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There are some phrases that just don’t make sense. They get printed on shirts, billboards, and street signs, and if you encounter one, you’ll know it. Looking thrice and turning your head upside down won’t help. Asking for a friend’s help in deciphering the message won’t do much either.

You may call these phrases cursed and you wouldn’t be wrong. But there is an online group that’s not only entirely dedicated to these nonsensical phrases, but has also defined them as a phenomenon worthy of our attention on its own. Powered by 603k members, the Don't Dead Open Inside subreddit is a place for “signs and media that read as nonsense if read normally: from left to right.”

It may sound tricky, but bear with me. Below are some of the funniest signs that require 0% common sense and to throw everything you know about sentence structure out the window. Who knew that there could be so much sense in such nonsense?!

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#3

Will There Be Blood Or Not!?

Will There Be Blood Or Not!?

manby Report

Just like most things on the internet, the subreddit Don't Dead Open Inside wasn’t created out of nowhere. The trope first came to internet users' attention when its name was used in a promotional poster for the TV series The Walking Dead. To this day, the Don't Dead Open Inside poster, revealed on July 2nd, 2010, stands as one of the most recognized examples of the trope in popular culture that caused the cult following on Reddit.

According to Know Your Meme, the infamous poster featured a photograph of a double door with the words "Don't Open" written on the left side and "Dead Inside" written on the right, which should be interpreted "Don't open, dead inside" if read in the correct order. The whole fun of the trope is revealed when the reader reads the phrase line by line instead, which sounds like "Don't dead open inside."

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#5

Choose Abortion Life Kills

Choose Abortion Life Kills

StrongbowPowers Report

Knowing the speed things surf around social media, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a couple of users on Twitter shared their reactions to the unusual poster on social media. In the following years, “the memes based on the joke were made, with Know Your Meme user irish_swede archiving one such example on March 12, 2013,” reported Know Your Meme.

On May 17th, 2014, the subreddit r/dontdeadopeninside was created, where the community collected cases of the trope found in popular culture, design, advertising, etc. Today, it’s home to 603k members that follow a strict set of rules for submissions.

#7

Doesn’t Sound Like Fun

Doesn’t Sound Like Fun

Reddituser4678213 Report

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#8

Don’t Save A Life Be Afraid To Give Blood

Don’t Save A Life Be Afraid To Give Blood

dontdeadopeninside Report

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The first and most important rule is that all posts have to comply to DDOI format. “Signs must be read correctly top to bottom, and incorrectly left to right, like any text, usually. Though it does not matter how easily you can read them, it is highly encouraged to only post images with little separation or spacing between the columns of words.”

The community doesn’t allow both reposts and memes, and encourages users to “put the 'correctly read' way in the title, like 'DONT DEAD OPEN INSIDE.'”

#10

Guaranteed Reduced Quality

Guaranteed Reduced Quality

Maqwheel Report

#11

7 Surprising Black Ways To Use Beans

7 Surprising Black Ways To Use Beans

maximum_chungus Report

#12

Aliectass

Aliectass

_awwsmm , DrJessicaLanger Report

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#15

Stand Hong With Kong

Stand Hong With Kong

pedrojalapa Report

#17

If You Were In A Car, Would You Know What Accident To Do?

If You Were In A Car, Would You Know What Accident To Do?

MrGrampton Report

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Ekate
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I usually go with spilling hot coffee on myself when the lid's not on properly.

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#21

Stop Earth The Denying Is Dying!

Stop Earth The Denying Is Dying!

SoddingOpossum Report

#23

Saw This At Work Today And Immediately Thought Of This Sub

Saw This At Work Today And Immediately Thought Of This Sub

rdeddit Report

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Boaz Krebs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes, bees do open outside. (i red it like 'don't bees open outside?')

l frank
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are the bees opening a honey shop? "Don't bees open outside"?

Michael Capriola Jr.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is another example of the importance of punctuation. "Don't, Bees, open outside." Also, articles are important. I know Russian doesn't use them, but English does. It should read "Don't, Bees, open the outside." Also, Bees could be a typo, and the sign is supposed to read, "Don't, Bess, open the outside." Unfortunately, Unless Bess knows what is meant by opening the outside (of what?) the sign is pointless. YOU HAD ONE JOB

Linda Robinett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And who cares. We have a bee tree and no one has been stung. European honey bees are gentle creatures.

Rebecca Lee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

maybe the bees are trying to get in to escape the tree’s giant erection.

El Dee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have read these words in every order possible and they STILL make no sense!!

Carrie Laughs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm assuming it is 'don't open (the window because there are a lot of) bees outside' . Maybe they've had a swarm. That can be pretty scary.

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Nikki Sevven
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand how people make this mistake. There is no instance in which English is not read left to right FIRST, then top to bottom.

Twisted
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bees? Outside? That’s crazy talk. The bees are supposed to be inside.

PandaCoco
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even the cut tree outside was complaining about the sign. "Oh come on man!"

Julia Atkinson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, bees CLOSE outside. Put that pollen down! Honey's for closers only!

Donkey boi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems to me that there should be a question mark at the end, then it would be the sort of thing my sister would say. 'Don't bees open outside?'

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#24

Always Forgotten - Missed Never

Always Forgotten - Missed Never

cdsackett Report

#26

Was There Even An Intended Order To Begin With?

Was There Even An Intended Order To Begin With?

plsiwanttosleep , starrthepj Report

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#29

Vote Dump Early Trump

Vote Dump Early Trump

JGolden32 Report

#30

Friend Of A Friend Got A New Tattoo

Friend Of A Friend Got A New Tattoo

drewwhis Report

#31

This Is A F**king Massacre. Thing Made Me Want To Dead

This Is A F**king Massacre. Thing Made Me Want To Dead

reddit.com Report

#35

You Think Some Tattooist Hate Their Own Work?

You Think Some Tattooist Hate Their Own Work?

Pyrox888 Report

#36

This Giant Poster In My University Dorm

This Giant Poster In My University Dorm

colonelpanic762 Report

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#37

Drugs May Kill You, But Never Your They’ll Hurt Feelings

Drugs May Kill You, But Never Your They’ll Hurt Feelings

acookie2 Report

#38

Teachers Who Love Teach Children Teaching To Love Learning

Teachers Who Love Teach Children Teaching To Love Learning

tanooki_hardaway Report

#39

Hear That Noise? We Are Growing. We Can Fix It Again. Apply Inside

Hear That Noise? We Are Growing. We Can Fix It Again. Apply Inside

armchairnixon Report

#40

My Girlfriends Kitchen Tiles. Forffee Coyou

My Girlfriends Kitchen Tiles. Forffee Coyou

Laveys_Fvcktoy Report

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#46

Our To Help Trollies You Move

Our To Help Trollies You Move

INTP36 Report

#47

Honey, I Think We're Supposed To Turn Right

Honey, I Think We're Supposed To Turn Right

Lolawolf Report

#49

Don't Animal Open Inside

Don't Animal Open Inside

Aslakseie Report

#50

Their Heart Is In The Right Place. The Words, Not So Much

Their Heart Is In The Right Place. The Words, Not So Much

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#52

Why Did I Name My Show "The Joel With Mchale Joel Show Mchale"?

Why Did I Name My Show "The Joel With Mchale Joel Show Mchale"?

NinjaCowReddit Report

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#55

A Hearing Aid So Comfortable, You'll Sexy Asian Women In Los Angeles Never Want To Take It Off

A Hearing Aid So Comfortable, You'll Sexy Asian Women In Los Angeles Never Want To Take It Off

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#57

“What Does Learning A Foreign Language Say About You”, Supposedly

“What Does Learning A Foreign Language Say About You”, Supposedly

Hipster_Coffee Report

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#62

Men Because Women

Men Because Women

verianne Report

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Hello it Smee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hope this isn't a bathroom sign, someone will pee themselves before figuring out with way to go.

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#64

Keep Minimum Please The Distance

Keep Minimum Please The Distance

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#70

I'm Sick Of This

I'm Sick Of This

tannerntannern Report