文↘writing mode
fails.

Writing mode fails

Words can mean something else when read in the wrong direction.

A Korean property sign with text arranged in vertical columns01 / SIGN↗
KOREANGIBBERISH

상대임 가지야

INTENDED
Vertical · right to left→MISREAD
Horizontal · left to right

임야, 대지, 상가 (forest land, building land, shops) becomes 상대임 가지야—an apparent nonsense phrase.

SPOTTED BY @KYOMO_NINNIN_ ↗THE READING ↗
A Chinese text laid out in vertical columns02 / TEXT↗
CHINESEBAD MEANING

吃人吃人

INTENDED
Vertical · left to right→MISREAD
Horizontal · left to right

A lesson on poverty and study turns into “eat people, eat people.”

SPOTTED BY @LITX4I ↗THE READING ↗
A Korean sign whose layout invites an unintended reading03 / SIGN↗
KOREANBAD MEANING

탕탕탕탕

INTENDED
Vertical · left to right→MISREAD
Horizontal · left to right

Four soups ending in 탕 (tang) become 탕탕탕탕—the sound of gunshots.

SPOTTED BY @NASHSHDJFJCJ_9 ↗THE READING ↗
A photographed udon and soba shop sign04 / SIGN↗
JAPANESEGIBBERISH

そどうばん

INTENDED
Vertical · right to left→MISREAD
Horizontal · left to right

うどん・そば (udon and soba) becomes the nonsensical そどうばん.

PHOTO & READING NANGHI.NET ↗
The photographed HD video converter packaging05 / PACKAGING↗
JAPANESEBAD MEANING

HD or エロ?

INTENDED
Vertical→MISREAD
Horizontal · left to right

“HD video converter” becomes “erotic video converter” when HD resembles エロ.

REPORTED BY SORANEWS24 ↗
A red butcher shop sign reading 肉のこーべや06 / SIGN↗
JAPANESEBAD MEANING

やべーこの肉

INTENDED
Horizontal · left to right→MISREAD
Horizontal · right to left

肉のこーべや (Kobeya Meat) becomes “this meat is bad.”

PHOTO BY @MATSURI774 ↗
A close-up of repeated characters on a restaurant menu07 / MENU↗
JAPANESEGIBBERISH

ばんばんばん…

INTENDED
Horizontal · left to right→MISREAD
Vertical

Read down, the endings of menu items become a rhythmic string of syllables.

PHOTO BY MATSUJI ↗
A Japanese warning sign arranged in short horizontal rows08 / SIGN↗
JAPANESEGIBBERISH

台い意

INTENDED
Horizontal · left to right→MISREAD
Vertical · right to left

A warning that the rooftop observation deck is slippery reads like a strange poem down the columns.

PHOTO BY @BOJAN_INTL ↗
Three banners spelling スゴイまくら09 / SIGN↗
JAPANESEGIBBERISH

スま ゴく イら

INTENDED
Horizontal · left to right→MISREAD
Vertical · left to right

スゴイまくら (“amazing pillow”) becomes three puzzling pairs when each banner is read down.

PHOTO BY @PARATATA ↗