This article was originally published on 24/7Mirror
It doesn't matter if you're an advertising executive, a signwriter, or a store clerk; sometimes, a maverick's gotta do what a maverick's gotta do; cause hilarity and wreak havoc! Now, even though we're sure that 90% of these are hilarious examples of rebels who knew exactly what they were doing but went ahead regardless, some of them have got to be accidental as they are just too funny!
Trash Talking In The School Library
This rainbow-accompanied message of positivity should read "Mistakes Are Proof You Are Trying," but now it just reads "Mistakes Are Proof You Are Trash." What we want to know is whether the trashcan's placement was purely an accident or was it a psychopathic janitor's subtle way of bringing the kids down? Well, folks, we can reveal we have concrete evidence it was the latter as this wasn't this school's only example of this type of behavior.
In the boy's restrooms, there's another famous inspirational poster that reads, "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make..." but the final word has been obscured by a urinal.
Third Floor: Stationery, Paints and Farts
We're not 100% sure where this photo comes from. It might be a school or college or it might be a store. You'd be forgiven for thinking that––whatever kind of facility it is––it sells farts, but you'd be wrong. We're guessing that the sign is meant to indicate that the art supplies or art classrooms are on the third floor, not that there are three farts. We hope so, at least.
There's no way the painter didn't know what he was doing when he wrote 3 FARTS. Similar to some more entires on this list, this was clearly painted by a male with the brain of a child. What a champ!
Don't Want No Short, Short Month
Some hilarious joker at this calendar printing company must have thought they were being a right royal jester when they made Game of Thrones' Tyrion Lannister the poster boy for the month of February. Actor Peter Dinklage took to Twitter to let them know he wouldn't be forgetting this slight against his good name any time soon. What do they say in Westeros again? "A Lannister always pays his debts."
Jon Snow also took to Twitter to complain that he was the poster boy for January. Unfortunately, so many Game of Thrones characters were killed off that they ran out of models, so from October onwards the calendar just reads: "Winter is Coming..."
I Can't Believe It's Not Butt
How come marketers always come up with the worst names for margarine? You'd be hard-pressed to come up with worse names than: "I Think It Tastes Like Butter," and "Unbelievable! This Is Not Butter," or "Is It Butter?" and even "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter." Yet, one thing's for sure––none of them taste anything like butter. Perhaps that's the reason this store employee wreaked their revenge by telling the truth about these fake buttery substitutes!
The same store clerk received a written warning for placing price tags over the "SHAM" of SHAMPOO and was eventually fired for covering up the last three letters on cartons of SHIITAKE mushrooms!
Sorry, I Didn’t See You Ogre There!
Even though these are meant to be examples of people who knew exactly what they were doing, this example has got to be an accident, right? It's just too good! When a billboard from the latest Shrek film was erected behind the Toledo Grace Brethren Church in Ohio, it looked like the giant green ogre was the god they worshipped and that he had risen again! All of a sudden, the church-goers had become church-ogres!
The man who put up the sign blamed his ogre-sight on stress, saying he was ogre-worked and that on the day in question, he had ogre-slept!
Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk
Now this is accurate advertising. Swedish home furnishing giant IKEA sells waterproof mattress protectors all year round. But some smart cookies in the marketing department had the bright idea to advertise their waterproof mattress protectors for Valentine's Day. Now, if you don't have a dirty mind, it may take you a couple of minutes to connect the dots between mattress protectors and Valentine's Day. It's okay; we've got all day.
Still need some help? Well, the spilled liquid definitely isn't water. Nor is it champagne or melted chocolate. Actually, come to think of it, it could be melted chocolate if someone got really lucky.
Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas, Beloved Sisters!
Christmas is a time of "peace on earth and goodwill to all men," but that doesn't include elder sisters, right? Unfortunately, this photo of a family's festive mantle has been ruined (surely) by their younger brother by having some fun with the Christmas decorations. Now, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" might be Santa Claus's traditional greeting when he descends your chimney, but the phrase takes on an entirely different mantle when used as a diss.
We hope this rebellious little kid went straight to the top of Santa's naughty list. Not just for this offense but also for reporting his mom to Child Protective Services for not buying him an advent calendar!
God's Just Not That Into You
Booksellers seem to have a good sense of humor and can often be found placing books next to each other in store windows to make hilarious, profound statements. At this book store, one employee placed two self-help books next to each other to create a doozy. The first was "God Is Not Mad at You," followed by "He's Just Not That into You." Which was a work of genius.
If we go back in time a couple of decades to when video stores still existed, they could have tried something similar with "The Empire Strikes Back to the Future."
We Need to Talk About Kevin
This AirBnB guest got the shock of their life when the owner of the property texted to let them know that "Kevin may try to sleep with you." After what must have been a confused and eyebrow-raising few minutes, the guest texted back and was so flummoxed; they evidently forgot what punctuation was. But this was no time for capital letters, commas, or a question mark... they needed answers like who the hell is Kevin?
Since this person runs an AirBnB, it's safe to assume he or she must have sent similar messages in the past, meaning they totally knew what they were doing when they left out the vital information that Kevin was a dog. Talk about burying the lead!
What's The Opposite Of Leaving Home Alone's Kevin At The Airport?
This public service announcement poster warns people not to come back from their vacation with an unwanted souvenir. Of course, the airport poster refers to bringing back a contagious virus––probably COVID 19––but when words and images combine, they can sometimes add up to more than the sum of their parts. This poster makes two plus two equal five by suggesting this little girl is the unwanted souvenir. Poor thing!
To answer the caption "How long were they away?" Well, we calculate 9 years, 9 months, and 15 seconds. The girl seems to be nine years old, plus the nine months she was in her mom's tummy, plus the fifteen seconds it took dad to put her in there!
Is This Sign Responsible For A Spike In Stalking Cases?
What's it they say? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Get close enough to this road sign, and you'll be reminded of an important road safety message: Obey the rules of the road and you'll make it home to where someone who loves you is waiting for you. But from a distance, the sign takes on a more sinister meaning by suggesting you simply Follow Someone Home.
But when we got pulled over by the cops for following someone home, no one––not the arresting officer, nor the subsequent judge, jury, nor the executioner––seemed to care that we were just doing what the government told us to do!
What Does This Airplane Use For Fuel?
The motto on this plane was clearly designed by a male with the mental age of a six-year-old boy. Which, let's face it, is basically most men! The giant letters are meant to read: "Longer. Larger. Farther." But when the door opens, the last three letters of the last word go AWOL to give passengers a jolly good giggle. Well, all the male passengers under the age of 99.
Other slogans that didn't make the cut in the board room included: "Silent but Violent," and "Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot!"
Our Mortgages Are Spectacular
If you haven't had a mortgage, we'll quickly explain how they work. First, the bank lends you some money to buy a house; then––over the next 25 or 30 years––you have to pay back double what you borrowed, because... Life! And since giving half your paycheck to these lovely bankers until the day you retire doesn't already murder enough of your soul, most banks will also charge you an origination fee for setting up the loan!
But not this mortgage company. No, they're the googly-eyed good guys! By not charging you an originator's fee, these caring, kind, compassionate and selfless bankers are doing you an eye-popping favor! Gee - Thanks, guys!
How Long Is Your Cat?
This meme dates back to around 2006 and was affectionately known as "Long Cat" for obvious reasons. The black and white kitty wraps around three of the Kattströ kitty litter box's four sides, so one bored employee decided to brighten up their day by making one long, stretched-out cat. But, hey, those lonely Scandinavian winters are long, dark, and cold, so you have to make your own entertainment somehow!
Were they trying to recreate a feline-based version of the perverse horror movie The Human Centipede? That's what we think is going on here. That's what long winters do to you!
The Future Is Not So Bright
One employee at this store has clearly had enough of politicians' lies, enough of sociopaths, lobbyists and corporations running the world, oil companies destroying the planet, and social media companies spreading fake news, division, and hatred. So they decided to fight back in their own little way by letting customers know the future is just $2. But perhaps the price isn't the critical part of the message, and they were successful at that.
Look a little more closely, and the mug reads: "The Future Is Reduced For Quick Sale,"––which perfectly sums up the shortsightedness of the way the world is going. The only way this mug could be improved is if you peeled the sticker off to reveal the word "Doomed!"
The World's First X-Rated Gummies
The owners of this candy company––Mill Farm––were obviously bored of the old, tried and tested gummy designs. So, the traditional bears and worms designs went out the window, and in came new gummies shaped like lighthouses. There was just one huge problem that escaped the testing committee. Rotate these lighthouse gummies through 90 degrees and they end up looking like something entirely more rude. Something not suitable for kids at all!
Lighthouses have kept seamen safe for hundreds of years, but the person who came up with lighthouses gummies, well... their career is definitely on the rocks!
Giving The Dog A Bone
This lady's husband works at an animal hospital, so he must have been delighted when their office stationery supplier sent them some bone-shaped paperclips. How thoughtful of them to make the connection between veterinarians caring for dogs and bone-shaped paperclips. Bless them for thinking of us! The paperclips look great when they're not in use, but as soon as you come to actually use them, there's just one tiny problem...
Yes, when you clip two pieces of paper together, half the paperclip is hidden, making them look like something else entirely. Something still kinda bone-shaped, but much more rude!
When Irony Goes Over People's Heads
The dude posting this question definitely knew what they were doing when they mixed up Murphy's Law and Cunningham's Law. To prove Cunningham's Law––the idea which states the best way to get the correct answer to a question on the internet is by posting the wrong answer––they posted something wrong on the internet. Before long, someone else chimed in to tell them they were wrong, thus brilliantly proving the original poster's point.
The responder––freelancer David Donnelley––seemingly didn't get the joke, and went on to mansplain how the original poster was wrong. In doing so, David proved the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Tangled Up In A Ditzy Disney Conspiracy Theory
If you don't know the legend of Rapunzel, she was imprisoned in a tower until her hair grew long enough that a brave prince could use her hair as a rope and climb up to rescue her. The folk tale was the inspiration for Disney's Tangled (2010) but some people think that the story foresaw the Coronavirus pandemic. First, they say Rapunzel was just quarantining in that tower, working from home like princesses do.
Okay, that's not enough evidence of a conspiracy, but when you factor in that the kingdom that Rapunzel lived in was called "Corona" and things start getting a little more hair-raising!
Coming To A Theater Near You - Dumb And Dumbo
This Disney-loving toddler was over the moon when they got this sweatshirt as a gift. Not only was the sweater elephant gray in color, it also had the name of their favorite Disney cartoon emblazoned across the back of the neck. Double win! Better yet, the letter 'O' in the word "Dumbo" was formed by a heart. Triple win! Until you realize that 'Dumbo' without the 'O' spells dumb.
The poor kid was probably proudly paraded around kindergartens, shopping malls, and kid's parties with the word "Dumb" plastered across their back for months. How long do you think it took for the parents to realize their kid was wearing Disney's equivalent of a "Kick Me" sign on their back?
Two Arrests For The Price Of One!
This shirt––for grown-ups who haven't yet grasped the tricky art of spelling––may get you in trouble with the law for two reasons. Just like Sesame Street, this shirt is brought to you by the letters D, O, P, and E. Which any five-year-old who actually went to school will tell you spells out the word DOPE. You may as well wear a shirt saying, "Arrest me, I'm a dealer!"
But this shirt being DOPE is only half the problem. The four letters also spell out P, E, D, and O, which is another, much more serious way to get yourself arrested.
Harry Potter Is A Coming-Of-Age Story
Now, you might think that this quote has been photoshopped or doctored, but we assure you it hasn't. By way of proof, just grab your copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and turn to page 627, and there it is in black and white. Now, we posit that one of three things happened here. First, this was an oversight on author J. K. Rowling's part. Or, more likely, she knew what she was doing.
Third, that she was using the more traditional meaning whereby ejaculate means to "say something quickly and suddenly." Hey, we all knew that Harry Potter was a coming-of-age story!
He Was A Sk8er Boi, He Wasn't Good Enough For Her
This interactive shirt from H&M was found in Scotland. Its interactive gimmick is that you can alternate the words "Born to Skate" and "Born to Chill" by flipping over all the tinsels. But someone hadn't thought things through because if you flip one specific part of the tinsel, your sweet and innocent child's shirt now reads: "Born to shite," which is probably not what the company had in mind.
On second thoughts, this is Scotland (where the word is commonplace for a number two), so it's more than possible that the designer knew precisely what they were doing!
This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Saying that you're "tired of hearing" something is a pretty common phrase, but writers need to be just as careful as signwriters. We're gonna go ahead and assume that the writer of this clickbait article was entirely innocent and was rushing to come up with a headline before a deadline. Instead, they ended up driving along Faux Pas Avenue at a hundred miles an hour and publishing something really insensitive.
The insensitivity on display here is overwhelming and demonstrates why copywriters need copy editors. Get it together, guys! What was the next article you guys wrote?12 Things Blind People Are Sick of Seeing?
Give Blood At This Teenage Fang Club
No, this isn't a scene from the latest series of vampire comedy series, What We Do In The Shadows; it's really real. This car with the license plate "VAMPYR" was spotted parked outside an Australian blood bank. Now, those Aussies have a great sense of humor, so we're gonna go ahead and assume that the car belongs to a doctor who works there. A doctor who arrives before sunrise and leaves after dark!
His colleagues have told him Count-less times that his bizarre, nocturnal behavior makes him a right pain in the neck. To which he always replies, "Fangs very much!"
You'll Never Guess What This Billboard Is Advertising
This billboard found in a metro station––or U-Bahn short for "Untergrundbahn"––in Berlin, Germany is the epitome of people who knew what they were doing. Would you believe it's actually an advert for Bergemann & Sohn Funeral Services!? Like a siren luring sailors onto the rocks, the advert is trying to lure potential customers onto the train tracks. It's actually a pretty funny and clever joke, even if it is somewhat morbid!
Somehow, the Germans get away with things like this because they have oodles of common sense. If this happened in certain other countries, business at Bergemann & Sohn Funeral Services would be booming!
How Do You Like Your Eggs, Alexa?
The packaging on this Amazon Echo speaker seems pretty innocent at first glance. It features three seemingly unrelated examples of the kind of things you can ask the device to do for you. But these quotes add up to more than the sum of their parts. Add them all together, and they tell a story. First, you ask the device for some smooth jazz, then to turn off the lights, and finally, you ask for a three-minute timer.
What on earth could take you three minutes, listening to jazz music... in the dark? We're going to go ahead and innocently assume they're boiling an egg.
Truth, Justice And The American Way
Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? No, It's Superman. The owners of this movie theater surely didn't see this one coming when they painted the Man of Steel above this water fountain. Or they knew precisely what they were doing and had a jolly good laugh at all their thirsty patrons! Perhaps it was revenge on customers who filled up on water instead of buying their twelve-dollar sodas.
The fountain flows faster than a speeding bullet and never runs out. And, if you ever wondered why Superman wore his underwear on the outside of his pants, well, now you know!
Revenge Is A Dress Best Served Cold
Is this local ABC newscaster just unlucky to have worn that particular dress on that specific day, or was it by design? If so, how did she know what color the graphic would be in advance? The more likely explanation is that she'd been stealing food from the staff room refrigerator for years, and someone in the graphics department created the cyan and magenta graphics based on her flowery dress to exact their revenge.
Not to turn into the fashion police or anything, but that dress should have been avoided like the plague and left on the rack in the store!
Just Cause You're Paranoid, Doesn't Mean They're Not After You
Language learning platform Duolingo should be applauded for helping many people learn another language. But there's a downside; the smartphone-based learning app can also make you intensely paranoid. For instance, when you test to see how well your Norwegian is coming along, the app spits out phrases like "They are listening outside" or "Big Brother is watching," and "I do not trust men in suits." Maybe it's a hangover from the Soviet era. Norway does, after all, border Russia!
Finally, if "It's expensive to be poor" doesn't make much sense, think of it like this: A wealthy man can buy a $100 pair of shoes which would last him ten years. However, a poor man can only afford $20 shoes, which last him one year.
Then I Punched His Face, Now I'm A Belieber
This movie theater's marquee actively encouraged members of the public to assault world-famous singer Justin Bieber. His music isn't that bad, is it? In fact, we take that back. We just went and checked out some of his songs, and have to admit we're 100% in agreement with this movie theatre. Now, if the idea of sucker-punching the Canadian singer in the mouth sounds appealing, you're not the only one!
Justin Bieber allegedly hooked up with Lord of the Rings actor Orlando Bloom's ex-wife and then bragged about it to his face when they met in a restaurant in Ibiza, so he probably deserves what's coming.
All's Well That Ends Well
We cross back to the other side of the pond and the United Kingdom for this entry. If you're not British, this may take a little explaining, but when you leave the 'S' off the word "Swank," well, it takes on a whole other meaning. It's something that should have been spotted, but we think the designer of the sign for the Simply Swank Salon & Spa knew exactly what they were doing.
The owner was quite upset when they realized the implications of such a sign outside her spa. It gets worse when you find out that Simply Swank offer massages, but you'll be glad to hear the outcome was a happy ending.
These Cereal Bars Are The Motherpickin' Best
This one actually took us a few seconds to figure out what the original text said underneath the price tag. If, at first glance, you also thought the first letter was an 'F,' you'll be glad to discover that it's actually a 'P' and that the product is called Pick Me Ups, and not what you––and we––initially thought! If we were awarding points, we'd give10 out of 10 for effort on this one!
We're reliably informed that the food in question is the chocolate chip variety of a healthy cereal bar, not what they do to your bowels as they travel through your system as you run for your life to the restroom!
Bart Simpson Gives BBC Reporters Their Stories
When the United Kingdom suffered a gas shortage as a result of Brexit, the BBC sent a reporter out to a gas station in Manchester that had run out of gas. But they didn't send out any old journalist. No, they hilariously decided to send out a reporter by the name of Phil McCann. The BBC also has a weather presenter called Sara Blizzard, and rival UK television station once interviewed a cop named Rob Banks!
In other famous BBC gaffes, they once sent a report reporter named Major Buttsore to report on camel rides and journalist Hugo First to investigate a haunted house!
Say 'Non' To This Advertising Campaign
The wording used in this advertising campaign seems innocent enough in English. But don't forget, they're the ones who started it by including the word Oui - the French word for yes. We don't quite know how to say this nicely, but the word "bite" is slang for penis in French. And with this knowledge in hand, those five little words really take on a whole other meaning, don't they?
Now would probably be a good time to mention there exists a range of frozen snack foods whose slogan used to be "Petite Bites. Big Compliments!"