• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Leanne Shirtliffe

Poetry | Humour | Picture Books

  • Poetry
  • Humour
    • Don’t Lick The Minivan
    • Mommyfesto
    • Ironic Mom Blog Archive
      • Search
      • Start Here
      • Finding Humor Everywhere
      • Hilarious Family Moments
      • Un-Ironic Moments
      • Wild Gen X Tales
      • Full Archives
  • Picture Books
    • Sloth to the Rescue
    • I Love Sharks, Too!
    • Saving Thunder the Great
    • No More Beige Food
    • The Change Your Name Store
    • Guides/Activities
  • About
  • Contact
    • General Inquiries

Bizarre Book Pairings

I adore found humor.

To me, there is little that amuses me more than finding humor in the ordinary, in something you know hundreds of people have walked by and have failed to see.

My favorite found humor in Calgary used to be this sign, outside a strip mall a mere ten minute drive from my house.

(Un)fortunately, two of the stores are no more, but Just for Lovers seems to have survived downturns, soft economic situations, and the like.

Yesterday, I searched for found humor in my favorite locale: the book store.

I walked around and looked for haphazard pairings of books, titles that didn’t seem to go together but became humorous when paired. I didn’t move the books; I simply discovered them side by side. Then I took pictures.

This is what I found:

PAIRING 1:

PAIRING 2:

PAIRING 3:

PAIRING 4:

PAIRING 5:

.

YOUR TURN:

Do you have any punchlines or captions for these?

Any unusual pairings you have (or would like to) come across?

Filed Under: Finding Humor Everywhere Tagged With: books, funny, humor, Ironic Mom, Leanne Shirtliffe, parenting

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    December 12, 2011 at 5:20 am

    LOL. I love these. Too funny! I posted a sign on my blog a week or so ago. There was a local store that sold firearms and the name of it was “PMS Firearms.”

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:41 pm

      Hilarious! I’m laughing out loud. Here’s the link, everyone: http://giddysap.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/local-business-name-is-loaded/

      Reply
  2. David Peters says

    December 12, 2011 at 5:22 am

    Your blog of found humor took me back to when I lived on the island of Guam. There was always some sort of road project on this tiny island. One day, as I drove down the major highway, I saw one of the road signs that read, “Slow Men Working” That information was so very true. These men were asleep in the shade as I drove by. And the intersection they were working on took what seemed like an eternity to finish.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:42 pm

      Found humor in Guam. Love it! When irony goes literal…

      Reply
  3. Shell says

    December 12, 2011 at 5:56 am

    Thanks for the morning giggle. 🙂

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:42 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  4. Tameri Etherton says

    December 12, 2011 at 6:56 am

    I think the pairings speak for themselves! Great way to start the day/week. Thanks Leanne!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:42 pm

      Thanks, Tameri.

      Reply
  5. Paige Kellerman says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:06 am

    I’ve never thought of doing that, but now I can’t wait to back to the bookstore..lol. The vampire scenario made me laugh out loud…

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:42 pm

      Nothing like mischief in the bookstore…

      Reply
  6. mooremom523 says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:37 am

    Not a pairing so much but something that made me giggle at the local strip mall (that due to its some what sad nature probably shouldn’t have) was a gentleman holding a sign saying he was a homeless Veterinarian….which I highly doubted.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:43 pm

      Maybe a veterinarian for extinct animals?

      Reply
  7. EllieAnn says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:41 am

    ha! So funny!
    How about: The Scarlet Pimpernel and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
    or Hollywood Weddings and Happily N’Ever After? Or … Behemoth and Moby Dick?

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:43 pm

      Fab pairings. The last one made me gaffaw!

      Reply
  8. hopefulleigh says

    December 12, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Haha! Are you sure you found all of those together? There wasn’t any subtle Ironic Mom manipulation?

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:44 pm

      I swear! (I could’ve done better if I manipulated…)

      Reply
  9. My Wife Doesn't Think I'm Funny says

    December 12, 2011 at 8:49 am

    Alas, I can’t recall any funny pairings. However, there is a hair salon down the street from me called “Cuts Down Under.” I’m sure they were thinking Australia, but come on guys, did you spend more than 4 minutes considering how that name might be received?

    Reply
    • mooremom523 says

      December 12, 2011 at 12:10 pm

      LMAO

      Reply
      • Leanne Shirtliffe says

        December 14, 2011 at 2:44 pm

        That is hilarious. On so many levels. Well, especially on one level…

        Reply
    • julie gardner says

      December 14, 2011 at 3:34 pm

      I would totally go to Cuts Down Under.

      (Do they do bikini waxes, too? Please say yes.)

      Reply
  10. janshep says

    December 12, 2011 at 10:37 am

    We wished we’d had the camera ready … we once drove passed a cow that was chewing on one of those yellow road warning signs. The sign was for “Open cattle range” … hope that qualifies as a pairing.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:45 pm

      It qualifies exceptionally well!

      Reply
  11. educlaytion says

    December 12, 2011 at 10:41 am

    I could probably run over Snooki with a grocery cart in the store and not recognize her. That picture=first time I remember seeing her. Come to think of it, doesn’t she somehow connect to surviving worst parenting fears?

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      I laugh at the image of you running over Snooki with a grocery cart. Now there’s a speed bump…

      And well played on the parenting fears connection!

      Reply
  12. Cybele says

    December 12, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    I have a nice picture from the local library of the book “Is He Lying to You?” shelved next to “Marry HIm – The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough”. A little further over is “Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!” next to “The Tibetan Art of Parenting”, which for some reason I find wildly hilarious.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      Brilliant pairings. Love those!

      Reply
  13. Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson says

    December 12, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    The Kama Sutra and “Practicing Abstinence” would be a delightful duo. #IYKWIM.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      Ha. Maybe for someone who wasn’t abstinent by choice?

      Reply
  14. Charli says

    December 12, 2011 at 8:17 pm

    Of course I love Pairing 5. Your blog is a wonderful place!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      Thanks, Charli. I laughed, too, and then avoided explaining the humor to my 7yo daughter who wanted to know why I took the photo and laughed…

      Reply
  15. Paprika says

    December 12, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    LOL!!! 😛

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  16. serre says

    December 13, 2011 at 1:48 am

    I’m a fan of “finding humor” in signs and captions… never thought about pairing them. You gave me new life! 😀
    The only “pairing” I can think of is this one http://www.myspace.com/laserre/photos/23396128 (blue sign says “every directIon”)

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:48 pm

      Fabulous! And thanks for the translation. 🙂

      Reply
  17. writerwoman61 says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:53 am

    I was struck by the stupidity of a sign we saw at a railroad crossing the other day…it urged people not to stop on the tracks!

    Wendy

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:48 pm

      Seriously. There’s a candidate for the Darwin Awards…

      Reply
  18. The Hook says

    December 13, 2011 at 11:57 am

    Great discoveries, Leanne!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:49 pm

      Thanks, TH!

      Reply
  19. *K* says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:58 pm

    There was a gentlemen’s club in Denver that always celebrated October as Breast Awareness month…loved that.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:49 pm

      I bet they raise things in honour…

      Reply
  20. Marianne says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    The local McDonalds was torn down and rebuilt. They left the marquee with a closed sign so that people wouldn’t drive into the big hole, hoping for a Big Mac.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:49 pm

      The quiet desperation…

      Reply
  21. Stacy Dymalski says

    December 14, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Doesn’t anyone every check this stuff out before they put books out! Geez, how hard it is to read two titles sitting next to each other. I have say, I LOVE your sense of humor. You don’t know me but I’ve been reading your blog, and I really enjoy it. So much so that I have given you the Versatile Blogger Award (you can read details in my latest post). Feel free to do with it as you want. I am happy to share you with my blog readers and give you a bit of link love. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      December 14, 2011 at 2:50 pm

      Thanks so much, Stacy. I’m off to check it out. 😀

      Reply
  22. julie gardner says

    December 14, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    I am dying over the “lovers” book store being above the doggie-style groomers.

    Found humor is delicious, indeed.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

© 2005–2023 · Leanne Shirtliffe / Ironic Mom ·