The right signs provide direction and help your store visitors find the necessary facilities quickly and easily.
The sign does not fulfill its purpose. It is meant to serve as a guide and direct individuals to where the restroom is located. When reading from top to bottom, it spells out restsmoor, which does not have any meaning.
Warning Sign
High-voltage electricity above 400 volts has the potential to cause severe tissue damage. Because the person becomes a component of the electrical circuit, severe electrical shock injuries usually have an entrance and exit site on the body. The individual who put up this sign is doing everyone a huge favor.
This sign is to draw the attention of individuals and warn them against touching the metal pole as it conducts 480 volts. Accidentally touching the rod would do serious damage to you, possibly killing you. It will hurt the entire time.
Stranger Things
The top holder of the road sign broke, so the signal is upside down. Also, this sign references the episode called upside down in the tv show Stranger Things. The Upside Down is an alternate dimension existing parallel to the human world.
The parallel universe occupies the same “space” as our world and has many of the same static features, such as buildings or geography, but has a different time/gravity continuum from ours. How else can anyone explain this mind-bending inverted sign?
Disturbing Signs
This sign has to be the weirdest one we have come across so far. There are signs which are put up to stress readers and give those with a good sense of humor a good laugh. It’s pretty funny that the creator of this message nailed an actual sock to the post.
The sign above doesn’t have a particular meaning. Some people post all kinds of signs and spread a little disturbance. It is just a joke to get people laughing, although we wonder if Michael ever got the message. Could he at least use a clean sock?
Confusing Sale Signs
Food product display signs are used to convey information to customers regarding what type of product it is, how it is measured, and its cost. This has to be one of the most confusing sale signs we have come across.
The sign states that avocados were incorrectly advertised in their weekly flyer. Hence the deliberate sentence is sold by each. “By the each” means that the price is per avocado, not sold as a package. Way to fix a mistake with another mistake.
Exit Sign
An exit sign can either be a pictogram or short text in a public facility showing the location of the closest emergency exit to be used in case of fire or other emergencies that require rapid evacuation. There appears to be an exit sign in this photo, but is that really what it is?
The text “this is a sales display, not an exit” is funny. It means the exit sign item is up for sale and not the store’s emergency exit. We can see how this may cause some confusion — hence the need to clarify things.
Do Not Hold Doors
This sign instructs individuals against holding doors and has an intended pun. The sign also references the character Hodor in the tv show game of thrones. He was a servant of the stark household of Winterfell — GOT fans will know this.
Hodor suffered a brain seizure during an attack where he was instructed to guard the door, repeating the words “hold the door” until they merge into “Hodor. Hodor died holding the door so that Bran Stark could escape from the white walkers.