Funny Signs that Could Use Better Grammar/Spelling

You’ve heard of these kinds of signs before. They’ve caught the attention of everyone from Asia to Europe to the Americas. Sometimes, the mistakes are so blatant that even the worst English speaker/writer can spot them easily. Sometimes, though, the mistakes can be subtle, forcing even seasoned writers to think a little bit. Here are some signs that make me chuckle.

Photo courtesy of Funny Typos.

The happiness and pride of whoever wrote the sign is quite apparent, but I am pretty sure that the “gradute” isn’t that proud about it. (Unless he/she wrote the sign – I certainly hope not!)

Here’s another sign, which actually highlights one of the mistakes I wrote about in the last post.

I certainly feel like eating chicken nuggets right now, but I don’t think that the incorrect word helps much in advertising.  Spot the error and correct the mistake?

How about waste disposal issues?

Photo from Danny Arao

For this sign, I will leave it to you guys to figure out the problem.  There may be varying opinions.

Here’s a sign from a street food vendor’s stall.Who can give me the “translation” for these items on the menu?  Hint: They sell sandwiches.


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15 responses
  1. Joolie Avatar
    Joolie

    Spelling errors on signs like the Popeyes example occur more often than I would expect. What’s sad is when they remain uncorrected. Either no one on staff can spell, or they just don’t care.

    Forget the spelling … did you see the prices for Putlongs and Chiz Burjers? LOL. I have to believe this one is colloquial and intentional, based on the vendor’s accent and to stand out from the norm. Or at least I hope so!

    1. Noemi Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Twigg

      LOL Joolie – your comment on the putlong sign made me realize something. I should have explained where the sign is from. It’s a real sign from Manila, Philippines and the prices are in pesos. The words are definitely misspelled, but sadly, I doubt it is because of a desire to stand out from the norm.

  2. Tracey Avatar
    Tracey

    I think that the putlong is a “foot-long” sandwich–what we’d call a grinder or a sub in my neck of the woods.

    1. Christina Crowe Avatar

      I wouldn’t have guessed that one. I was wondering what “Putlong” was until you clarified it in the comments.

    2. Noemi Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Twigg

      You nailed it!

  3. Susan Gunelius Avatar

    I can’t figure out what the Dobol Patties could be.

    Hilarious post, Noemi!

    1. Christina Crowe Avatar

      I’m guessing “dobol” means “double.” So, double patty sandwich. 🙂

      Christina

      1. Noemi Twigg Avatar
        Noemi Twigg

        Susan – yeah Christina got it right. I should go out in the streets more often and look for more of these signs. 😉

  4. Christina Crowe Avatar

    Hilarious! My favorite image, by far, would be the disposable tissue message. I can just picture someone throwing their tissue _at_ the trash can!

    You definitely brightened my day with this post.

    Christina

    1. Noemi Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Twigg

      Judging by the trash I see in some places, I think some people actually throw their garbage AT the trash can.

  5. Deborah Kabwang Avatar

    hhahah that is funny, but SAD!

  6. Debi Avatar

    I laughed so hard! I am going to pass this post to everyone I know!
    Thanks for a good laugh.

    1. Noemi Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Twigg

      Thanks, Debi. Enjoy the rest of the week!

  7. Joe Matthews Avatar

    One of the major news programs, I can’t remember which one, just did about a ten minute story on two guys who had traveled the country finding these mistakes. They were writing a book or something and covered the majority of the US. However, they also made contact with the people and tried to have them correct the grammar/spelling mistake. In many cases, they did not get a great response.

  8. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Here’s one I see all the time, usually in a Waffle House:

    SHIRT AND SHOES MUST BE WORN TO BE SERVED

    Most people I point this out to don’t get it. Y’all will, though. 😉

    So THAT’S what the mystery meat is!

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