Puns: What's the UK's funniest business name?

Rhondda is swapped in for 'Wanda' on this chip shop to play on the 1988 film starring John Cleese

If you're partial to a bag of chips, the chances are you've visited a chip shop with a pun-based name.

From London's relatively straight-forward The Codfather to the more elaborately-named A Fish Called Rhondda in Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taf, chip shop owners can't resist a play on words.

Others in on the act include London barbers Barber Streisand, Sunderland wine shop Amy's Winehouse and pottery cafe Kilning Me Softly in Milton Keynes.

Florist Rachael Allen owns the flamboyantly-named Dark Side of the Bloom just outside Bangor in Gwynedd, north Wales.

She said naming her business after the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon turned out to be a shrewd business decision.

"It just took off, we get so many comments, it's unbelievable," she said.

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Rachael Allen (right) wanted the name of her florist to reflect the alternative weddings they work on

"I wanted something that reflected a little bit of an alternative florist rather than just the run of the mill because we do a lot of alternative weddings.

"The dark side represented the black and the funeral work and the bloom was obviously flowers."

Although she would not consider herself to be a Pink Floyd fan, the name seems to attract people who are.

"I do get a lot of bikers and I've done a lot of bikers' funerals and weddings as well and I think [the name] has attracted them so its really good," she said.

Naming her shop Dark Side of the Bloom has been good for business, says Rachael

Rachel's business has been shortlisted for a competition aiming to find the shop name with the best - or worst, depending on your preference - use of a pun.

A list of what will be to some hilarious and to others groan-inducing names has been put together by language learning platform Babbel, which has analysed TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Facebook to find the 120 most popular.

A public poll will decide an overall winner who will be named in the new year.

Kathryn Robson said having a memorable name did not make much of a difference to her business

Also shortlisted is fellow north Wales business owner Kathryn Robson with her shop named Damsel In This Dress.

"The shop at the time was next door to the castle and the building that the shop was in used to be an armoury so we wanted it to be something to do with women and castles," she explained.

But she does not attribute the success of her shop in Harlech, Gwynedd, to the memorable name.

"It's fun to have a fun name... but I'm not sure it makes a difference to our business other than that the staff and locals find it fun," she said.

In fact, she has changed the name of the business' Facebook page to Wool & Gifts Harlech after finding people searching online were more likely to use the location of the shop than the name.

What is it about shopkeepers and puns?

"The pun undeniably holds a special place in British hearts," said Babbel's linguistic and cultural expert Noel Wolf.

"The beauty of a pun lies in its ability to exploit the versatile vocabulary and multiplicity of meanings of English - the prevalence of the pun in Britain is testament to the flexibility and richness of the English language."

Unisex barbers Barber Streisand is in London

Some other names that made the long list:

• Puff Dad E (Vape shop, Essex)

• Jean Claude Van Man (Removals, Southport)

• Some Fin Fishy (Pet shop, Wirral)

• Pest in Peace (Pest control, Wilmslow)

• Thaitanic (Thai restaurant, Belfast)

• Hairy Pop-Ins (Pet nannies, Shetland, Scotland)

• William the Concreter (Concrete mixer van, Battle, East Sussex)

• Jason Donervan (Kebab van, Bristol)

• Taco Look At Me Now (Taco van, West Sussex)

• Bonnie Tiler (Tilers, Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan)

• Love you a Latte (Cafe, Mumbles, Swansea)

• Apocalypse Cow (BBQ restaurant, Birmingham)

• Doner Summer (Kebab shop, Leeds)

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