Yorkshire’s ‘Frying Nemo’, South West’s ‘Jean Claude Van Man’, London’s ‘Barber Streisand’ Amongst Regional Champions In Nationwide Search For The UK’s Punniest Shop Names
To celebrate a peculiarly British form of retail-linked, linguistic wordplay, leading language learning platform Babbel (www.babbel.com) analysed TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook to identify the UK shops – with clever or amusing puns in their names – that are most frequently celebrated on social media. A shortlist of 120 stores was put to a vote in November 2023 to January 2024, with the public choosing Belfast clothing alterations company, Sew It Seams as the UK’s best shop with a pun-based name.
In second and third place in the vote are Harlech-based clothing shop Damsel In This Dress and removal company, Jean Claude Van Man, from Southport.
Alongside the national winners, Babbel is announcing the most popular store names in each UK region – including London-based hair salon, Barber Streisand, Dartmoor’s wittily-named food van The Hound of the Basket Meals, and Shetland’s pet sitting service Hairy Pop-Ins.
For more information on the competition, and on the retail pun champions, see Babbel’s dedicated page – hidden from view until coverage appears: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/punniest-shop-name-united-kingdom.
Most popular UK shop pun names overall:
- Sew It Seams (Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland)
- Damsel In This Dress (Castle Square, Harlech, Wales)
- Jean Claude Van Man (Southport, North West)
These regional pun champions captured the hearts of the public and stood out among the 120 shortlisted entries, showcasing the originality and wordplay that the British public loves:
- East Midlands: On a Wick and a Prayer, Candle Shop (Ashbourne)
- East of England: Alley Barber, Barbers (Luton)
- London: Barber Streisand, Hairdressers (Clerkenwell)
- North East: Tan Solo, Tanning Shop (Sunderland)
- North West: Jean Claude Van Man, Removals Van (Southport)
- Northern Ireland: Sew It Seams, Alterations (Belfast)
- Scotland: Hairy Pop-Ins, Pet Sitter (Mainland Shetland)
- South East: Pane in the Glass, Window Repairs (Kent)
- South West: The Hound of the Basket Meals, Food Van (Dartmoor)
- Wales: Damsel In This Dress, Clothing Shop (Harlech)
- West Midlands: Iron Maiden, Ironing Service (Birmingham)
- Yorkshire and the Humber: Frying Nemo, Fish and Chip Shop (Goole)
Noël Wolf, Cultural Expert and Babbel Live Teacher at Babbel comments, “Puns are a cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in British society. Originating from the jesters of mediaeval times and flourishing in the Elizabethan era, the art of punning has evolved through the ages, finding a modern home in everyday conversations. These linguistic gems not only highlight the adaptability of the English language but also serve as a reflection of our everyday lives, blending wit with the mundane. From cleverly named shops to literature, this wordplay has become an integral part of our communication landscape, entertaining connecting people. As we navigate the twists and turns of modern communication, puns stand as enduring testaments to the charm of language, making the serious business of everyday life a little more entertaining.”
For more information on the UK’s Punniest Shop Names competition and to view the full list of shortlisted entries, visit Babbel’s dedicated page.
Featured Photo by Bruno Martins on Unsplash.