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I was visiting family on the Eastern shore of Maryland last week when I saw this little war of words at a remote intersection. My aunt, a local, said “Funny, I’ve driven by here a thousand times and never noticed that!” I guess the poduce vendor hasn’t noticed it yet, either.
Big Al found this (phonetically?) misspelled sign with a punctuation error, to boot — it’s like the four leaf clover of signs!
This misspelled school sign (also found by Big Al) is one of many like it out there — what does that say about the state of our education system?
The blog eatsleepart featured this sign, found in India. (I guess they offer what’s known as a “terminal degree.”)
Comments (50)
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We found a Deteor sign in Washington D.C. and a FRIUT stand in VA :)
posted by Sarakenobi on 10-30-2007 at 11:37 am
I saw Plumbs for sale at a Friut stand once. I’ve got a picture somewhere. it was hilarious.
posted by Jen on 10-30-2007 at 11:43 am
A pond near my grandparent’s house had a warning sign against attracting waterfowl:
“Please don’t feed the duck or geese.”
Feeding multiple ducks was perfectly fine.
posted by Katherine on 10-30-2007 at 12:00 pm
There’s actually an office park in Round Rock, TX, called AmorRon Park. Not even a typo, just someone’s failure to recognize phonetics.
posted by Charles on 10-30-2007 at 12:03 pm
Like the hard hat’s sign.
This usage of the apostrophe is referred to as a “grocer’s apostrophe” in England.
Pea’s
Apple’s
etc.
posted by mikey on 10-30-2007 at 12:09 pm
In NY there are always signs infront of shops with awful grammar/spelling.
I also buy some goods from other countries with rough translations in English on the packaging.
My favorite are the signs or packing translated from Chinese into English. Sometimes its just plain hysterical.
Just look up Chinglish on Wikipedia for examples!
posted by Sweet Pea on 10-30-2007 at 12:20 pm
Actually, wouldn’t the hard hat sign be technically correct if it was used to form a contraction?
“Hard hat is required beyone this point”
becomes, “Hard hat’s required beyond this point”
Still no help on the misspelling, but not totally wrong grammatically.
posted by Matt on 10-30-2007 at 12:31 pm
Neatorama had a hilarious story yesterday about a guy that ordered a cake from Wal-Mart. The site doesn’t work real well for me from work, but this is what the cake said:
Best Wishes Suzanne
Under Neat That
We Will Miss You
Not only did they completely misunderstand, they misspelled underneath!
posted by Kate on 10-30-2007 at 12:32 pm
While driving to Atlanta I saw a billboard advertising “Cretin Homes”. Who wants to live there? I suppose they meant Cretan, from Crete, a nice island vibe. Instead, they are selling “Homes for Deformed Idiots”.
posted by Erin on 10-30-2007 at 12:42 pm
The local mall has a sign out right now
Red suite
White beard
It’s Santa
Nov. 10
I’m not sure which is worse, the spelling error or the fact the Santa is coming not even two weeks after Halloween. Oh well at least they didn’t misspell Santa…
posted by Eli on 10-30-2007 at 12:43 pm
I’m from the eastern shore of Md.
That kind of thing happens all the time.
One time I was instructed by a handwritten sign “No parking passed this point”. The word “past” had been crossed out.
posted by Melissa on 10-30-2007 at 12:55 pm
Sweet Pea,
Look up http://www.engrish.com
I was in Japan and found a salad dressing called Jiso Creamy. Needless to say, I passed.
posted by Dusty on 10-30-2007 at 12:58 pm
If the Robert R. Moton Elementary School is anything like the schools around here, it’s the custodian who changes the sign. Still, you’d think the teachers would catch it.
posted by Dave on 10-30-2007 at 1:16 pm
At University College Cork in Cork, Ireland there was a sign saying “Pederstrian Crossing” – I giggled every time I passed it to get to class.
posted by Regan on 10-30-2007 at 1:44 pm
Driving through Redneckville provides some excellent misspelled signs. My two favorites:
FREE KETTINS
-and-
4 SALE
PEPOLE APPLES
DEER APPLES
posted by Corrine on 10-30-2007 at 2:08 pm
check the link – this is across from m y work.
posted by leah on 10-30-2007 at 3:24 pm
Just take a look at CraigsList sometime. The people who sell kitchen “cabanets” and “dinning” room tables make my teeth itch.
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 10-30-2007 at 3:34 pm
The pool at the public highschool in the town I go to college has “Saterday” hours, and then there is “Bobs’ Car Wash”, but I’m fairly certain there is only one Bob that owns it.
posted by Katie B on 10-30-2007 at 4:21 pm
i bought an up and running restaurant years ago that had a huge overblown neon billboard in front. 4 years in, we replaced the sign and as it was lowered onto a truck to be hauled off, i noticed it said “dinining room”. no one, myself included, had ever noticed it before.
posted by thomas on 10-30-2007 at 7:27 pm
I think it’s funny that everyone was commenting on the “hard hat’s” sign, referring to the misused apostrophe but failed to notice that beyond was spelled “beyone”
Also there’s an ice cream shop down my street that has “reese’s places” as a mix in as well as “feet free elfin”
posted by Laura on 10-30-2007 at 7:46 pm
There’s a shop near my home that has a large painted sign saying they do tire “alingmengt”.
posted by Miss Cellania on 10-30-2007 at 8:31 pm
And every weekend, I see signs for a Hugh Yard Sale somewhere or other.
posted by Miss Cellania on 10-30-2007 at 8:38 pm
Hey SpaceMonkeyX,
I hear you about the craigslist community. Not that I’m perfect (but I am moreso than others), I recently corrected people in the furniture forum who were selling Rod Iron, and not Wrought Iron. Do a search for that in furniture. You would not believe the dummies out here!!
posted by ohbeehave on 10-30-2007 at 8:40 pm
There used to be a sign on a fence by my house that said “Don’t Put Signs on Fence”. That was back before I had a digital camera or camera phone or else I definitely would have taken a picture of it.
posted by Leah on 10-30-2007 at 9:33 pm
Here in Utah, there’s a Walgreens having a bright big yellow light box that advertising ‘OPEN 24 HOURS’. Right below on the wall, no parking AFTER hours. Violators will be cited or vehicle be towed. Well, at least all the grammar and spellings are correct.
posted by Hermia on 10-30-2007 at 10:49 pm
There is a street sign here in Florence AL
Coutny Rd.
posted by SongLee on 10-30-2007 at 11:13 pm
The local SAM’S CLUB has lighters use to light charcoal grills that come with extra viles of fluid.
posted by schmelz on 10-31-2007 at 7:31 am
a sign on a local garage door business:
ours are made in america.
are theres?
a sign on a local retirement home:
sunset village
retirement living at it’s finest
posted by Richel on 10-31-2007 at 7:48 am
My daughter left a note a couple Sundays ago that read: “When to church.” It’s now a running joke for anyone leaving a note at our house.
A local mom-and-pop grocer on the state highway when I was a kid used to have large “blackboard” type signs that he would whitewash messages on. He would deliberately make mistakes. I’m sure out-of-towners driving by thought we had the stupidest people in the state. It was actually great advertising that got everyone’s attention. It was fun to go by and see what was going to be on his sign next. “Holsum Bird, 39 cents a loaf” – “Nice Nannies”, “Maters”, “Taters”, etc. One of the regular messages was spelled correctly but a great message: “Free Smiles”. I wish I could think of more because some were hilarious but it’s been many years. Inside by a doorway near the cash register was a note on an index card that said “Due to popular demand, we will now be open until midnight on the second Tuesday of every week.” It was a great small-town place.
posted by Bob on 10-31-2007 at 8:07 am
At the govt installation I used to work at, the door to our lab said “Resricted Area”. There were quite a few of these around, but they were hidden in the back. Probably to avoid someone important seeing them.
Too bad taking pictures was frowned upon.
posted by Ryan on 10-31-2007 at 8:52 am
Years ago, while driving south on the I-17 in Phoenix, I noticed the G was burned out in the Black An*us.
posted by ohbeehave on 11-1-2007 at 1:26 pm
I few years back I was driving home down a rural country road and noticed a sign for “Puppy’s for sale”. I always wondered which part of the puppy they were selling…
posted by Anne on 5-13-2009 at 9:42 am
I was able to park in “Vistor Parking” at a school one time.
posted by Holly on 5-13-2009 at 10:19 am
My family and I went on vacation last summer to South Padre Island, TX, and I came home with a dozen pictures of misspelled signs. The stores on the island advertise everything from “swim suites” to “boogie boars” to “inkredbile” tattoos that help you remember your “vaction”.
My personal favorite was the sign on the door of Denny’s that was supposed to say “No shirt, no shoes, no service.” However, the ‘r’ was missing from “shirt” and the first ’s’ was missing from “shoes”…..We all got a good laugh out of that one!!
posted by Stephanie on 5-13-2009 at 10:35 am
A couple of favorite of mine. I actually had a picture of the sign on my mobile phone until the memory card zapped…
Porn shop on Eighth Ave., heart of NYC between 39th & 40th Sts.
“FAMALE & MALE Exotic Dancers”
The other one is the sign indicating you’re entering “Washinton Township” in Bergen County, NJ
posted by Annie on 5-13-2009 at 11:32 am
Just last week I saw a sign in a SC park. The bottom line read “These rules will be STRICKLY enforced.” They actually put the misspelled word in ALL CAPS for emphasis.
posted by Chris on 5-13-2009 at 12:36 pm
Along I-10 and I-12 in Louisiana, as well as several highways where there is construction being done, you will find signs meant to endear themselves to you and make you sentimentally slow down and drive safely. The signs read:
Slow Down
My Daddy Works Here
or
Slow Down
My Daddy and Grandpa Works Here
It may not be obvious here, but on the signs, the letter S is written backwards at every instance. The font on the signs is made to look like a young child wrote it, perhaps with a crayon. Also, the grammar is off.
Endearing to some, I’m sure, but I have to admit (perhaps we’re just intellectual snobs) it always drives my husband and me crazy that the department of transportation is portraying Louisiana’s children as a bunch of (lovable) illiterates.
posted by Stacy on 5-13-2009 at 12:53 pm
Another one that I always got a good laugh out of (hold on now — I love kids, I have two, they’re adorable, but it’s still funny) was the sign over the door of a children’s fancy clothes store in Baton Rouge, LA. I don’t think the store is still there — the shopping center was bought out by Wal Mart and I suppose the shop either closed or moved elsewhere in town. The shop sold lacy, tailored, adorable children’s clothes:
It was called Ruffles ‘N Britches.
But the ‘r’ in B itches was always burnt out :)
posted by Stacy on 5-13-2009 at 12:57 pm
RE: Matt’s post –
“Actually, wouldn’t the hard hat sign be technically correct if it was used to form a contraction?
“Hard hat is required beyone this point”
becomes, “Hard hat’s required beyond this point”
**** **** **** **** ****
NO! NO! NO! It’s not correct! Where do people get the the idea that it is okay to pluralize items with an apostrophe? There is NO contraction! The plural of hat is hats. Always and forever. No apostrophe… unless you’re talking about the hard hat’s color, size, or some other trait – then “apostrophize” away!
The apostrophe was completely wrong grammatically — sorry, Matt.
posted by sfred on 5-13-2009 at 2:41 pm
I have a photo of an astounding sign I saw at a Finast grocery store a number of years ago. It’s not a misspelling, but is wa-aa-ay worthy of note.
It read: “Homo Milk $2.19/gal.
posted by jeff on 5-13-2009 at 2:43 pm
Sign on Hwy 146 in La Porte, TX:
We “caer” in La Porte
with the quotation marks, no less
posted by reeseman on 5-13-2009 at 3:09 pm
My ford has a “check gage” light
I’m amused by the “quart of wood” signs in my neighborhood. it will take more than one “quart” to get through the winter around here
posted by HK on 5-13-2009 at 3:56 pm
I am enlisted in the military. Words that are misspelled have now become “words in common usage.” These are people that probably say “limo” is a word when playing Scrabble (it’s not). That being said, engineer is sometimes spelled “ingener.” I have more, but I think I will save it for a stand-up comedy routine I am working up.
posted by john on 5-13-2009 at 3:59 pm
@sfred I think you missed Matt’s point – he’s saying that hat’s is a contraction of “hat” and “is”. Regardless, I don’t buy that theory.
@reeseman Say it out loud. I think it’s written that way to emphasize the stereotypical Texan accent. I’m in Mississippi and I occasionally (but not always – we’re not all rednecks) hear common single-syllable words stretched into two. One of my favorites is “door”, which with accent becomes “doe-er”.
*facepalm*
posted by DYMongoose on 5-13-2009 at 4:11 pm
My favorite is a sign at a campground that reads simply, “Slow Children Playing.”
posted by Judy on 5-13-2009 at 4:19 pm
Many years ago I noticed what appeared to be a sign made by a child hanging in a shop window. It said “FIRST ANAL CHURCH PICNIC”. I can confirm that the sign in La Porte is purposefully misspelled. That’s why the put the quotes around it. I’m a Texan and cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that. It’s endearing.
posted by Nola on 5-13-2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m also human enough to note my own typo!
posted by Nola on 5-13-2009 at 5:02 pm
This one isn’t a mistake, but it’s certainly a misfortunate result.
At a local shopping center here in Baton Rouge, there is a T-Mobile shop and a Cici’s Pizza restaurant. They are the bottom two signs on a large lit totem pole visible from I-10. The misfortune comes from the fact that at present the “T-Mo” is unlit, as is the “Cici’s”.
Yes, we have a big, bright sign promoting “bile Pizza”. I think I’ll pass. :D
posted by CJ the Sign Reader on 5-13-2009 at 5:16 pm
I can’t tell you how many “in” or “inn” tables there are on Craigslist. It’s END TABLE.
I also saw a sign that said ‘ “chicken” enchiladas ‘ at Sizzler.
posted by Leah on 5-13-2009 at 7:00 pm
There used to be a Howard Johnsons hotel in Greensboro, NC that had a huge red neon sign that was clearly visible from I-85/I-40S that always had the “ow” in the 1st word burned out (and sometimes the “s” in the 2nd word as well). It was hilarious driving past at night. Can’t see it anymore from the main highway since they put in a bypass.
posted by karrie on 5-13-2009 at 7:55 pm