STOP . Buy one, get one free! The best in town! No Exit. Open. Closed. Do not enter.
Our day-to-day world is full of signage. Warnings, notices, directions, and of course, advertisements, are everywhere.
And most of those signs are either boring or just plain dishonest. Which is why honest signs jump out to us and are probably a lot more effective in the long run.
1. A lot of neighborhoods have signs reminding us to drive slowly, but eventually our eyes glaze over them.
But not this sign. Your eyes may begin to slide over it, but then you realize what it says, chuckle, and take your foot off the gas.
2. Yard sales can be a lot of fun, but they can also be a fruitless search through other people’s junk.
So don’t try to hide that fact and instead, lean into it. Put a date on your sign, though, so there’s no confusion when you forget to take it down for three weeks.
3. Oh, office microwaves, how we loathe you. But we also enjoy warm lunches.
In the Diply office, we don’t have a sign on the microwave, but instead, we just call people out on Slack, our online messaging system. Especially people who leave tuna in the sink.
4. Considering the fact that the staff member looks bored, honesty was probably a mistake here.
I mean, we all know carnival games are made to be almost impossible to win, but I certainly wouldn’t be handing over my money to this one.
5. “Everything happens for a reason” is often an excuse for making mistakes.
You can’t always control what the world throws at you, but a lot of people blame fate for their own stupidity.
6. Sometimes a sale is meant to move excess inventory, but sometimes they just need foot traffic.
For a lot of businesses, the hardest part is getting people in the door. A sign like this is at least honest about it.
7. That is an awful lot of ugly sweaters, but this thrift store has a sense of humor about it.
Plus, silly as it is to separate them out like this, it does make shopping for your office’s annual “Ugly Sweater Day” much easier.
8. I’d totally give this ice cream parlor a try, and they’d probably have pretty good ice cream, too.
A sign like this pretty much guarantees a level of curiosity high enough to try it at least once.
9. This restaurant’s sign lives up to its name.
But serious question: Does Grumpy feel grumpy because of the hot beer and lousy food, or is the menu lousy because he’s grumpy?
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10. Honest, but unfortunately, incorrect.
You see, if I don’t eat there, it’s because I’ve probably chosen one of the restaurant’s many competitors. This is probably a good example of how cleverness can sometimes backfire.
11. How dare he steal her dog!
Frankly, I’d be tempted to burn his stuff, but she’s probably more levelheaded than I am. May as well make a few bucks while getting your revenge. It’s just logical.
12. This sign just gets me, you know?
Coffee is the best thing ever, but let’s not pretend that it makes me any happier to go to work on a Monday morning. I’m just more alert-ish.
13. The fact that a sign is required for this makes me weep for humanity.
That said, if it’s got to be there, at least the zoo is honest about who they are actually worried about.
14. But while that sign is short and cute, this one gets serious.
I want to know what’s behind the gate! Maybe they should have added a hint because the complete lack of context probably makes more people try to find out.
15. Short, to the point, and honest. All qualities of a good sign.
You must be really hungover if you can’t manage a 10 a.m. opening, though. I mean, you’re already sleeping in more than I get to on a work day.
16. I’ve seen some honest church signs in my life, but this takes the cake.
It’s so vague that it basically applies to anything that may be going wrong in your life.
