COME AGAIN?
Often, when we are not properly engaged in the act of reading, the message enters the brain regardless. Our gaze might fall on a stray piece of writing or a text, and we see it as though from the corner of an eye. When we receive information in this way – passively, without fixing on the task – the message can be confused or transposed to comedic effect. Here are a few that I can recall. This happened a few days ago, which is why I’ve had cause to think about it.
It seemed unusually honest, on behalf of the publisher, to name a book “Annoying Poetry”. (A double take revealed “Enjoying Poetry”)
On food packaging, “Your friend, veggieburger” (“Your fried…”)
Casually looking at - rather than watching - the television, "The World's Strangest Man" (Strongest)
Browsing a lonely hears column, “Cryptic Idiot” (for Cypriot Idol)
In a shop window, “Pay with Delia, Smith and Visa” (Delta, Switch and Visa)
A board outside a run-down housing estate, “Persons found decomposing on the premises will be liable for prosecution”. A bit harsh, perhaps. On further inspection, the message ran “Persons found depositing litter on the premises…”
Does anyone else have examples of this?
Often, when we are not properly engaged in the act of reading, the message enters the brain regardless. Our gaze might fall on a stray piece of writing or a text, and we see it as though from the corner of an eye. When we receive information in this way – passively, without fixing on the task – the message can be confused or transposed to comedic effect. Here are a few that I can recall. This happened a few days ago, which is why I’ve had cause to think about it.
It seemed unusually honest, on behalf of the publisher, to name a book “Annoying Poetry”. (A double take revealed “Enjoying Poetry”)
On food packaging, “Your friend, veggieburger” (“Your fried…”)
Casually looking at - rather than watching - the television, "The World's Strangest Man" (Strongest)
Browsing a lonely hears column, “Cryptic Idiot” (for Cypriot Idol)
In a shop window, “Pay with Delia, Smith and Visa” (Delta, Switch and Visa)
A board outside a run-down housing estate, “Persons found decomposing on the premises will be liable for prosecution”. A bit harsh, perhaps. On further inspection, the message ran “Persons found depositing litter on the premises…”
Does anyone else have examples of this?
