The Store is O-Pun

One of the blogs I follow regularly is That's Punny. It is "a photo blog celebrating the pun, which is certainly mightier than the sword". There you will find a treasure trove of great word play.

Some folks favor the important-sounding term paronomasia--playing on the sounds and meanings of words - for what follows here. Many inguists refer to the follwing as homophones--different words that are pronounced the same way (not weigh). Really snooty psychologists use phrases like ambiguity resolution and bistable illusion.

I just simply call them puns. Whether or not you're a fan of word play, puns are inescapable. Especially when twits like me keep bringing them down the street occasionally.

Let's take a stroll down the main streets and high streets of the English-speaking world--stopping by a liquor store named Boo's, a clothing shop called Knit Wit, and a portable-toilet rental service in Chicago known as (get ready) Oui Oui Enterprises.

Go ahead--roll your eyes and groan. You will keep reading. It is just like watching an accident. Tou can't take your eyes off it! Jest for the pun of it, here are the shamelessly punny names of shops, bars, hair salons, restaurants, dog groomers, service stations, and, yes, even lumberyards (Julius Cedar). Once in awhile it is nice to celebrate the wonderful use of word play rather than just the mistakes that abound in the world of words.

Many of these were found at That's Punny and Store Name Puns by Richard Nordquist.

Oh, and by the way: as far as Mr. Nordquist can determine, all the businesses here are still operating. Whether that's because of their clever names or in spite of them, you decide.

Sit back and enjoy as you scroll though the list. It is OK to laugh out loud! Really!


Assorted Businesses and Services

* Alexander the Grate
(fireplace retailer in Belfast, Northern Ireland)


* All Cisterns Go
(plumbing service in York, England)


* Ashwipe Chimney Sweeps
(Chicago, Illinois)


* Avant-Card
(stationery shop in Berkeley, California)


* Boo's Liquor
(East Terrell, Texas)


* C’est Cheese
(cheese shop in Santa Barbara, California)


* Cycloanalysts
(bicycle shop in Oxford, England)


* Cycology Mobile Bike Repair
(Portland, Oregon)


* Floral 'n' Hardy
(flower shop in Lanark, Scotland)


* Fond Ewe Fine Cheeses
(Keswick, England)


* Frame, Set and Match
(picture framing shop in London)


* Get Plastered!
(interior plaster company in San Francisco, California)


* Get Stuffed
(taxidermist in Islington, England)


* Going Pottie
(ceramics studio in Dunkeld, Scotland)


* Grate Expectations
(chimney and fireplace service in London)


* Indiana Bones Temple of Groom
(pet grooming service in Simi Valley,California)


* Jamaican Me Crazy
("family fun store" in Haddonfield, New Jersey)


* Julius Cedar
(lumberyard in Saskatoon, Canada)


* Junk & Disorderly
(furniture store in Nottingham, England)


* Knead to Relax Massage
(Traverse City, Michigan)


* Knit Wit
(clothing store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)


* Luna Sea Bed and Breakfast Motel
(Cocoa Beach, Florida)


* Melon Cauli
(greengrocer and fruit seller in Birmingham, England)


* Merry Pop Ins Child Care
(Jacksonville, Florida)


* Napoleon Boiler Parts
(plumbing supply store in Alton, England)


* The Old Spokes Home
(bicycle shop in Burlington, Vermont)


* Old Volks Home
(Volkswagen service and repair in Richmond, Virginia)


* Optom-Eyes
(optometrist in Colorado Springs, Colorado)


* Oui Oui Enterprises Ltd.
(portable toilet rental service, Chicago, Illinois)


* Pam-Purred Pets
(pet store in Leslie, Michigan)


* Pane in the Glass
(window washing service in Contra Costa, California)


* Phydeaux
(pet-supply store in Chapel Hill, North Carolina)


* Prints Charming Photography
(Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania)


* Reading Lasses
(bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland)


* R. Soles
(boot and shoe store in London)


* Sew Materialistic
(fabric store in Brooklyn, New York)


* Shoebeedoo Kids Boutique
(children's shoe store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)


* Shoenique Shoes
(Longmeadow, Massachusetts)


* Shutopia
(shoe store in Bradford, England)


* The Stalk Market
(flower shop in Seattle, Washington)


* Thistle Do Nicely
(souvenir shop in Edinburgh, Scotland)


* Tiecoon
(men's clothing store in Dallas, Texas)


* A Time to Kiln
(pottery store in Red Bank, New Jersey)


* Wish You Wash Here
(launderette in Coventry, England)


* Womb to Grow
(shop that sells maternity wear and baby gifts in Lichfield, England)


* Wooden-It-Be-Nice
(furniture repair shop in Belvidere, Illinois)


* Wreck-A-Mended Towing and Automotive Repair
(Marietta, Georgia)

* American Hair Force
(hair salon in Elk Grove, California)

* Barber Blacksheep
(hair salon in Brighton, England)


* Combing Attractions Hair Salon
(Janesville, Wisconsin)


* The Hair Em
(hair salon in Willow Street, Pennsylvania)


* Hair Force One
(hair salon in Holbrook, New York)


* Hairs Johnny
(barbershop in Portage, Indiana)


* Hannah and Her Scissors
(hair salon in Miami, Florida)


* Julius Scissor Hair Design
(hair salon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)


* Permutations Hair Salon
(Glasgow, Scotland)


* Snippety Crickets
(hair salon in San Francisco, California)


* We're Hair
(hair salon in West Warwick, Rhode Island)


Bars, Pubs and Restaurants


* Booze Brothers Off License
(Preston, England)


* Brews Brothers
(bar and night club in Pittston, Pennsylvania)


* Chez When Cocktail Lounge
(Sedalia, Missouri)


* Lawrence of Oregano Pub
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)


* Pour Judgment
(bar in Newport, Rhode Island)


* Tequila Mockingbird Mexican Bar and Grill
(Ocean City, Maryland)


* U Otter Stop Inn
(bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota)


* What Ales You
(bar in Burlington, Vermont)


* Aesop's Tables
(Greek restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana)


* Award Wieners
(restaurant in Anaheim, California)


* Bean & Gone Cafe
(Auckland, New Zealand)


* Brewed Awakening
(coffee shop in Berkeley, California)


* Brew Ha Ha
(coffee shop in Phoenix, Arizona)


* The Contented Sole
(seafood restaurant in West Palm Beach, Florida)


* Crepevine
(restaurant in San Francisco, California)


* Custard's Last Stand
(ice cream shop in Boulder Dam, Nevada)


* En-Thai-Sing
(Thai restaurant in Mildenhall, England)


* Franks for the Memories
(restaurant in Mundelein, Illinois)


* Frying Nemo
(fish & chips shop in Goole, England)


* Goodbuy Mr Chips
(fish & chips shop in Derby, England)


* Goodfillas
(sandwich bar in Bristol, England)


* The Great Impasta
(Italian restaurant in Champaign, Illinois)


* Grillers in the Mist
(fish restaurant in Katoomba, Australia)


* Higher Grounds Cafe
(coffee shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)


* Ho-Lee-Chow
(Chinese restaurant in Toronto, Canada)


* Howe’s Bayou
(Cajun restaurant in Ferndale, Michigan)


* Jamaican Me Hungry
(restaurant in Key West, Florida)


* Kumquat Mae
(vegetarian restaurant in Sheffield, England)


* The Lattetude Bistro
(coffee shop in Decatur, Georgia)


* Lettuce B. Frank
(restaurant in Santa Barbara, California)


* Lettuce Souprise You
(restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia)


* Lord of the Fries
(restaurant in Melbourne, Australia)


* Men At Wok
(Chinese restaurant in Williston, Vermont)


* Mustard's Last Stand
(restaurant in Melbourne, Florida)


* Nincomsoup
(restaurant in London)


* Pete's A Place
(pizzeria in Peabody, Massachusetts)


* Pizza D'Action
(restaurant in Holyoke, Massachusetts)


* Pizza My Heart
(restaurant chain California)


* The Rock and Sole Plaice
(fish & chips shop in London)


* Sam N'Ellas Mad Cow Steak & Rib House
(Colchester, Connecticut)


* Sam Widges Sandwich Delivery Services
(London)


* Sherlock's Home Restaurant
(Minnetonka, Minnesota)


* Thai Tanic
(Thai restaurant in Washington, D.C.)


* Wholly Crepe
(restaurant in Los Angeles, California)


* The Wiener's Circle
(restaurant in Chicago, Illinois)


* Wiener Take All
(restaurant in Buffalo Grove, Illinois)