Jason English
Friday Happy Hour: Strange Interviews, Punny Stores & Earworms
by Jason English - November 20, 2009 - 1:56 PM
bloghead_fridayhappyhour1.gif

Every Friday, I post a series of unrelated questions meant to spark conversation in the comments. Answer one, answer all, respond to someone else’s reply, whatever you want. Very casual. On to this week’s topics of discussion…

1. Earlier this decade, I had an interview with a big PR firm. The first person I met with asked me where I got my news—I think her exact question was, “What newspapers do you subscribe to?” I told her I read the New York Times and New York Post online. This immediately put me on her “no” list. “You can’t trust what you read online,” she told me. I stressed again that I was reading the same articles she was reading in the printed paper, but she wasn’t buying it. “People can fake those web addresses, you know,” she said. “You don’t know what you’re reading.” What’s the most irrational thing you’ve ever encountered in a job interview?

company1.jpg2. A couple years ago, David Israel asked you to share your favorite punny store names. (His entry: “The Merchant of Tennis.”) I think it’s time to ask again: what great/terrible punny store names have you seen or been to?

3. A couple months ago, for several long days, I had the Perfect Strangers theme song stuck in my head. Usually when that happens, if I listen to the offending song in its entirety, it goes away. But not that time. You know how I got it out of my head? I had to sing along. If someone had hidden a camera in my office, they’d have a YouTube sensation on their hands. The weird thing was, I haven’t seen an episode of Perfect Strangers in many years. What’s the strangest song you couldn’t get out of your head?
* * * * *
Last week, after asking you to dream up a new theme restaurant chain, I offered a free mental_floss t-shirt to the most creative budding restaurateur. We have a tie. First, Curt Peinhardt’s “Pros & Cons,” featuring the memorabilia of sports stars who’ve run afoul of the law (with bonus points for his second suggestion—a steakhouse called Belmont Steaks). Second, “S*** My Girlfriend Won’t Eat,” which comes from picky eater Danielle and her boyfriend. Here’s her pitch: “Serving only the most inventive and disgusting dishes made from pure unadulterated necessity – notably the “spaghetti burrito,” or the “peanut butter and jelly on a hot dog.” The decorum would be a scale model of our living room, and guests would be seated awkwardly around the coffee table as my boyfriend shoves colorful combinations of leftovers under their noses.” This was a hard decision; thanks to everyone for playing along! Curt & Danielle, I’ll be in touch about your shirts.
* * * * *
ksLogoAnd finally, I need to thank one of our readers for helping me out of a jam last summer. I keep a personal blog where I post pictures of my daughter (and, on occasion, random NBA predictions). In June, it was hacked, which infected the PCs of many relatives. I posted a plea for technical assistance in that week’s Friday Happy Hour, and Jim Hegarty answered the call.

On a Saturday, he took a look, isolated the problem, fixed it, and gave me some tips to make sure it didn’t happen again. He wouldn’t accept payment, so I told him if he ever had something to promote, I’d be happy to mention it here. Jim emailed the other day to say his company had launched something called KlikSpy, which is a pretty cool visual behavior tracking tool for your website. If you’ve got a site of your own and want to see how people are actually using it, give it a look!

Thanks again, Jim!

THANKS-JIM

[See all the previous Friday Happy Hour transcripts.]

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Comments (82)

  1. 1. I was a janitor in a nursing facility and I would apply for maintenance positions or office jobs throughout my two years there. I always ended up interviewing with the same guy. My last interview with him, he said, “You know, you have applied for a lot of positions. This leads me to believe you don’t like your current position. So how do I know you’ll like the position you’re applying for?” I said, “If it doesn’t include cleaning up crap . . .I’ll like it.” I didn’t get the job.

    posted by Nathan on 11-20-2009 at 2:01 pm

  2. 2. There’s a second-floor barber shop in San Francisco called Up Hair.

    3. Whenever I try to meditate, Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” worms its way into my brain. I’m usually able to kick it out with “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

    posted by Michael on 11-20-2009 at 2:02 pm

  3. 1. Ok, this was irrational, but only I benefited from it. I swear that I was hired at my current job (which is in a suburban area), only because I told a story about driving to my previous job (in quite a rural area), and getting delayed because I was stuck behind a harvester on the road to work.

    2. In Burlington, VT, there is a hair salon called “The Men’s Room” and deals with men’s hair.

    3. I often get random songs from the 80s stuck in my head, but only the intros, so I have to go sing them to my friends to find out what song it is. Usually, once I find out the name of the song, the earworm goes away.

    posted by Jenny on 11-20-2009 at 2:14 pm

  4. 3. Just because of the mention of songs you gets stuck in your head, it’s back. If you’ve ever been to Disney and gone thru that GE Parade of Progress or whatever it’s called where they show you what the future is supposed to look like you know the song I mean: “Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time of your life.”

    posted by PartiallyDeflected on 11-20-2009 at 2:16 pm

  5. I have seen nail salon called Come in & Get Nailed.. also a band called Free Beer, as in “tonight only.. Free Beer”

    Thought those were punny

    posted by Jennifer on 11-20-2009 at 2:19 pm

  6. 2. Curl Up and Dye beauty salon.
    3. It’s a Small World from Disneyland.

    I’m not going to read any more of the posts because I just know that I’ll have all kinds on earworms one after another.

    posted by Lyn on 11-20-2009 at 2:20 pm

  7. 1. The most irrational thing I ever experienced in a job interview was when I was applying for my current job. My first interview — it was made clear — was an HR screen. I wouldn’t be talking to the hiring manager; I’d be filling out forms, handing over documents, etc. Since that was the case, I made it clear that I would be coming over on my lunch break from my then-current job, and that I didn’t want them to know I was looking elsewhere. So please, you know, help me get in and out promptly. No problem, no problem, I was assured. I arrive promptly and am seated in a conference room. Nobody shows up for 45 minutes. Nobody. I peek out of the conference room and nose around HR. Nobody around. They all went to lunch or something. I stuck around as long as I could, and then headed back to work. I called, and the HR folks were baffled and apologetic. It was one of those things where the right hand failed to keep the left hand informed. We all had a good laugh and rescheduled.

    2. N/A

    3. My child was a huge Wiggles fan for a couple years, and those songs are engineered to bore into adult brain cells. She hasn’t watched a Wiggles video in years, but some of those bland, infectious grooves still creep into my brain from time to time. “I’m the masta pasta maker from Italy….” ACK!

    posted by Eduardo on 11-20-2009 at 2:25 pm

  8. 1. In an interview for a maintenance supervisor postition I was asked to make a pencil drawing of a bicycle, which I did to the best of my (limited) artistic ability. I was told that I left out the most important part – the wheel bearings. Without doing cut-away CAD drawings, I don’t know how I was supposed to draw the bearings!

    2. A local beauty salon named “Hairbangers”.

    3. The theme song from the 70′s television series “Love American Style”

    posted by Gordon Daily on 11-20-2009 at 2:25 pm

  9. 1. I was applying for a job at a kid’s summer camp one year, and the guy doing the interview(over the phone) actually asked me “If you were an aisle in the grocery store, which aisle would you be?” I was like, “ahh… uhhh… I have no idea. Maybe the ice cream aisle?” Stupid answer, but I still got the job!

    3. I don’t usually get one particular song stuck in my head, but I do tend to wake up with songs that i haven’t heard, or thought of, for years playing around… and around…. and…

    posted by Julia on 11-20-2009 at 2:27 pm

  10. 1. It’s a standard question, but I think my response was the reason I got my current job: the manager asked me where I saw myself in 5 years. I paused for a moment and said “I have no idea what I’ll be doing in 5 years!”. He laughed and said I was the first person to ever answer that honestly. As it turns out… well here I am 5 years later still.

    2. A tanning salon called “Tanfastic”.

    3. I don’t have an answer to this, but I just think it’s funny a lot of people answer Disney songs to this, because I like Disney music so much I listen to it online while I’m working.

    posted by Sara on 11-20-2009 at 2:31 pm

  11. 2. There’s a body waxing place in Ft Collins, CO called “The Screaming Peach”.

    3. I have a preschooler, so my earworms are all songs for little kids. Last night it was one called “Pigbasket”.

    posted by JenC on 11-20-2009 at 2:34 pm

  12. 3. Oh cripes, I’d need to give a different “strangest song” every day because the smallest thing will trigger an earworm for me.

    This morning, it was Ringo Starr’s “Back Off Boogaloo” which is from around 1972, and I haven’t heard it for years. No idea where that came from.

    Later today, it was “I Will Dare” by the Replacements. No idea what triggered that, either.

    posted by deeje on 11-20-2009 at 2:35 pm

  13. It’s a small world after all. It’s a small world after… it’s a small, small world. Now get that out of your head!

    posted by Carmichael, CA on 11-20-2009 at 2:36 pm

  14. 1. Once, at an interview, I was administered an MBTI personality test. I didn’t get the job.
    2. Thai Tanic, My Thai, and Thaiphoon. All Thai restaurants in the DC area.

    posted by CW on 11-20-2009 at 2:37 pm

  15. 3. There are plenty of earworms that I carry around with me–(mostly to fit my mood at the time. ex: Michael Jackson’s “Scream” when I am angry)

    One of my favorite uses of my evil powers is to walk around (work, the mall, etc.) and whistle something like “Pop Goes the Weasel” and knowing SOMEone will have it stuck in their heads. The Smurfs Theme also works pretty well, mostly because it is alternately familiar and catchy.
    Muwah-ha-HA!!!

    posted by Marty on 11-20-2009 at 2:49 pm

  16. #2 Somewhere in Detroit I saw a Beauty Salon with the slogan,” If your looks aren’t becoming to you, You should be coming to us!” Nice one!

    posted by Doflitchit on 11-20-2009 at 2:52 pm

  17. 1. I was asked in an interview at a bankruptcy firm about my goals, and I said, “Make partner, help people,” blah blah. The interviewer said, surprised, “You mean you don’t want to get married and start a family?”

    2. Last week on vacation we went into a jewelry store in Old San Juan, PR, called “Family Jewels.” Not exactly a pun, but a great name nonetheless.

    3. The “Bozo” theme that WGN used in the mid 90′s (“I’m bonkers for Bozo, I’m clucky for that clown.”)

    posted by Braindeadlawyer on 11-20-2009 at 2:56 pm

  18. 1) Nothing really odd

    2) In College Station, Texas (home of Texas A&M) there’s a combination bar, grill, and laundromat called “Harvey Washbangers”.

    3) From Schoolhouse Rock – “The Preamble to the Constitution” and “Conjunction Junction”.

    posted by Jeff on 11-20-2009 at 2:58 pm

  19. I’d like to thank Marty for “Pop Goes the Weasel”. Jerk.

    I tend to get earworms all the time, though it’s usually just one or two lines repeated over and over and over. It drives me crazy.

    My sure-cure to earworms: sing the lyrics of Amazing Grace to the tune of Gilligan’s Island (or switch it around and sing the lyrics of Gilligan’s Island to the tune of Amazing Grace). Not only is it funny, but it works every time!

    posted by Jenny on 11-20-2009 at 2:58 pm

  20. 3. I have a friend with a two year old and I spend a considerable amount of time with their family. For a while, we were all in Yo Gabba Gabba stage. 2 songs were constant in my head: “Try it, you’ll like it!” and “I like bugs! I like bugs!!”

    posted by Shash on 11-20-2009 at 3:04 pm

  21. 1. There are only two interviews I’ve ever walked out of before they were done. In the first one, the manager asked me what I think my best skill is. I said that I’m a quick learner. He said, “Everyone thinks they’re a quick learner, but that’s rarely the case.” I replied, “If I were to be hired for this position, would I report to you?” He said yes, and I said, “Well, I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”

    In the second interview I walked out of, the hiring manager called all five candidates in to interview at the same time and said that we all looked qualified, so she would decide who got the position with a round of competitive 20 Questions.

    2. In my home town, there was a dry cleaners called Drop Your Pants Here. Later, they changed their name to something utterly banal, and I like to imagine it was because of frivolous and wanton pants-dropping.

    3. I once went three and a half months with “Deep in the Heart of Texas” stuck in my head. The worst part was, i only knew about two and a half lines of the song, and the clapping part.

    posted by Keri on 11-20-2009 at 3:05 pm

  22. 2) Hairforce, in Everett, WA. It’s a beauty salon (in a Navy town…LOL)
    3)Okay, it’s a sad story, but 5 months ago we were given the news that our beloved dog had advanced lymphoma and was on a short time frame. I kept getting the Diamond Rio song, “One More Day,” stuck in my head. I don’t listen to country music much, and that song is at least 7-8 years old, so it’s not common, so I had no idea why I kept thinking about it. Our dog lasted one week, and on the day he died, after leaving the vets office, that song came on the radio.

    posted by Helenann on 11-20-2009 at 3:15 pm

  23. 1. I was interviewed by three people at once, and they gave me a pencil and paper so I could write down answers to their questions before physically responding.

    2. There was a hairdresser in Allentown, PA called Curl up and Dye

    3. Just yesterday, a guy I work with was talking football and called the Cincinnati team the Bangles–for the rest of the day I kept thinking of Walk Like an Egyptian.

    posted by Wayne on 11-20-2009 at 3:18 pm

  24. 2. There is a store in dallas called ‘TV or not TV” im guessing it is a repair shop.

    3.”Mahna Mahna” from Sesame Street…

    posted by Amy on 11-20-2009 at 3:26 pm

  25. 1. My former boss used to ask candidates Mensa test questions just to throw them off.

    2. There is a restaurant in Adams Morgan in D.C. called “Grill from Ipanema.” I always thought that was clever.

    3. “Give it to Me” by Rick James pops into my head about once a week for absolutely no reason, and I hate that song…

    posted by Kristicuse on 11-20-2009 at 3:26 pm

  26. 3)Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur, happy kitty,sleepy kitty, purr purr purr

    posted by Amy on 11-20-2009 at 3:33 pm

  27. 2) Hair Salons are the worst. Here are a few gems here in Austin.

    *Hair It Is
    *Hairy Situations
    *Hair’s Lair
    *The Mane Express
    *Head Lines Hair & More

    3) I’m generally not a sappy person, but when I first began dating my husband, I could not get “I Think I Love You” (The Partridge Family) out of my head. For months, every time I was with him (which was a lot) it was running through my mind. I think it finally went away after he told me he loved me. Ok, that was way more sap than I intended.

    posted by Renis on 11-20-2009 at 3:34 pm

  28. I woke up with the Perfect Strangers theme song in my head one day when I was in college.
    I couldn’t get rid of it for more than a week, no matter what I did.
    Just like you I hadn’t seen a single episode in years, so I have no idea how it ended up lodged firmly in my mind.
    I was in all likelihood hung over and operating on two or three hours of sleep that morning.
    Does that have any effect on what is dredged up from your subconscious?

    posted by Steve on 11-20-2009 at 3:41 pm

  29. RE #1:

    A couple years ago, I applied for a writer position at the local county paper, I even submitted a sample article. When I showed up for the interview, however, the job had changed to an office position because between the time I applied and had the interview, the office lady had given her notice.

    posted by Sarah in CA on 11-20-2009 at 3:48 pm

  30. 3. oh, thanks Amy. I was going to say Beyonce’s If you like it put a ring on it, because, my college roommate is constantly posting youtube clips of it, but now even after reading all the comments Soft kitty, warm kitty is stuck in my head and I’m laughing…

    posted by Fran on 11-20-2009 at 3:49 pm

  31. 1. I was also asked in an interview if I was planning to get married. I was, and said so. I did not get the job. I later found out the person being replaced had gotten married and pregnant and left. Probably illegal, but I was young and stupid. And, after all that I did not get married (at that time). But still ended up with a far better job in the long run.

    2. Nails to Di For, also near Allentown, PA owned by a lady named Diane!

    3. Aaaarrgh! Thanks, guys!

    posted by hyacinth on 11-20-2009 at 3:50 pm

  32. 2. There’s a new Chinese restaurant by my house named Wok to you

    posted by Telulla Blue on 11-20-2009 at 3:53 pm

  33. 2. Mein Coif
    Mane-Lining Hair-oin

    3. The NBA on NBC theme from the 80s and 90s, also known as Roundball Rock by John Tesh.

    posted by Casey on 11-20-2009 at 3:57 pm

  34. 1) I interviewed for an event planning position at a convention center and they kept asking me what I would do if I encountered problems printing things in the office. I rattled off a bunch random answers (make sure there isn’t a paper jam, make sure I sent it to the right printer, make sure there’s paper loaded in the printer, make sure the printer is turned on, etc.), and I honestly have no idea what answer they were looking for or what that had to do with the job I was actually interviewing for. Luckily I did not get that job. I’m sure their offices are plagued by printer errors. :)

    posted by Emily on 11-20-2009 at 4:06 pm

  35. 1. I personally have never had a weird interview question, but I’ve heard of \why is a tennis ball fuzzy?\ 2. Hair Salons *are* the worst. I’ve seen two Curl Up & Dye salons. 3. I get earworms all the time. My most recent one was Lady GaGa’s LoveGame. Couple weeks ago, it was Yellow Submarine. However, the weirdest was this kids potty training song \Poop Goes In The Potty.\ Its a blurb on my local radio station. Cause they are the most mature people in St Louis.

    posted by Jaime on 11-20-2009 at 4:10 pm

  36. 1) I had an interview for a one-year contract position and one of the interviews asked me the “What do you think you will be doing in 5 years?” question. I didn’t know what to say because the first 3 things I thought of wouldn’t have been appropriate for a job interview. I didn’t get the job – in retrospect I wish I had asked “This is a one year contract, right?”

    posted by dogfriend on 11-20-2009 at 4:16 pm

  37. Anytime, Fran! ;-)

    2) DECADES ago there was a salon called ‘HAIR We Are’

    posted by Amy on 11-20-2009 at 4:23 pm

  38. Not a job interview, but a college interview that went very strangely for me.

    I applied to the same school my much older brother graduated from and was called in for an alumni interview. Turns out this particular alumnus was a fraternity brother of my brother, who also happened to be the campus radio sports announcer and a bit of a town personality. The rest of the “interview” became “story time” of my brother’s raucous college adventures and how cool this guy thought my brother was, etc, etc. I tried on multiple occasions to turn the conversation back to MY interest in the school, but this guy would barely take a breath!

    A few weeks later, I got a “thanks but no thanks” letter from the school. When I called for more information on the denial, they said my interview notes read “Her brother is awesome.” I don’t think that guy got too many more alumni interviews…

    posted by Abby on 11-20-2009 at 4:26 pm

  39. 2. Not really a store name but there’s an accountant who advertises around here and they give his phone number and e-mail address which is “taxmaniandevil@…com”

    3. Some horrible song my kids used to sing at camp (at least 5 years ago) called “Soup”. It’s a total durge with the first line going “soup, soup, with its peas and its carrots and its wonderful chicken that’s condensed in a can”. That’s all I know and it plays in a continuous loop for hours.

    posted by Donna on 11-20-2009 at 4:29 pm

  40. 2) Maternal Expressions – It was a store that sold nursing bras and breast pumps.

    posted by fish on 11-20-2009 at 4:32 pm

  41. 1. When I was still in college, I signed up for an on-campus interview with a software company looking for tech writers. My degree is in Electrical Engineering, but I LOVE to write. Anyway, the woman who did the interview looked over my resume, and said, “How did you get in here?” My initial response was “Through that door over there.” I asked what she meant, and she said, “We’re looking for a tech writer. You’re an engineer. We want English majors.” I explained that the job was posted for Engineers. She tossed my resume back across the table to me and looked at me with disgust, saying, “Everyone know engineers can’t write!” Needless to say, I didn’t get a second interview.
    2. N/A
    3. I get earworms all the time. The ones that really get to me are “American Pie” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” both songs that I love, but both songs that I get verses mixed up in. I usually have to listen to them to get rid of them.

    posted by Tammy on 11-20-2009 at 4:35 pm

  42. @Kristicuse: I made a special point of going to Grill from Ipanema the last time I was in DC solely because of the name! Luckily the food was fantastic.

    My hometown used to have an Enchanted Florist, but I just learned they have changed their name. So sad.

    posted by Rachel on 11-20-2009 at 4:39 pm

  43. 1. I once had to take an online personality quiz for a job interview. When I got there I was told I was too friendly for an accountant. O.o

    3. My iPod is full of earworm songs, mostly because I had to hear them, so I went and found them. Lot’s of Disney ones and random 80′s pop songs and 70′s rock from when I was a tot and my parents had no idea how “White Bird” was going to warp my mind.

    posted by Jen on 11-20-2009 at 4:41 pm

  44. 2. In Austin TX there is a costume shop called “Lucy in disguise with diamonds.”

    posted by Clay on 11-20-2009 at 4:42 pm

  45. 1. I had gotten laid off and was needing work after a month of being a couch potatoe. So I went to go be an oil and gas woman. Well during the interview, the lady who owned the company went bezerk on her employees. I MEAN TOTALLY NUTS! It was one of those you only need to come in if you have to type of jobs, so you mainly worked from home or a random title plant. Well she made her assistant call everyone in, they came in with that look we all get someimes “Oh no…what now!” Deer in the headlights look. She proceeded to rip everything they all had done apart and make them redo everything. I took the job (that day and started that day), please don’t ask me why, but ended up quiting 2 weeks later because it was her ritual every other day! Crazy Land Lady!

    2. Cup of Joe – coffe shop owend by Joe!

    3. This is the song that has no end.
    Yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it now knowing waht it was and they’ll continue singing it forever just because…..this is the song that has no end…….

    posted by Katie on 11-20-2009 at 4:47 pm

  46. Doggy Styles dog groomers in Utica, NY. those people had some cojones…

    posted by mri on 11-20-2009 at 5:10 pm

  47. 2. “Damsel in Dis’ Dress” was a women’s resale shop in a small town in Texas (I can’t remember exactly which town, sadly).

    3. I had “Forgot About Dre” stuck in my head for a couple of days before I finally eradicated it with a combo of David Bowie, Pete and the Pirates, and Dr. Dog.

    posted by Megan on 11-20-2009 at 5:15 pm

  48. 1. I don’t have an irrational interview story, but I do remember being in an interview once and noticing that the guy interviewing me had a Hooter’s mouse pad. An. . .anatomically correct. . .Hooter’s mouse pad. I wasn’t sorry I didn’t get that job.
    2. There’s a florist somewhere in my area called Floral and Hardy.
    3. A couple weeks ago I had songs from Mary Poppins stuck in my head. I had to watch the movie to make it stop. The other day it was Bella Notte, that song from Lady and the Tramp. Damn you, Disney!

    posted by Jill on 11-20-2009 at 5:21 pm

  49. the last time I was at Disney, I had recently bought the Avenue Q soundtrack online – ‘The Internet is for Porn’ is a bad song to have stuck in your head at any time, but it just seems extra wrong at Disney. (Also, does anyone else remember the Dave Barry column where he implied that if you did not look happy at Disney, they would put you in a Goofy suit? – I was wondering if there was similar punishment for corrupting minors.)

    posted by mev on 11-20-2009 at 5:24 pm

  50. 3. The theme song from the TV series Sanford & Son.

    posted by david on 11-20-2009 at 5:33 pm

  51. 1. “You do realize all applicants must declare their love of our saviour Jesus Christ?”

    2. (or possibly for the budding enterpreneur) A local restaurant named So Happy It’s Thursday

    3. “Spider Pig, Spider Pig…”

    posted by Doug Nelson on 11-20-2009 at 5:54 pm

  52. 2. Appe-THAI-zing – a Thai restaurant in Syracuse. Awesome food there.

    3. Free Credit Report com
    Free Credit Report com
    Tell the kids, tell your dad, tell your mom
    Nevermind you’ve been singin’ our song since we first showed up with our pirate hats on . . .
    STOP!!! Please, oh please, STOP these damn commercials!!!!

    posted by Lori on 11-20-2009 at 5:56 pm

  53. 2. Wok King
    3. Lame repetitive Paul McCartney songs like Silly Love Songs or Let ‘Em In

    posted by Steve M. on 11-20-2009 at 6:02 pm

  54. 2) Java The Hut (coffee hut in Tillamook, Oregon)

    posted by Christa on 11-20-2009 at 6:20 pm

  55. 2. Master Bait & Tackle. Its in Florida, I have pictures somewhere.

    3. Mostly Green Day and pop songs

    posted by Anne on 11-20-2009 at 6:45 pm

  56. 1. I was applying for a job as a tech writer at a giant Healthcare Software firm. They had a written portion where half the questions were riddles (IE “You have two coins that add up to 30 cents and one of them isn’t a quarter, what do you have?)

    The question made me burst out laughing, and I did not get the job.

    2. I haven’t seen it, but my brother always talks about G. Will Liquors

    posted by Kevin on 11-20-2009 at 7:47 pm

  57. 2-There used to be a very large chinese restaurant where i live called “wok n roll”
    And we have a thai restaurant called “hello thailand” no pun ,its just stupid.

    “mane street hair co.”-located on main street.

    “the cuttaway”-hair salon

    “the sultan of smoke”-bbq restaurant

    3-lately i haven’t been able to get Micheal Jacksons “man in tha mirror ” out of my head. also “lets go crazy” by prince.and a phrase that sometimes controls my mouth when im spacing out is”little fish,little fish”….it was on a helio (that un-cell phone ) commercial.

    posted by chavela on 11-20-2009 at 8:35 pm

  58. 2. Bark Ave Salon (dog groomer)

    Hair To Stay (salon)

    3. Amy, thanks for Soft Kitty!

    posted by Mrs. Coffee on 11-20-2009 at 8:45 pm

  59. 1. I’m a white male applying for an in-house counsel job at a hospital. The person hiring (who is a white female lawyer) says to me,”You’re really well qualified. I just wish you were a black female.” I bite my tongue, thinking to myself, for $18K I’m not getting a sex change and going to a tanning salon. She hired me, and I succeeded her in less than a year.
    2. Fire and Rice (Szechuan Chinese Restaurant)
    3. Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerren. (Awful song)

    posted by Arlingtony on 11-20-2009 at 9:39 pm

  60. 1. I’ve only had one job interview, and it was pretty standard.

    2. There used to be a restaurant near Gulf Shores, AL called “A Wok on the Beach.” No idea if it’s still there, but it always made me giggle.

    3. I tend to get the songs from the Rent soundtrack stuck in my head. My husband swears that “No Scrubs” by TLC is the anti-earworm song – will get any earworm out of your head in no time. It usually works for me because I can’t ever remember the words so I get distracted trying to remember them.

    Recaptcha: fake Cher. Ha!

    posted by Lynley on 11-20-2009 at 9:59 pm

  61. for Fran, Mrs. Coffee and anyone else…

    click my name for a special treat…

    (yes, I am the ‘Amy’ who posted this in the first place! ;-D)

    posted by Amy on 11-20-2009 at 10:14 pm

  62. 1) I was once asked, if there was one question you would like us to ask you during this interview, what would it be? I told them, “Would you mind working for only 6 figures a year?”
    2) Not quite a pun, but in Jacksonville I saw “Pet Paradise: A paradise for Pets”
    3) When I was 3 the Colts left Baltimore. When I was 21 I left Baltimore, 7 year later if it’s quite in the office, I start humming the Baltimore Colts fight song. Yet if you ask me to hum it on command, I can’t do it.
    3)

    posted by Chris on 11-20-2009 at 11:45 pm

  63. So everytime I see “women” and “Men” signs for restrooms I get the song women and men from They Might Be Giants stuck in my head.

    FYI Don’t dance at a urinal.

    posted by David on 11-20-2009 at 11:46 pm

  64. I meant quiet.
    Also, sadly “Best time of your life” is no longer played in the Carasouel of Progress. It’s back to the original song “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow” which is just as much of an ear worm

    posted by Chris on 11-20-2009 at 11:48 pm

  65. @Amy

    Weird. Hair We Are exists in Rexburg, Idaho, today. No new pun under the sun, I guess.

    posted by Bob on 11-21-2009 at 12:48 am

  66. 2. In Garden Grove, CA on “historic” main street there is a stamp store called “Your Pad or Mine”

    posted by Melissa on 11-21-2009 at 2:36 am

  67. 2. In Philly, two hair salons:
    “Julius Scissor”
    “The Hairport–where everybody’s fly.”

    Never was able to convince my brother to go to either for a cut.

    posted by J on 11-21-2009 at 5:44 am

  68. I was considering a transfer to Canton, Ohio (Home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) several years ago. My prospective manager took me to lunch at a diner/bar called the “Hall of Foam”

    posted by Dan on 11-21-2009 at 8:24 am

  69. 2. Master Bait and Liquor in Elsmore, KS. They sell bait. And liquor. But mostly they sell shirts and shotglasses featuring their name and logo.

    posted by Stella on 11-21-2009 at 9:36 am

  70. 1. Just out of high school my mom(control freak) insisted on making out my job resume for me and insisted that the last line say “Non smoker”.
    At an interview at a construction tool distribution center (a warehouse). The interviewer read through the resume, stopping right before the last line. He excused himself and left the room. I sat there for over 20 minutes. Finally he came back, with a cigarette. He blew smoke right in my face and said something to the effect of ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ I never heard from them. – A funny thing is that I did smoke.

    posted by Tdave on 11-21-2009 at 10:02 am

  71. 3. There I was, a Nirvana, Alice In Chains, grunge music fan, but one day while mowing the lawn I kept singing “Come-On-A-My-House” by Rosemary Clooney because it was stuck in my head.

    posted by Tdave on 11-21-2009 at 11:38 am

  72. I am a senior in college and was prepping for an internship interview. I knew, inevitably, I’d be asked the question “What do you want to do when you graduate?” I am a terrible liar, so I spent some time eloquently beefing up an answer that boiled down to “I have no friggin clue.” Sure enough, the question comes up and I give my carefully worded answer. The *doctor* who is interviewing me then asks: “Why don’t you want to be a doctor?”
    2. Whoopie pies are kinda regional to the east coast, but they’re vanilla frosting between two chocolate cakes. Though the dessert is apparently an Amish creation and the store in question is in conservative Macon, GA, the decidedly sinful shop “Macon Whoopie” is always good for a laugh.
    3. The Gummie Bears theme song. Gummie beeeears, bouncing here and there and everywhere…

    posted by Lynnie on 11-21-2009 at 11:54 am

  73. I wouldn’t say irrational but, during an interview for a small position in a large company the interviewer asked me the typical “where do you see yourself in 5 years” questions that I’d been asked a dozen times already. When he asked “What are your weaknesses” I automatically replied “Chocolate & Redheads”. He laughed so hard he couldn’t finish the interview. He called the next day & offered me the job, told me it was the most honest response he’d ever heard

    posted by Wigger on 11-21-2009 at 1:22 pm

  74. 3) I used to work in the Wiggles World area of a Six Flags theme park, I ALWAYS have those songs in my head! (but I did get to meet the Wiggles and that was really cool)

    posted by fancipantz on 11-21-2009 at 5:20 pm

  75. 2. Brewed Awakenings coffee shop

    posted by soandso on 11-22-2009 at 12:57 am

  76. Planet of the grapes, wine store

    posted by bob on 11-22-2009 at 1:03 am

  77. 1. I was asked in an interview if I came to the copier and some one was there using it, what would I do? I said I’d probably look to see how many copies they were making and if it were just one or two, I’d wait. If more, I’d come back later. They then asked if I would talk to whoever was using the copier. I said, yeah, I’d probably say hi or ask how they were doing. I later found out I didn’t get the job because, based on my answer to the copier question, I was ‘too social’. I was told employees were not allowed to fraternize or speak unless it was a work related matter. (This wasn’t the CIA, it was a distribution center for hardware supplies.) The funny thing is, I am a bit shy and people are always telling me I’m too quiet.

    2. There is a hair salon here in town called the Mane Event.

    3. My earworms are usually commercials. Anyone remember the slinky theme? It’s slinky, it’s slinky, fun for a girl or a boy, it’s slinky, it’s slinky….AUGH!!! Now it’s in my head again!!!!

    posted by Mom on 11-22-2009 at 10:15 pm

  78. I had a long career in cooking before I switched to wine. On my resumé I listed one restaurant where I worked the Garde Manger position: salads, cold foods, cheeses, etc. In an interview, a young sharpie took out his red pen, circled “Manger”, and told me I had made a spelling mistake. “Really?” I asked. “How do YOU spell Garde Manger?” “What’s a Garde Manger? Isn’t that supposed to be ‘Manager?’” he replied. I took my resumé from his hands and walked out.

    posted by Sommelier on 11-23-2009 at 3:03 am

  79. 2. Hu’s On First? – It is attached to our minor league baseball diamond. You can actually sit on the balcony and enjoy the baseball game at the same time.

    posted by Mark on 11-23-2009 at 12:17 pm

  80. I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Merchant of Venus at Disney World! One of my favorite store titles ever.

    posted by Kate on 11-23-2009 at 12:58 pm

  81. Hairway to Heaven–Tallahassee, FL
    Wok n Roll–Atl (among other cities)

    posted by L e a n n a on 11-24-2009 at 3:10 pm

  82. What’s up with all the dog groomers and hair salons? Here’s one from Des Moines:

    Snip Doggy Dog (groomer)

    posted by AP on 4-30-2010 at 4:49 pm

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