this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
394 points (99.2% liked)

tumblr

4260 readers
221 users here now

Welcome to /c/tumblr, a place for all your tumblr screenshots and news.

Our Rules:

  1. Keep it civil. We're all people here. Be respectful to one another.

  2. No sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia or any other flavor of bigotry. I should not need to explain this one.

  3. Must be tumblr related. This one is kind of a given.

  4. Try not to repost anything posted within the past month. Beyond that, go for it. Not everyone is on every site all the time.

  5. No unnecessary negativity. Just because you don't like a thing doesn't mean that you need to spend the entire comment section complaining about said thing. Just downvote and move on.


Sister Communities:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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 48 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 91 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

And the two exclamation marks after HARM YOU.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Not enough for me to trust the sign, though

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week 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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

New=Old, but new to the purchaser.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Not "new" underwear?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week 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?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Neon sign, budget ver.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Enjoy your "safe" holidays om rodos

What the hell is om rodos

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

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

🫦

Do it harder

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

"new" underwear is outright disturbing and creepy.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago
[–] SonicBlue03 9 points 1 week ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Here is my "comment"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

"Women", wrote the trans-sceptic.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

"Women", wrote the woman denier.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Disclaimer: Some lobsters were prerecorded for your time zone.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Existential dread?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

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

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

What "the" heck

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] Birch 1 points 1 week ago

Or maybe they have a longhaired bounty hunter in their yard

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week 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