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We know how much you like good humor, dear Pandas, so we’ve cooked up a treat for you today. Once again, we’re featuring the El Arroyo restaurant’s legendary funny signs. It was a tough task picking out the best signs from the newest crop because they’re all so deliciously hilarious, but we’ve definitely got the crème de la crème for you to enjoy.

The El Arroyo restaurant is based in Austin, Texas, and has been serving up comedy alongside mouth-watering Tex-Mex dishes since 1975. Remember to upvote your favorite pics as you scroll down. And go ahead and read Bored Panda’s interview with British comedy writer and author Ariane Sherine who told us about the pros of having a limited space or time frame to work with, like when putting together a witty one-liner on a marquee sign.

When you’re done digesting this list, you might find that you’re still hungry for some more El Arroyo humor. You’ll find Bored Panda’s most recent articles about the restaurant’s signs right here, here, and here for dessert. And of course, if you’ve got any sign ideas that you’d love to submit to El Arroyo, you can do that right over here.

More info: ElArroyo.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Space Whale
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate most people EDIT: Except for bored pandas , u guys are nice

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Comedy writer Ariane, from the United Kingdom, told Bored Panda that the shorter the joke, the better it tends to be. In other words, the fact that El Arroyo’s sign has very limited space for just a few words can actually be a huge advantage. Especially as people’s attention spans keep getting shorter and shorter.

“There's a saying: 'Brevity is the soul of wit'. Often, keeping things short and snappy is the key to making them funny,” the comedy expert explained to us. "Even more so these days, as people have short attention spans and there's so much content competing for their attention.”

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Space Whale
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me it's my big toe. Fun fact : I only cried for an hour last time I stubbed my toe

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However, just because a joke is short doesn’t automatically mean that it’s going to get the audience roaring with laughter. The comedian has to strike a balance between brevity and being informative.

“It's great to be concise, but when making a short joke or one-liner, ensure you've included all the information necessary. There's no point in making your quip short if it doesn't contain enough info for the joke to work!” the comedy writer told Bored Panda.

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“Also, it's all the more important to make sure you don't stumble over your words when delivering the quip, as there are fewer of them,” she added that there’s another element to keep track of when you take your jokes from text and turn them into speech.

In Ariane’s view, whether we prefer short-form comedy like El Arroyo’s or long-form jokes is all down to individual taste.

“Some comics love telling long rambling stories, and others tell snappy one-liners. I personally like one-liners but I find that watching a comic come out with 20 minutes of them can get a bit wearing. Each to their own!”

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Some time ago, Lisa McLendon, the William Allen White Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas explained to Bored Panda what the most important things are when making any sign.

"Clarity and brevity are essential. You only have a second or two to get your message across, so you want people to understand quickly with zero confusion," the professor told Bored Panda that signs have to be to-the-point and without any unnecessary details that could distract from their message.

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snarkiest hot head
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my passwords before: pUpP13s 4ev@h & r@ainbow%uni(0rn$ my passwords now: 123abc

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"Don’t carve an error in stone. It’s embarrassing and expensive to fix. Proofreading before you produce, whether it’s stone or not, is absolutely necessary," she noted that proofreading is cheaper and easier than fixing costly mistakes down the line.

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"Choose your font with readability in mind. It should be clear and readable at a distance; you don’t want to make people puzzle through a swirly script," the professor added that the font can make or break any sign.

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DUN DUN (she/her)
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh God, I still do 😂 Sticks and stones can never break my bones

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Allen Lavine
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nowadays they will call it child abuse but I've been called stupid dumb crazy ignorant just because I move the light a half a centimeter that showed me how to have tough skin

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Lola
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was never ok. That hurt you in many ways you don’t even realize.

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GoddessOdd
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad used to give me something "very important"...like a screwdriver or something that he managed to convince me was mission critical, to hold while I watched him work. When he was finished, he'd pretend to use the important tool so I would feel like a successful helper. One of the things he did really well.

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June’s Very Own
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whew. I’m going to relieve my trauma just to explain this to you fellow panda. Basically when you are younger and your dad is doing a job, you are asked to hold the flashlight for him. If you move even an inch it is followed by yells and curses it was so traumatising.

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Eagle Girl
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anyone else hear Ralphie saying "FUDGE!" when they read this?

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Michael Fuhry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol, I'm feeling this one. That time he asked me to help him when he had to take apart the dryer to replace the driveshaft bushing...keeping the bushing in place, as he pushed the shaft (still attached to the very unwieldy drum) into both the bushing and its respective housing mount...woof..."carpaltunnelsandwitchdiseasevectorteaspoonchannellocksleftfrontfenderoverdrafttornado!!!" Apparently, only number two son was available for this important task.

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moose man
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

same... and then, one day when i was helping him renovate his parents house after his dad was recovering from a stroke, i got to intall my first light switch by myself. i did it correctly.

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C C
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

See dad?! I was paying attention all those years ago when I was your helper and you talked on and on about fixing stuff, the future, etc., even if I didn't hold the flashlight just right lol. Btw, I am a pro at holding a flashlight now along with other handyman work

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Bacony Cakes
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why it's important to be able to distinguish between the letters A and E.

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BabyYodaIsMe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha, that moment when they ask for a favor and it ends up being thirty minutes outside in the creepiest shade of night trying to keep the flashlight pointing exactly at one place

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Trey Shipp
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(Half joke time) He told my cousin to hold the flashlight straight...

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Kenny Kulbiski
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah memories. Notice I didn't say fond ones. Apparently use of a goddammed droplight was forbidden by the dad code. My dad taught me how to say goddammed though so it wasn't a total loss.

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Anita
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

See June's Very Own explanation above. Or try this; holding the flashlight usually involved grouchy talk if you weren't redirecting the light properly as he moved, and angry yelling if you lost focus and the light drifted. A lot of dads cursed or used obnoxious names when they yelled, God help ya if they had an accurate backhand.

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Andrès Dì Fonoĺĺosa
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was funny cuz everytime he'd say "u're useless it's better for me to ask someone else, can't even hold a light straight might as well ask someone else to do it" but still it was my job every god damned time

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Teri Miller
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a very young girl this was so damming. He did apologize before he died. Dropping his urn was an accident, I swear!

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Raiden Prime
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

U think u can test my patience? I endured years of barrens chat.

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Brian Bennett
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My father-in-law used to call a plumber to change a washer in a tap (ask grandpa he knows) so you can guess how much i get fixed around the house!

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Koenigsegg Jesko
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my dad literally yells at me everytime i do something wrong, even if its not for him LOL

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Uh huh
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had to ask my husband what this one meant. He explained it.

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Okiedokie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

EX-husband did this :) “What the f*ck are you doing?” “…You said to-“ “HERE you stupid *#$@ing $&@# &$*#head $#*@.” ~redirects flashlight~ “f***! No! Here- you know what?! I’ll do it myself you’re not helping!’ ~two hours later~ “why aren’t you talking to me? Are you mad at me?” “Yeah! Your stupid a** left me to finish ‘x’ on my own!!’ :/// But yeah, it’s okay to talk to kids that way and not spouses 🙄

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Mikey Kliss
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one took me way too long to figure out lol. I think for me saying "I held the flashlight for my wife" serves the same purpose lol

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Earlier, Bored Panda had spoken to Laura Schulte, the social media manager at El Arroyo. She was kind enough to tell us all about the iconic marquee sign that has become a local landmark.

The sign was put out on the street over a quarter of a century ago by the original owner of the restaurant. The goal was to promote the specials and to write funny quotes.

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Gin. No tonic
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was a lawyer before becoming a comedian. But turns out, it pays to have an actor as a president (he can really hit the emotional spot with all his speeches).

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According to Laura, El Arroyo gets several sign idea submissions each day from people all over the globe. She told us that the staff picks the best by seeing “what makes us laugh and is most applicable to current events.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular signs are those that most people can relate to. “We've seen a lot of success with our signs about past elections, and current events such as commentary on the pandemic,” the social media manager told Bored Panda.

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Which of these signs did you love the most, Pandas? Have you ever been to El Arroyo in person? What funny one-liner would you love for the restaurant to feature on its marquee sign? Share your thoughts with all the other Pandas in the comment section.

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Paul C.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Travelling to a Sunday morning footy match in a convoy of four or five cars. We stopped at some traffic lights and from the car in front four blokes suddenly jumped out, leaving one guy, sitting on his own. His shoulders were heaving up and down as he laughed long and hard. The four then jumped back in and proceeded to give him the slap he so richly deserved.

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May
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love snow, but it's april.. That's enough snow for this season.

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Expector
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I try this once and then my boss called my mom, almost lost my job to be honest

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Random Person
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unrelated, but a girl has a qr code on her locker that leads to Never Gonna Give You Up. Yes I tested.

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Note: this post originally had 129 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.