t’s an iconic situation which we’ve seen in countless movies: A person lands at an airport. They’ve had a long flight and now they’re finally home. They gingerly step into the arrivals hall, dazed, their legs cramped and backs sore, dragging along their luggage, and scan the hall for a friendly face.
Suddenly, there, their long-missed family stands with a big sign welcoming them back – and their fatigue falls away as they rush to the sign holders, a huge smile on their face…
But some families and friends are just born trolls, and can’t resist the chance to embarrass their loved ones with signs that totally defy all expectations. Click on to read some of the funniest, most cringe inducing signs to ever grace an airport’s arrivals hall.
01. Orphans in Need of Parents
You know, a lot of elderly couples go on vacation these days – so if you and your siblings happen to find yourselves without your parents at some point, going to the airport and holding up a sign saying you’re looking for new ones might not be a terrible idea.
We’re pretty sure these “orphanz” aren’t really bereft of parents, though. In fact, we’re pretty sure they have amazing parents, if their kids all come to greet them at the airport, even when they’re all clearly past 25.
02. Rehab
You’ve just landed and are slowly making your way out of baggage claim. You’ve met a really nice girl on the flight, and you’re chatting with her all the way out to the arrivals hall. You’re just about to exchange numbers when, out of the corner of your eye, you spot your sister holding up a sign.
It is not, you realize, a good sign. You try to casually walk the other way, avoiding eye contact as you do – but your sister has other plans.Well, that’s one phone number you’re not getting.
03. Berating Your Friends
Some friends have been together for so long that they don’t feel like they have to be “nice” to each other – at least, not in the traditional sense.
The sign this woman is holding up says more than just “I know you well enough to be blunt with you” – it actually says “I know exactly what makes you unbearable, but I love you anyway” and her presence at the airport backs that claim up.
04. Laundry Time
Hey mom – did you enjoy your vacation? That’s great! Now, we’re here to remind you that you’ve got a lot of work to do now that you’re back home, because basic things like laundry and hygiene are entirely your responsibility.
Okay, that may have been a bit harsh. The sign is pretty whimsical and cute, and the kids’ drawings are actually pretty impressive… unless their dad drew them? We’re pretty sure their dad was the one who added the P.S., at least.
05. Manchild
No matter how old you are – when you’re with your parents, you feel like a kid again. This stalwart son has taken this line of reasoning to its logical end, and decided to wait for his parents in a onesie – and proclaim the cereal deficit from which he apparently suffers.
Mom, dad, this boy needs his sugary start to the day – and cereal ain’t going to buy itself. The fact that he’s over 30 and decided to tell you about this in a very public place is entirely beside the point.
06. First Meetings
Military service demands real sacrifices from the men and women in uniform who protect the nation. One such sacrifice is not being able to be there when your wife goes into labor or to see your baby as soon as he or she is born.
Getting to meet your baby for the first time is likely a highly emotional moment, and sweet little Harper truly does look adorable – and with that big sign explaining the situation to everyone nearby, it must have been a really teary-eyed first meeting between not only father and daughter, but for passers-by as well.
07. Acceptance
This family may have had trouble coming to terms with their son and brother coming out of the closet, but after a long time apart, the reunion is sure to be heartwarming.
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and while they may have had trouble accepting their son’s sexual orientation at first, it’s great that they were able to overcome their prejudice and accept him – enough to hold up a sign letting the whole world know they are okay with it.
08. Pet Names
This is a nice in-joke between the person in this photo and, we assume, his partner. If you haven’t watched Friends, you might not immediately get the reference – but in the show, Phoebe changed her name, following her marriage, to “Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock.” So the fact that this couple use it as a pet name is cute.
But the real inside joke here, of course, is what Pheobe’s newlywed husband changed his name to in return: “Crap Bag” – so the joke, really, is in the guy carrying this sign!
09. Good News with the Bad
When you’re away and your partner misses you so much, it can be nice to come back to a sign. But when you get back home to discover your couch is ruined it can be a pretty big bummer, despite the sign.
This thoughtful partner, however, is two steps ahead of us. They made a sign which, we assume, was a really nice gesture to receive – and rolled up in all that sugar was the bitter bit of information about the couch. Smart.
10. Come Home to the Dark Side
In 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals to the young Luke Skywalker that he is his father. The revelation stunned audiences and helped cement Star Wars’ place in film history.
But, as Yoda said, there is another Skywalker – and we’re not talking about Princess Leia. Apparently, this Rebecca person is also a daughter of the Sith Lord – or, you know, of an extremely geeky dad.
11. Who Would Do This?
It’s always nice when your kids wait for you at the airport and greet you as soon as you land. If they make a sign – well, that’s even more heartwarming.
But when the sign is made out of what looks like a giant roll of toilet paper, and when it carries an ominous message like “Only We Would Do This”… well. That may be cause for concern. Not to mention, this sign has definitely not been proofread. Take a moment – do you see any words repeating themselves? You’ll see it when you see it.
12. Sugardaddy
Well, it takes all sorts, we guess. And while we’re sure this couple is actually loving and respectful of each other, their little joke of him being her sugar daddy probably confused quite a few people.
It’s a little awkward – especially considering they asked someone to take a photo of them – but ultimately, it’s quite cute.
13. Sending a Brother to do a Sister’s Job
When this guy’s sister asked him to go pick up her partner from the airport, she probably expected him to be nice, welcoming and accommodating. What she definitely didn’t expect was for him to try to embarrass her baby’s father with a highly misconstrued sign.
But then again, that’s what you get when you send a brother out to do sister’s job. Really, though, we guess they’re really good friends – otherwise, this kind of joke wouldn’t really fly, would it?
14. It’s the Thought That Counts
Writing an airport greeting sign is something we all wish we could do. The occasion is very emotional, and so, even if you can’t really write, we understand why you’d want to take part in the ceremony.
Which, it seems, is exactly what this little girl decided she’d do. Sure, it may not exactly be words she’s written on that piece of cardboard, but the intention is very clearly communicated here. Well done, little girl! You’ve transcended language!
15. Can’t Contain His Excitement
When people hold up signs and wait for their loved ones to return, it’s usually accompanied by some dimension of excitement and happiness. Which is what this sign ironically plays off.
And while some people may not get the humor inherent to this site, what’s clear is that this couple have a language all their own, and their levels of love and intimacy are clearly reflected by this laconic – and ironic – message.
16. Context is Everything
Context is everything, and in this case, we lack it. But we can think of quite a few contexts in which this sign would actually be quite sweet. If this was meant for a veteran returning home after finally being discharged, for instance, this would be an almost tear-wrenching message.
Or if it was written for a person returning from surgery or a long spell in a hospital. It could, of course, also be for a person released on bail… but we’d rather not think about that.
17. All We Want For Christmas
Family and friends can sometimes really feel like partners in crime. Confidants that you share everything with – and would trust with anything. So this “Wanted” poster makes sense on that level – but it also reminds us of the classic Christmas song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
All in all, this is very tongue in cheek, and extremely cute. There’s really nothing like meeting family that’s coming home after a long time apart, to spend time with loved ones on Christmas.
18. Go Back to Cali!
You’ve made it. You’re finally home after a long, long time on the West Coast, and can’t wait to see your family – when your little brat of a brother greets you holding this sign. Well, what can we say?
“Go Back 2 Cali Jody, We Hate You” is probably a great reminder in why you left for Cali in the first place! Seriously though, we think this sign is an indication of true friendship and love between siblings – otherwise, it wouldn’t be funny at all!
19. Engagement Between Friends
“Tom, Will U Marry Me?” Is this a romantic gesture – or just a friend trying to embarrass Tom in a very public space?
Going by the way the sign holder is dressed – shorts, flip flops and a grey t-shirt, we’re going to assume the latter. We mean, if this was a real marriage proposal, we’d expect him to dress up a bit more, right? Then again – who knows! Maybe Tom just doesn’t care about that kind of thing.
20. Trying His Luck
You know, it’s not just families and friends that hold up signs at airports. It’s also drivers sent out to pick guests up. And that situation of scanning the crowd, looking for a sign carrying your name, held by a stranger, can be pretty intense.
So this guy, who has come to the airport with a play on that, probably made quite a few people smile. We do hope he was really there to pick up someone he knew and wasn’t actually trying to pick girls up straight after a flight, though!
21. Embarrassing Parents
You just got off of your long, 12-hour flight. You’re tired and sore, and all you want to do is take a shower and go to sleep.
So when your parents wait for you holding up a huge sign of your face, with the most embarrassing expression imaginable plastered on it, and another sign letting everyone know what your embarrassing pet name is – well, that kind of greeting is probably not high on your priority list. Oh well – embarrassing parents will be embarrassing parents.
22. Potty Humor
This sign seems pretty suspicious, especially if you don’t know what imodium is. If you do know what it is, it quickly turns from being suspicious to hilariously embarrassing.
Imodium, you see is a brand of medicine that’s used to treat people with chronic diarrhea. Does Sarah suffer from chronic diarrhea? We doubt it. What she definitely does suffer from, though, is friends or family with a pretty vicious sense of humor.
23. Getting Distracted
Listen. Coming up with cute, funny or entertaining text isn’t always easy. It can sometimes even be a challenge for us – and we do it for a living! And when you’re trying to come up with something witty to write and you keep being distracted, well, that makes it even more difficult.
So we salute the writer of this sign who not only managed to acknowledge the challenges of writer’s block – but also managed to use them to make their cute sign!
24. Relationship Goals
You and your partner have been celebrating National Margarita Day for a while now. Many years counting, in fact. But this year, your flight was delayed, and you thought you wouldn’t be able to make it to your annual tradition.
Well, fear not. Your husband is an incredibly sweet and thoughtful man, and even though you’ve landed pretty close to midnight, he wouldn’t let you pass up on your annual drink – so he brought the margarita stand to you. What can we say? Relationship goals.
25. Latin Lover
You were off on a business trip to Latin America, and left your adoring husband behind. He, on his part, liked to joke that you would find a Latin lover on your trip – so when you finally returned home, he decided to take the joke further and assumed you’ve become pregnant from your fictional lover.
Well, even within the framework of this fictional tragedy, he still loves you, and is still committed – and is willing to write a sign to show that and hold it up at the airport for you!
26. The McGregor Clan
The McGregor clan is one of the proudest in Scotland – so when Douglas landed at his destination, he brother couldn’t give up the opportunity to write his full, epic sounding name out on a card and hold it up.
Sure, it may sound like something out of a fantasy novel, but being part of the McGregor clan is no laughing matter. Well, maybe a little.
27. Hot Gravy
We’ve called our partners all sorts of names and used all sorts of terms of endearment. “Honey,” “sugar” and “babe” are all quite common, but some couples have their own standards – and this couple, apparently, uses “Hot Gravy.”
What can we say? We really love hot gravy, so this actually works out pretty well for us. We think we might start using this as well! Maybe not at airports, though.
28. Crossing Off the Days
Being married to someone in the military certainly comes with its set of challenges. One of them, of course, is being away from your loved ones for prolonged periods of time.
Crossing off the days on your calendar until you get to see your loved one can be quite frustrating, but the moment you finally get to see them again can feel like all the wait and frustration have been worth it – and this spouse knew it when she made her sign.
29. Don’t Forget Your Thumbs
It’s nice to feel excited about people coming home – and this guy made a sign to share his feelings.
Unfortunately, he left out an important part of the joke. The sign should have read “Who has two thumbs and is excited Taylor and Steven are home? This guy.” As things currently stand, the two thumbs up under his face aren’t explained in full!
30. A Dangerous Message
This woman has a lot of faith in the guy she’s come to pick up at the airport.
Sure, they may be world-class male models – but there’s always a chance two other, hotter guys might have landed at the same time – and in that case she might have inadvertently committed to picking up two complete strangers, rather than the people she drove there for in the first place.
31. We Should See Other People
Sometimes, people can get a little wild on long trips. In this day and age, though, you’re never far from home – and if you have an inquisitive partner, they might finddout what you’ve been up to.
Breaking up is never easy, so writing down what you want to say might be a smart decision – but seeing it written on a billboard, for the whole airport the see as you get back home… well. That can be a little rough.
32. I’m With Stupid
This girl is familiar enough with the person she’s picking up to hold up a sign saying “idiot” when she picks them up – but also has enough of a self-deprecating sense of humor to hold it upside down.
It’s pretty great to know someone so well that even after a long time in which you haven’t seen them, you can still josh around with them as soon as they get off the plane!
33. World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is one of the most popular online games in the world – and people online have forged real friendships playing on the game’s servers.
If you don’t play the game, this sign might be a little difficult to read, but we can tell this person is meeting a friend he’s met online for the first time, and holding up a playfully nerdy sign to greet them with!
34. Desparate or Hopeful?
This guy might be trying to poke fun at his fellow greeters, but it’s more than likely that what he’s actually trying to do is to make fun of the woman he’s there to pick up.
She knows him and might not immediately notice the sign, so when she walks over to hug him hello, others seeing the sign might think she’s reacting to it and not to their well-established relationship.
Well played – that is actually pretty funny.
35. Trying His Luck
Michael Jordan is still one of the most popular athletes in the world – and if this guy is a fan, he might just be trying his luck at convincing him, after he’s landed to come with him.
Then again, he might just be there to greet his son, who happens to share his name with the basketball legend. We don’t know – but wouldn’t it be hilarious if both of them were on the same flight?
36. Military Lingo
This woman is clearly waiting to meet her military partner – and has chosen to use military lingo to let him know he has a lot of questions to answer to as soon as he gets home.
This is a wonderful way to show that she knows the language of the world he’s been living in, and also a playful way to make him realize that his work is far from over, even though he’s home.
37. Chocolate Johnny
Johnny, whoever he is, has a pretty sweet nickname. We’re chocolate fiends ourselves, but not enough to have a friend dress up as an Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and hold up a sign with such a chocolaty nickname!
Would we be embarrassed in Johnny’s place? Sure, maybe a little – but if there was chocolate in it for us, we’d get over it pretty quickly.
38. Back to Work
Did Kaden really write this sign? If so, it would be pretty astounding.
Kaden sounds like a pretty independent baby, all in all – both able to write a perfectly worded sign and to take care of his mother! No, we’re pretty sure it’s Mommy who wrote it – which doesn’t make it any less adorable.
Whoever Daddy is, he sounds like a pretty lucky man, in a very loving relationship.
39. Not Just Spouses
It isn’t just spouses who miss people. Kids can get pretty impatient about meeting their parents again, too – and this girl’s sign is a perfect example of that.
It’s not just her sign, though – take a look at her posture and the devilish look in her eye: this is one girl that’s ready to pounce on her dad and hug him enough to make up for all the time they spent apart!
40. Harsh Breakup
We can generally agree that selfie sticks are pretty obnoxious. They were a cute trend for a while, but today, they’re items to be hidden away and used only in the privacy of one’s room.
So, when Britney found out Simon has a selfie stick secreted away somewhere in the house, it must have been quite a shock. Not as much as a shock Simon must have experienced when he was publicly shamed by his girlfriend with a twisted sense of humor, though!
41. Getting Right to It
Matt may have spent a long time away from home, but he thought he was pretty up to date about family matters. Well, he was in for a pretty big shock when his two brothers greeted him at the airport.
Still, if this was news they’ve been putting off telling him for some reason, there’s no better way to break them than to write them on a huge sign which he’ll see as soon as he lands. It’s like a band aid – you just have to rip it off!
42. Waiting a Lifetime
This little girl hasn’t yet had the chance to meet her veteran dad. And while he may have only been away for a few months – for her, it’s been a lifetime. And when you’re a parent to a newborn baby, every day spent away can feel like a lifetime as well.
It’s difficult not to tear up when you see this sign – but we choose to take comfort in the fact that they’ve finally been united, and we hope they won’t have to say goodbye again for many years to come.
43. Meeting the Fans
Eric Stonestreet is one of the most popular cast members of Modern Family, the hugely successful sitcom. So it would make sense that he’d have fans waiting to greet him at the airport as soon as he landed.
Despite the long flight, Eric is a good sport and doesn’t mind taking a few photos with his fans and the tongue in cheek sign they made to greet him with!
44. Not Falling Far
This mother daughter reunion is truly heartwarming. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” the saying goes – and while the apple may have travelled very far indeed in this case, she eventually ended up right back with the tree that gave birth to her, overcoming distance and other obstacles.
We’re not sure who made these signs – mother or daughter, or if each one of them made her own – but whatever the case may be, this is truly a heartwarming photo.
45. What’s Important
Signs are all well and good, and can be a great way to say things that are difficult to say out loud, or to create a few laughs – but really, what they all really mean to say is that their holder loves the person they’ve come to meet.
This sign doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s straightforward and to the point. “Welcome Home. Now Kiss Me.” Signs can be as clever as they want – but really you don’t need anything more than this.