Danger: These signs may cause excessive laughter

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2007 | by Jayne Clark

We're not sure what makes linguistic gaffes so funny. They just are. From the well-intentioned but mangled message to intentional roadside levity, a simple sign can elicit unexpected laughs.

World traveler Doug Lansky came to understand that years ago while on a protracted jaunt. He would casually snap photos of signs that struck him as humorous -- or just plain odd. Later, he launched the website signspotting.com and invited readers to contribute their own finds. (Accepted submissions earn $50 and a chance at the annual jackpot: a round-the-world plane ticket.) Now, a second published compilation, Signspotting 2: More Absurd & Amusing Signs From Around the World (Lonely Planet, $9.99) is in stores.

Linguistic blunders often are the most fertile sources of...