(Photo: Bruce Ryan (Sherwood Florist); Aaron Harris (The Perennial Gardener): Kelly (Eufloria); Steven Lemaster (Bokay))
See our ultimate crowdsourced map of punny businesses in America.
A person's home is his or her castle—and as anyone who has ever owned one knows, even metaphorical castles need tons of very real upkeep. Luckily, there are whole armies of dedicated plumbers, housekeepers and florists out there ready to provide the best sort of all-American service. The kind that comes with a smile and a linguistic nudge in the ribs.
Each of these hospitable pun-loving subgenres has its own set of signature moves. Florists are pretty much all show-offs ("Flowerkraut"? Really?). Those who specialize in sewage, dirt, and other facts of life tend to take one of two pun paths—they either revel in their chosen materials (see: Ash Wipe Chimney Sweeps; The Butt Hut Comfort Stations), or elevate them (A Royal Flush; Sweeping Beauty). And several servicemen-heavy companies have names straight out of bad pornography (College Hunks Hauling Junk, anyone?)
(Photo: Michael Keys)
Here's what you should know about this new breed of domestic pest:
—A jaunt through the home service industry contains a surprising amount of sex (Talk Dirty To Me; Hung-Rite Garage Door) and violence (Natural Born Cleaners; Shutter Up Quick). Safer to do your own dirty work—say at U.N. Piece Cleaners, a New York, NY laundromat.
—Of the 4 Sherwood Florists, only 1 is actually located in a town called Sherwood (it's in Wisconsin).
—Florists are real cinephiles—our list has nods to Forrest Gump, Laurel and Hardy, The Lone Ranger, and It's a Wonderful Life.
—By the same token, portable toilet purveyors from the Windy City are Hibernophiles—Chicago boasts both Pot O'Gold and the much less subtle LepreCAN.
Editor's picks:
Florists
Floral and Hardy (Oklahoma City, OK)
Fancy Plants (Savannah, GA)
The Lone Arranger (Ingleside, TX)
The Petal Pusher (Decatur, AL)
Cleaning, home services & laundromats
Ash Wipe Chimney Sweeps (Vernon Hills IL & St. Louis, MO)
Mr. Smarty Paints (Austin, TX)
Tree Musketeers (San Antonio, TX)
Sweet Pea Sewer & Septic (Missoula, MT)
Portable bathrooms
Callahead (Broad Channel, NY)
LepreCAN (Chicago, IL)
The Throne Depot (Woburn, MA)
And here is the list of other categories:
Coffee shops
Bar/Pubs
Other (including retail stores, vape shops and lots of yarn stores)
Doctors and Dentists
Food Trucks
Pet Care
Restaurants
Hair/Nail Salons
(Photo: Olivia)
And here is the full list.
Florists:
Bokay Florist | |
Enchanted Florist | |
Eufloria Flowers | |
Fancy Plants | |
Floral and Hardy | |
Florist Gump | |
Flowerkraut | |
Flowers to the People | |
Rhythm and Blooms | |
Sherwood Florist | Seattle, WA | Sherwood, WI | Dayton, OH | Claremont, CA |
|
The Enchanted Florist | |
The Lone Arranger | |
The Perennial Gardener | |
The Petal Pusher | |
Zuzu's Petals | |
Portable toilets:
A Royal Flush | |
A Royal Flush, Inc. | |
Callahead | |
Gaz-Bah Mini Shop | |
Jackpot Sanitation | |
LepreCAN | |
Pot O' Gold | |
The Butt Hut Comfort Stations | |
The Throne Depot | |
Cleaning services:
Ash Wipe Chimney Sweeps | |
Ash Wipers Chimney Sweep Inc. | |
College Hunks Hauling Junk | |
Heaven Scent | |
Hung-Rite Garage Door | |
Mr Smarty Paints | |
Natural Born Cleaners | |
Shutter Up Quick | |
Spokane House of Hose | |
Sweeping Beauty | |
Sweet Pea Sewer & Septic | |
Talk Dirty to Me | |
Tree Musketeers | |
U.N. Piece Cleaners | |
Wash This | |
We Wash It | |