this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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Image TranscriptA 3x3 grid of images of signs.

Row 1: "Bees" Active In This "Area", Employee Must "Wash Hands", Entrance "E.R."

Row 2: "NEW" underwear 50p each, The "CLUNK" in the elevator... will not... .....harm you!!!, Beware of "Dog"

Row 3: "LIVE" Lobsters, "Women", "Restrooms" located on other side of building

v1als: unnecessary quotation mark appreciation board

prettypinkdork: There are few things as profoundly funny as unnecessary/ominous quotations.

top 47 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] SpikesOtherDog@ani.social 91 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

I'm okay with the "clunk" quotes, as they are most likely actually quoting others.

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 44 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

They more than made up for it with the... ominous... ellipses....

It makes me think the clunk will harm... someone.... else...!

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 6 points 4 weeks ago

And the two exclamation marks after HARM YOU.

[–] insaneinthemembrane@lemmy.world 8 points 4 weeks ago

The clunk is quoting the sound, so it's ok technically.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 4 points 4 weeks ago

Not enough for me to trust the sign, though

[–] GabrielBell12fi@lemmy.world 29 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

I think it's a toss up between "dog" and "new" as to which is the most disturbing.

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 16 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

"Dog" = canine shaped kill bot; Beware of canine shaped kill bot

"New" = Open pack worn once and never washed; Open pack worn once and never washed underwear 50p each

"Live" = Undead (they are still moving, so that counts right); Undead lobsters

[–] einlander@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

New=Old, but new to the purchaser.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 4 points 4 weeks ago

The city defines a dog as any living entity with four legs and a tail. So raccoons, bears, mountain lions, mice, these are all just different sizes of dog.

[–] Twitches@lemm.ee 2 points 4 weeks ago

Not "new" underwear?

[–] Lucien@mander.xyz 21 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

Quote marks used to be used for "emphasis", and some older people still use them that way. I had an aunt who would use quotes like this on signs at her fruit stand.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 18 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

if someone tried selling me a "fruit salad" i'd be scared

[–] MNByChoice@midwest.social 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

Why would one need to emphasize "fruit salad"? fruit salad is insane.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 4 weeks ago

look at this guy not wanting their "salad tossed", well more for me!

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 14 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Is that true? Or just "true"? I couldn't find a credible source for that with a very short search.

[–] GabrielBell12fi@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

I know people who use "air quotes" to put "emphasis" on words if they are "trying" to make a "point"

But I don't know if that comes from people using quotes originally to do the same thing.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

It's true in a sense that you can find examples of big companies and chains using them in such a way, even in national advertising and on products.

It was never part of any written standards to be used that way. But this situation counts more as communicating than language, and communication is whatever the people want it to be.

I think it comes down to people in any of the situations to make these decisions were never academics.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I’ve heard this before but I’m not entirely sure. Is it possible some old people just didn’t learn to write properly? Like when they used to write emails in all caps?

[–] Lucien@mander.xyz 4 points 4 weeks ago

One of the first results I found was this Jeep advertising sign from the 60s

[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Neon sign, budget ver.

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 17 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] Halosheep@lemm.ee 5 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Enjoy your "safe" holidays om rodos

What the hell is om rodos

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 2 points 4 weeks ago

That's actually exactly how I write my "n", so now I feel personally attacked.

🫦

Do it harder

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 3 points 4 weeks ago

Haven't yet decided if actual cop would be worse. Either way, Timmy better be fast.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 11 points 4 weeks ago

Pretty sure bottom right is just saying they don't mind if you go piss in the alley around back

[–] Sergio@slrpnk.net 10 points 4 weeks ago
[–] SonicBlue03@sh.itjust.works 9 points 4 weeks ago
[–] potoo22@programming.dev 8 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

Everyone knows "bees" are just batteries for "birds". And the "area" is a recharging station.

[–] Sergio@slrpnk.net 4 points 4 weeks ago

When Morpheus is the one who taught you about the birds and the bees.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 weeks ago

Here is my "comment"

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Disclaimer: Some lobsters were prerecorded for your time zone.

[–] Tehdastehdas@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

"Women", wrote the trans-sceptic.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 4 weeks ago

"women", "men", wrote the gender abolishionist

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

"Women", wrote the woman denier.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Honestly "Restroom" makes sense with quotation marks because it seems like a misleading polite euphemism to begin with. You aren't going to the excretion room to rest.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 4 weeks ago

just because you don't spend an hour on the toilet scrolling through memes doesn't mean no one does

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

But it's where you do the rest, AKA the things you shouldn't do in the other rooms

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 points 4 weeks ago

Existential dread?

[–] general_kitten@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 weeks ago

or if you are you should reconsider with whom/where you go out

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

I want to know what these people think quotation marks mean. They don't even make sense if misused for emphasis in most of these.

[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

What "the" heck

[–] notarobot@lemm.ee 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

What if they had a goose naned "dog" and just wanted to remember you to be a were of "dog"

[–] Birch@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 weeks ago

Or maybe they have a longhaired bounty hunter in their yard

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago
[–] glimse@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

This thrift store I used to frequent in college had a sign on the vending machine that said

USE AT YOUR OWN "RISK"

Cracked me up every time