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Signs Gone Wrong
Nov 15, 2018
Mistakes happen. After all, we’re only human and we can’t be perfect all of the time. Sometimes, we make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes get printed onto signs. At a young age, we’re taught the importance of proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. We’re taught to proofread and double-check our work to ensure it’s accurate. Having a sign that is correct and clear is just as important as making sure there’s nothing wrong with your work. However, mistakes do happen and often, those mistakes completely change the meaning of the sign. We’ve found 6 signs with mistakes or oddities that will leave you with a smile or wondering how they ever managed to get approved to be printed.
Instant death and a $200 fine?
We’re not exactly sure how you can fine someone who has instantly died, but Newcastle Tramway Authority is under the impression that it is possible. It’s obvious that the objective is to warn people away from touching the wires as it can cause serious harm but having two contradictory warnings makes it look less serious than it is.
Garbage or trash?
According to thesaurus.com, trash is a synonym for garbage. Yet, this sign doesn’t seem to agree. Perhaps the sign was meant to say, “no paper,” which would make a lot more sense. However, if that’s not the case, then we’re not quite sure what you’re supposed to put there. If you have any idea, then please, let us know!
A guy called Sign.
It’s a little embarrassing for a business that specializes in signs and lettering to have a mistake like this in their own sign. Apostrophes are normally used to denote the omission of letters, indicating something is possessive, or pluralizing of a word. In this case, the word “sign” looks like the name of a person and if it were to be correct, it should not have an apostrophe as it’s neither possessive nor pluralized.
Lost in translation.
If you’ve ever grown up speaking or have studied a second language, you’ll know that not everything can be translated properly. Like English, other languages have sayings that are easily understood in that culture, but for the saying to be translated into another language? Well, sometimes it doesn’t always make sense. Translations aren’t easy. Finding the right word and rearranging the sentence so that it makes sense can be extremely difficult, as seen by this sign. We’re pretty sure they meant people should go slowly or risk falling, but the English translated is pretty adorable anyway.
Double, double toil and trouble.
The idea that you’ll be cursed by a witch and become a toad should you park there is rather entertaining. It’s interesting that no one caught this before the sign was made, particularly since as children, we’re taught how to spell toad. A toad is an amphibian, unfortunately, and will not help the owner of the business move vehicles. Unless it’s a rather large toad and enjoys eating metal.
Park here, you’ll be fine!
At one point in your life, you’ve probably considered parking in a zone that wasn’t strictly meant for you. We’re not talking about an emergency vehicle zone or right beside a fire hydrant, but in a parking space belonging to a specific business. No one will notice, right? We wouldn’t be so sure of that, but in this parking lot, it appears you’d be perfectly fine. The sign may say that it’s private property, but without that missing “d”, it looks like illegally parked cars are welcome.
Of course, these aren’t the only signs to have given us a laugh. We have seen countless other forms of signage that had questionable spelling errors or design, and while we’ve only focussed on a select few, we want to know what signs you’ve seen that have had going “what”!
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Take the next step to grow your business
This year of 2020 is proving to be a year of an unknown type. Protecting our health and those of the ones we love is a great responsibility so social distancing is worth it. There is also the snow. When will it end here in Edmonton area? At a time of social distancing for healthy and safety, what can we do when a weekend like Easter is near? Well, it might be time to get creative and learn more about technology at our fingertips to be sure connection happens regularly. Here are some ideas to get you started if you are a bit rusty like me. Knock Knock jokes Knock Knock jokes are a video opportunity waiting to happen. I recently rediscovered these corny sources of humor while searching the Internet. Inspired, I video recorded myself saying “knock, knock,” and sent to my almost five-year-old great nephew via his Mom’s smartphone. In a little while, he responded with “Who’s there?” in his own video. From there, we traded short videos until hitting the punch line. It was a much-needed connection in the middle of a day for me. My great nephew and his parents, who are working from home and entertaining their two young active boys, appreciated the diversion, too.
Locally owned and operated,
JLS Decals & Signs serves the communities and surrounding areas of Morinville, St. Albert and Edmonton, Alberta.