h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Recently I noticed 2 businesses side by side with wonderfully witty punning names.

A shop selling window treatments called "Love Is Blinds"
and next door
a dog grooming and boarding establishment called "The Bark Hyatt"

It's pretty common here in Sydney for Thai restaurants and hairdressers to do this (Thai-Phoon, Thai-Wun-On and Curl Up and Dye and (Insert Location)Hairport) but it seems to be spreading.

Do businesses do this where you are?

Want to share some clever ones - or even some groaners?

Yes, definiately, although I can't think of any off-hand. Hairdressers are, by and large, the worst for it though.

Feisor, I'm rather fond of 'Thai Me Up' in Darlinghurst. (Never eaten there, but the name sticks in the memory.)

Sadly, the coffee shop in the High Court building in Canberra appears to be closed until further notice. It was called 'Sufficient Grounds'.

brilliant.

There was a camping shop somewhere that had a sign saying "Now is the winter of our dicount tents".

In the UK, we have tankers which go round the countryside pumping out septic tanks.

They bear the name "suck-cess".

I love them all - it's great how sighting a witty sign can bring a smile when you are having a bad day.

On vans in Ipswich - "P & J Labels are on a roll".

There is a greasy spoon cafe in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham UK called, the Selly Sausage.

I've also notice a news story on the BBC today about how MGM, owners of the James Bond brand have forced a refrigeration company to change their name. They were formerly known as 007 fridges - Licensed to Chill.
Boo hiss.

I once saw a van belonging to a flooring company - Walter Wall Carpets.

On a slightly different note, there's a popular building contractors around our way called Snapecall. I cannot for the life of me see one of their vans without imagining Alan Rickman, dressed in full academic gown, striding out of the back and sneering: "Potter! What do you want?"

B

One of my favourites - in Belfast there's a chippy called "For Cod & Ulster". The name's good enough, but the mural on the shop shutters is brilliant -

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r166/swl_album/belfastshop.jpg

This one, from Spain, should raise the tone a little:

There's an excellent sandwich bar (in the South) called 'Bocata y Fuga' which literally translates as 'Sandwich/Snack & Flee' - or, more loosely, as 'Eat & Run'.

I suspect that some languages lend themselves more to puns than others.

On a French exchange I remember some play on words to do with the French verb 'voler', which can mean to steal and to fly. Can't remember the details though

The chip shop one has reminded me - there's a chip shop in Barry Island, Wales (rather famously these days) called the Codfather of Sole.

One in Canton, Cardiff calls itself that too but it's rather less well done.

Someone's going to have to explain "For Cod & Ulster". Is it in the accent?

Kea, normaally it would be 'For God & Ulster' as a rallying cry.

There used to be a florist shop near us run by a Mrs Deans. It was called, quite aptly, 'The Florist of Deans'.

A Chinese restaurant in Tullamore called Paddy Field.

But yes, it's usually hairdressers.

TRiG.

I once saw a Chinese restaurant in Copenhagen, named Dong Yuan. I giggled.

In France too hairdessers use puns

Didn't there used to be an eatery or something in Edinburgh called 'Get Stuffed'?

There's a fish shop in Abergavenny called The Codfather, and further along the road a lovely little cake/coffee shop called For The Love of Cake.

Hairdresses here do it too, I wonder what it is about Hairdressers that makes them pun so much? There are plenty called Haar Genau (which literally means exact, but in the context of a hairdresser would mean that your hair is perfect)

And the Vier Haareseiten near us. (pun on Die Vier Jahresseiten - which means the four seasons)

can't think of any more at the mo.