I’ve seen plenty of signs that made me stop for a second and wonder what the person who made them was thinking. I’m sure you’ve come across a few like that too, where you read the message, then look again because you cannot quite believe that was what someone decided to put out there.
We found a collection of some seriously unusual signs from around the world, and a few of them are guaranteed to leave you wondering what happened before that sign went up. Scroll down and prepare for a few double takes, a lot of questions, and signs you definitely won’t forget anytime soon.
#1 There Are Some Creative Church Signs Out There
Image source: [deleted]
#2 A Little Excessive, Don’t You Think?
Image source: natedog2049
#3 Learning To Draw Seems Important After All
Image source: Impossible-Bee-5343
We think a lot of these ridiculous signs are probably intentional, because sometimes the best way to get people to pay attention is to make them laugh first. An unexpected message can make you stop and read it twice, especially when it is so oddly written that you cannot help but wonder why anyone chose those particular words.
Let’s be honest, when a sign is funny enough, you are probably more likely to remember it than a perfectly ordinary one you walked past five minutes ago.
#4 What A Relief, I’m Going To Be Safe!
Image source: Marambal17
#5 J Names Will Want To Watch Their Backs In Nashville
Image source: noodlefishmonkey
#6 Don’t Let The Swan In
Image source: JulieMeryl09
Businesses have long used humor to make their advertisements feel a little less like advertisements. A funny line can give a brand some personality and make a product feel more relatable.
Research on humor in advertising has found that it can improve people’s attitudes toward an advert and the brand behind it, which may explain why businesses keep finding creative ways to make us laugh with their signs.
#7 Library Sign
Image source: henri-golo
#8 Passive Aggressive Neighbor ?
Image source: Yuri_Ligotme
#9 Entrance To Hell
Image source: Ok-Branch-4037
Some of the funniest signs I’ve seen feel like they have a whole story behind them. When the message is strangely specific, it can leave you wondering what happened to make that particular rule necessary in the first place.
You may never get the full story, but that little mystery is part of what makes these signs so entertaining. There is always a chance that somebody, somewhere, did exactly what the notice tells everyone else not to do.
#10 This Is An Actual Street Sign Where I Live (It’s A Very Tiny Tourist Island With Very Few Permanent Residents)
Image source: Fluffx
#11 There Go My Plans For The Day
Image source: pee_shudder
#12 How Do I Even Pronounce That?
Image source: KFkrewfamKF
Warnings do not always have to be boring, either. A few well-chosen words can do the job, but throw in a striking image and you have a much better chance of getting people to actually look.
Research has found that pictorial health warnings can grab and hold attention more effectively than text alone, which makes sense when you think about how quickly most of us skim past a wall of words.
#13 No Pets. Pets Only
Image source: RemishLemon
#14 My Local Library Keeping The Vibes A Little Silly
Image source: SyntheticRx
#15 Got To Appreciate The Honesty
Image source: beefymonkey
Specific wording can make a notice feel strangely personal. “Keep out” gets the point across, but “Melissa, there’s a curb right here!” makes you wonder what exactly is happening at that spot and how many people needed that warning before somebody put it up.
Studies on public signage have found that clearly stating the requested behavior can make a message more effective, which may explain why some notices get very specific about what they want people to do.
#16 Apparently This Just Keeps Happening At My Local Grocery Store
Image source: Trippy-Sponge
#17 I Guess Confidence Is The Key
Image source: MidnightBasketball23
#18 Mosquitoes Away
Image source: DistributionSad960
Some signs seem to have a personality of their own. The wording might be unusually polite, slightly sarcastic, or just plain cheeky, and now a boring instruction feels like an actual human being wrote it.
In fact, research on public signs has found that humor and other rhetorical touches can help create a sense of connection with readers.
#19 Barnes & Noble
Image source: TheDudeTakesPhotos
#20 Oh Dear. People Actually Thought This Milk Was Free With Their Coffee Purchase?
Image source: Lijey_Cat
#21 Saw This On A Big Work Truck
Image source: Acceptable-Block8271
Of course, the internet has made it much easier for these odd little messages to travel far beyond where they were originally posted.
Someone spots a sign, takes a picture, sends it to a friend, and before long, a notice meant for one street or building is enjoyed by people thousands of miles away. That is quite a journey for a piece of paper stuck to a wall.
#22 Was The Sticker Added Before Or After?
Image source: msherretz
#23 Not A Cop
Image source: andrewgdaddy
#24 The World’s Best Fix… Most Of The Times
Image source: howardkinsd
Sometimes, a memorable sign becomes part of the place itself. A clever message outside a café, a quirky notice at a local attraction, or a hilariously blunt warning can become one of those little details people remember about visiting somewhere.
Years later, they might forget what the building looked like, but still remember the ridiculous thing written outside it.
#25 Seen At An Area Convenience Store. People Are Nasty
Image source: CheopsII
#26 Seen At My Vet’s Office
Image source: Ninetinypiglets
#27 Sign For A Vet In Oregon
Image source: Kobeau2123
Some signs are easy to walk past and forget, while others are hilarious enough to make an ordinary day a little more fun.
Which one made you do the biggest double take? Tell us in the comments, and if you’ve spotted an even weirder one, we want to see it!
#28 Found On The Door Of One Of The Electronics Labs On My Uni
Image source: 21c4nn0ns
#29 Taken In Torrington, Devon, UK
Image source: MartiniPlusOlive
#30 The Fact That I Had To Make This Sign For The Bar
Image source: Jammin_neB13
#31 Hug Time At The Airport
Image source: jarvedttudd
#32 Earthquake Detection Monitor
Image source: Major_Day_6737
#33 The Story Might Be Clear Here
Image source: winterneuro
#34 They Still Talking
Image source: Cool_Confidence_506
#35 Saw This On My Morning Commute
Image source: [deleted]
#36 Beware Of Zombies In Restrooms
Image source: OldFuel8793
#37 When Signs Tell A Story
Image source: xRedCherryBerry3
#38 No
Image source: GryphonSK
#39 It’s Not Like They Can Fly
Image source: SneakWhisper
#40 The Mythical Cord
Image source: WhattheDuck9
#41 I’m Interested…
Image source: Difficult-Mix-2337
#42 Shot Fired At Real Ladder
Image source: [deleted]
#43 On My Commute Home And It Ends Me
Image source: Literographer
#44 This Way To The Garge!
Image source: oudler
#45 I Feel Like There’s A Story Here
Image source: ohbuddywhy
#46 Six Word Stories
Image source: abaganoush
#47 Around The Neighbourhood
Image source: Afraid_Evidence_8170
#48 Marinara??
Image source: Lmanwell23
#49 This Sign Telling People To Stop Using Their Gps
Image source: TheIndianaJoe
#50 Haha Funny Sign Spotted Outside Some Mad Bistro On Uddingston Main Street
Image source: mega_SUCC_man
#51 Lost
Image source: paulwall1970
#52 Haha
Image source: SubBirbian
#53 “Iregret This Purchase”
Image source: Feaselbf6
#54 Blursed Suggestionbox
Image source: optimusnotinprime
#55 Really You Gotta
Image source: igor33
#56 Found Outside A Restaurant
Image source: LessPerception2140
#57 You Have Been Scammed
Image source: Responsible-Lake9426
#58 Scotia Diner, New York
Image source: Jarjar69
#59 Risk It?
Image source: GryphonSK
#60 We Know You Mean Well, But
Image source: Del_Breck
#61 Be Prepared
Image source: CapeCodJimW
#62 Thanks For Noticing
Image source: Massive-Camera9325
#63 Noted
Image source: GryphonSK
#64 Say What You Will
Image source: Short-Brain-1313
#65 Just A Gentle Reminder
Image source: NeonRainObserver58
#66 Saw This Advertisement For A Glasses Shop
Image source: localnewyorker
#67 Beards Are Cool
Image source: XarmtheinsaneX
#68 Extremely Popular
Image source: Derick Weaver
#69 What The Hellman
#70 Take It Easy, Debbie
Image source: rohnoitsrutroh
#71 Ah, Gracias El Signo
Image source: iwilleatyourp
#72 Do Not Feed The Fat Man
Image source: rajapaws
#73 Bat
Image source: GryphonSK
#74 Statue May Be Hot
Image source: Suspected_Magic_User
#75 I Love This
Image source: OldFuel8793
#76 “Kitten Cuddles For Breaks And Lunches Only”. My Boy Nori Was Too Beloved By The Clinic Staff
Image source: Vikashar
#77 A Flowchart
Image source: bananapoetry
#78 Imagine Going In And They Ask You To Leave
Image source: MaxQ50
#79 Found This At Home Depot
Image source: MrPeach4tlanta
#80 Found This Sign At Our Local Thrift Store
Image source: [deleted]
#81 I Don’t Know That’s Kinda Like Something A Haunted Chair Would Definitely Say
Image source: TheGuvnor247
#82 Alien Graffiti Can Be Pretty Hurtful
Image source: GryphonSK
#83 Funny Sign
Image source: VentiBetty
#84 Seen In Va
Image source: Substantial_Scar2687
#85 No Pizza Allowed – This Was At Our Hotel Lobby Near Myrtle Beach In 2022
Image source: Theuglyzebra
#86 Just Stop
Image source: [deleted]
#87 Ha?
Image source: No-Marsupial-4050
#88 Newtonian Fluids Acceptable
Image source: EEHogg
#89 They’ve Had Enough Of Ts
Image source: notevenpercival
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