# What is the straight dope about the Sharp Edges sign? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494 "2012-10-31T22:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/1 "2012-10-31T22:59:53Z")
[Sharp Edges Sign](http://www.google.gr/search?rlz=1Y3PGWF_elGR495GR495&client=chrome-mobile&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&q=Sharp+edges+sign) What’s the backstory behind this sign? IIRC, this image must be at least 10-15 years old. Is it real? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/2 "2012-10-31T23:08:21Z")
Can you link the sign itself instead of linking a google search from not-America? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/3 "2012-10-31T23:17:11Z")
Just google “this sign has sharp edges”. The story behind it is: Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/4 "2012-11-01T04:13:07Z")
It’s obviously a parody of (real) signs that used to be fairly common. It used to be (and this ain’t ancient history - I’m in my 30s) that if you bought knives, you would see the “severed fingers” image on something in or on the box. I’m sure that image is still out there. But making a sign to say that the sign has sharp edges is pure satire. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/5 "2012-11-01T04:30:57Z")
[My favorite](http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougbalzer/4547570874/) (first saw one of these in Mad Magazine decades ago). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/6 "2012-11-01T07:28:59Z")
Here’s a [picture](http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.goodexperience.com/broken/images/sign.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.goodexperience.com/tib/archives/2006/06/sign_with_sharp.html&h=375&w=420&sz=130&tbnid=aceZ_-Nyrg-8RM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSharp%2Bedges%2Bsign%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Sharp+edges+sign&usg=__8jIIJPBeO5z3p1Wz3qdAayjZsSc=&docid=jMIYX4pk4sL9OM&sa=X&ei=QiSSUJ_7IsOU0QGl_4HAAw&ved=0CCEQ9QEwAA&dur=578) of the sign. If you read it in its entirety, it’s not just self-referential. After the conspicuous warning about the sign itself, there’s a warning in fine print at the bottom that the bridge up ahead is out. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/7 "2012-11-01T08:30:53Z")
Make all the [images of goofy signs you want here.](http://www.says-it.com/) [Make “sharp edges” signs here.](http://www.says-it.com/dangersign/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/8 "2012-11-01T20:32:20Z")
Why does everyone always jump to the conclusion of Photoshop for things like this? It’s just as simple to assume that someone made up a bunch of sharp edges signs, for the obvious reason, and that some other folks bought them and put them up, again for the obvious reason. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/9 "2012-11-02T01:56:33Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Make all the [images of goofy signs you want here.](http://www.says-it.com/) > > [Make “sharp edges” signs here.](http://www.says-it.com/dangersign/) I have been having fun with this ALL DAY !!! 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/10 "2012-11-02T07:22:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Why does everyone always jump to the conclusion of Photoshop for things like this? It’s just as simple to assume that someone made up a bunch of sharp edges signs, for the obvious reason, and that some other folks bought them and put them up, again for the obvious reason. Can’t tell if serious ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/11 "2012-11-02T09:03:46Z")
I agree with **Chronos**. There is vastly more humour in actually making the sign. More to the point I have made joke signs. Sometimes they cost real (as opposed to not much) money, but it can be well worth the expense and effort. Just photoshopping up a fake picture of a sign, and posting on the web is, at best, a trifle lame. Especially compared to actually making up a sign and placing it somewhere appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/12 "2012-11-02T09:23:47Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Just photoshopping up a fake picture of a sign, and posting on the web is, at best, a trifle lame. Especially compared to actually making up a sign and placing it somewhere appropriate. Lame it may be, but I suspect photoshopped signs are significantly more common than real-world fake signs - therefore ‘photoshop’ isn’t an entirely unreasonable assumption. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/13 "2012-11-02T11:39:18Z")
Reminds me of the B. Kliban cartoon that has a huge sign in a bus statio n reading: > [@](#): > > \*\*DO NOT READ THIS SIGN > > under penalty of law\*\* ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/14 "2012-11-02T11:58:01Z")
In our garage, in front of where my car goes, is a very real looking sign. Kayker parking only, then it explains about violators being towed, gives the specific vehicle code law in finer print. It was a gift from someone. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/15 "2012-11-02T12:05:15Z")
As I pointed out in a thread several months back, there is a sign on the side of a building less than a block from where I’m sitting that reads: “No parking. The insane parking monkey takes no prisoners.” ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-about-the-sharp-edges-sign/639494/16 "2012-11-02T16:30:01Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I have been having fun with this ALL DAY !!! 😃 😃 😃 Me too! The production manager is gonna be PISSED. Caution : Safety Glasses are meant to protect your EYES, NOT your forehead !