Funny signs–Keep your eyes on the curves!

Signs are everywhere. We get so used to signs that we tend to ignore them. Reading signs especially the commercial signs can be great fun and a very rewarding experience. The first commercial sign was carved on a stone tablet. It was advertising ‘a public bathing area’. Our ancestors knew the power of signs.

Sala Thai: A Sala also known as a Sala Thai is an open pavilion used as a meeting place and to protect people from sun and rain. Most are open on all four sides.

They are found throughout Thailand. Most Indians find this sign very amusing as Sala in Hindi means a bother-in-law and is used in a defamatory way of addressing someone else.

John Tailors a famous tailoring shop in Hyderabad had a sign that very proudly exclaimed “God made Man. We made him a gentleman”. Very true in a world that measures people by what they wear, this sign rings very true.

A small eatery had so many mistakes in the menu card hung on a wall that I clicked a snap. The mistakes are so funny. They are listed belowHey Ram: A sigh on a Varanasi cremation ghat wall enlightened and brought a smile onto our faces. It said Sri Ram, Jay Ram, Jay Ram. What followed was very amusing – Enjoy Ram.

Charvi passion: I and my brother-in-law were driving and this sign was pointed out to me. It said Charvi passion. Charvi Passion, initially I thought it was a movie title. But what was written below the sign made things very clear. It was Charvi passion and it was a ladies boutique.

Crocodile Park: Jim Corbett National park in Uttar Pradesh India is a wild life enthusiasts dream come true. The national park is known for its wild life including the sighting of the Bengal Tiger. Jim Corbett Park has a crocodile park with a sign. “Trespassers will be eaten. If found alive they will be prosecuted”. Talk about double jeopardy.

Driving: Driving involves lots of risk and the traffic enforcers have come out with signs that are very thought provoking. One said “Drive drive like hell, you will soon be there”.

The next one is even better. “It is better to be called Mr Late than being called late Mr” If one comes late to the office; his colleagues might call him Mr Late Lateef.

It is better to be teased this way rather than being called Late Mr After death one is referred to as Mr Late.
Ice-cream: Children love Ice-cream. An ice cream parlor put up a sign “I scream for ice cream, you scream for ice-cream, we all scream for ice-cream”. True, scream for your ice-cream.

Keep your eyes on the curves: Driving on the mountainous roads can be a big challenge. This sign lights up the drivers “Keep your eyes on the curves”.

Hair cutting saloon: Our colony where I grew up had a small hair cutting saloon. It had put up a new sign. “Heir cutting Saloon - ladies and gents”. The patrons had a laugh and told the owner that he is not allowed to hurt any heirs (property owners).

He got is corrected and the sigh said “Hare cutting saloon - ladies and gents”. This time the patrons had a bigger laugh. They told the bemused owner that he became a rabbit meat seller. The owner got it corrected and the sign read “Hair cutting salon for Ladies and giants”. At this point the patrons left the sigh alone.

Sweet meat shop: Same way a sweet shop had a sign “Sweet meet shop”. A meeting place for lovers?On correction it read “Sweat meet shop”. A new gymnasium? Finally it was corrected and the sign proudly proclaimed “Sweet meat shop”.

A butcher has a sign put up “Fresh Fish sold here” A customer complainingly said “obviously you sell only Fresh fish. You can remove Fresh from the sign”. The well-meaning butcher had it the correction done and the sign said “fish sold here”.

Another customer put up her nose and said with a sneer “You are selling fish here and not shares or stocks. No need for the word Fish”. The perplexed butcher complied and the sign became “sold here” that evening a young man said “look dude you are selling and not buying anything. According to me the words sold is redundant”.

The harassed butcher did it and the sign said “HERE”. A passing customer who was holding his nose said “your shop stinks so much that there is no need to tell us that you are selling something here.

You don’t even need the word here”. The next day the painter presented the butcher with a board that left the butcher gaping. The sign board was completely blank. It was clean as a sheet.