Whether it’s information, a plea, or an ad that’s put up on a sign, many people pay no attention to them anymore. That is unless the artist behind the sign finds a way to catch their attention; and one of the most effective ways to do that is using humor or shock.
If you want to see if that actually works, you can browse the list below: that’s where we put some of the funniest and most unique signs we managed to find on the internet. Go down the list, take a look at each sign, and consider whether or not it would catch your eye if you saw it on the street. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to upvote your favorite ones, too!
On the list below, you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, Maurice J. Elias, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on the role humor and surprise plays in regards to all kinds of signs.
#1 Coyotes In Toronto
Image credits: Fiona T. Campbell
#2 I’m Convinced To Learn Fencing
Image credits: hotsteamingpho
#3 A Sign By The Airport In Helsinki, Finland
Image credits: Turtle456
I bet you, yourself, have seen a sign similar to the ones on this list in the wild at some point in your life. Something so unexpected and funny, you might have even done a double take to make sure your eyes were not deceiving you.
Well, we wanted to learn why that is—why we take notice of certain incongruities or shocking messages in places we did not expect them to be—so, we got in touch with Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, Maurice J. Elias, who noted that it’s expectations that play a big role when it comes to humor or shock and attention.
#4 Saw This On My Way Home From Work
Image credits: pinpineapplepin
#5 The Sign At The Pizza Place I Go To
Image credits: matt_CHRIST3NS3N
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, Prof. Elias explained that a big reason why people find things humorous is that they don't meet their expectations; and they do so in a particular way that brings about surprise and delight.
“This is a key point,” he said. “If I have no expectations, I won't be surprised. That's why so much of humor is topical and contextual.”
#6 This Billboard Is Pretty Famous In Our Town For The Things It Says
Image credits: Regular-Medium1827
#7 Utah Has Its Issues, But It’s Traffic Signs Are Top Notch
Image credits: B4ldy
#8 This Billboard Up The Street From My House
Image credits: ReadRightRed99
“The most enduring humor is about things that change relatively little—marriage, having children, work routines—that are so similar across time and contexts that jokes and humor related to these are transportable,” the psychology professor continued. “Of course, in cultures where these rituals are very prescribed, they won't find things funny that most others might.”
#9 This Sign At My Dog Groomer
Image credits: Timbo879
#10 Yeah Okay Then
Image credits: Low_Letter1739
#11 Proceed With Caution
Image credits: anaqyk
Delving deeper into the significance of signs, especially the funny ones, Prof. Elias suggested that in public, signs can give us an unexpected way of looking at or thinking about something that otherwise was familiar or routine.
Take headlines, for example. “This is not quite an example of amusing signs in public, but I think it's in the same spirit,” the expert noted. Despite being something we see everyday, some of the headlines—especially the shocking or funny ones—can make us focus on them more, sometimes inadvertently. And that can be put to good use! For example, by grabbing the attention of students that otherwise might not be very focused on a certain task.
#12 So Thoughtful Of The Sign Makers
Image credits: adamgreattweet
#13 Deceiving Promises
Image credits: Nymystoteles
#14 This Sign Outside An Animal Hospital
Image credits: TheVentiLebowski
In a piece for Edutopia, Prof. Elias wrote how using examples of communication errors in news headlines—the so-called bloopers—can help teach students the importance of careful communication.
“In the example, we use poorly formed and often unintentionally funny headlines as a way of getting students to pay closer attention to what they are writing and reading. So in this way, we are using humor to increase attention.”
Arguably, the same method can be used to make sure people pay attention to your sign.
#15 Legit Sign Post
Image credits: nofomo2
#16 My Husband Is In The Process Of Redoing Our Lawn. He Recently Began Destroying All Our Grass. I Didn’t Want Our Neighbors To Think We Were Neglectful Homeowners, So I Made A Sign
Image credits: csidlauskas
#17 "Oilyfans" Billboards Show BP Chief Executive Topless After Earning £10 Million
Image credits: KirkGlobalWitness
Summing up, Prof. Elias noted that our brains respond well to novelty: funny or shocking things are usually different ‘takes’ on things that are familiar, so they grab our attention. “But as most people know, watching the same shocking thing over and over again loses its shock value and it does not hold our attention as it did the first couple of times. The same goes for things we find funny,” he added. “We stop finding funny things funny and they don't hold our attention.”
So, make sure to stay creative with your signs! What works once, might not work time and again under the same circumstances.
#18 One Cardboard Sign To Rule Them All
Image credits: 192_168_1_x
#19 This Sign Was Placed Behind A European Gas Station Frequented By International Truckers
Image credits: Pubelication
#20 Treat Fast Food Workers Kindly
Image credits: AnikoKamui
#21 No Matter Which Planet You're From
Image credits: Simon_Ril3y
#22 My Garbage Collectors Got This Note This Morning. Tis The Season
Image credits: Fleetingambition
#23 Excellent Billboard
Image credits: Tottenheimer
#24 There's No Correlation Between Age And Competence After All
Image credits: EndersGame_Reviewer
#25 The Car Dealership Billboard Shade Game Is Strong Outside Of Charleston, SC
Image credits: Ghee_Guys
#26 Sign Outside A Local Tattoo Parlor In Michigan
Image credits: Michigander1985
#27 Holy Water
#28 Very Big If True
Image credits: Bitter-Gur-4613
#29 Read The Sign. Or Don't
Image credits: Newfoundplanet
#30 This Volunteer Fire Department Sign Near My House
Image credits: ImJustHereForABeer
#31 Sign Above Urinal In China
Image credits: Liggidy
#32 You Could Not Have Warned Me A Little Earlier
#33 Bar Sign In Japan
#34 Bookstore’s Closed Sign In Seattle
Image credits: lumpyrabbit
#35 This Sign Telling Me To “Duck"
Image credits: PO1983
#36 Think That's Good Thing
Image credits: Funny Roos Comedy
#37 Perfect Instead Of "Beware Of Dog"
Image credits: oneislandgirl
#38 It's Very True
Image credits: doommaster70
#39 Hmmmmmmm
Image credits: BirdieAnn
#40 This Caught Me Off Guard
Image credits: ronnieth024
#41 Local Church's Sign In My Town
Image credits: jake_aldoroty
#42 Absolutely No Parking
Image credits: irblrb84
#43 Happy Thanksgiving From The Phoenix Adot Road Signs
Image credits: uglybrowngirl
#44 This Is The Sign My Gym Puts Up When The Janitors Are Cleaning The Women's Locker Room
Image credits: The_G-Man1984
#45 Sign Guy Needs Better Pay
Image credits: Builder_13rad
#46 How Many Accidents Do You Think Micheal Has Had?
Image credits: quurios-quacker
#47 Saw This Billboard Coming Home From Work
Image credits: snarffiord
#48 This Large Billboard Of A Random Goat
Image credits: norwigga
#49 Spotted At A Brewery In Washington D.C.
Image credits: taylor_h796
#50 Maybe Someone Should Check In On Sheffield And Make Sure They’re Ok
Image credits: Jorarl
