Shopping List (crackers)

Loving the neatness of the cutting on this piece of A4 ruled hole-punched piece of paper.  It's somehow let down slightly by the brevity of the list, but redeemed by the seemingly "random" items placed thereupon.

 Crackers?  You must be - That must be the reason you're also searching for the "customary" dressing gown and slippers that accompany all new patients!

(written on lined paper)

Shopping List (carrots)

Ooh - look at this.  A shopping list to end all shopping lists....

Some important notes of interest are as follows:

a) It's a long shopping list and you don't find that many long ones.

b) It's written on plain paper... no punches, no spiral bound, no lines.... just plain.

c) It contains a couple of really funny spazz-outs!

c i) "Meance" sounds like Beyonce!

c ii)"Begg" sounds like Leg!

c iii) Abbreviated "pepper" to "pep" made me, at first read it as "Red pop"

c iv) Nice mixed case and capitalisation of items i.e. garlic BUT Red etc

d) I think they're having spaghetti bolognese for tea!

(written on folded a4 plain paper folded to a5 but not torn)

Shopping List (papers)

Short but very VERY sweet.

This "chancer" does not really need a list for these items... it makes me wonder whether this is some small child (obviously underage for playing the lottery) that's been sent to the newsagent to pay Grannie's paper bill (she's too embarrassed to go herself) and this note acts as "security" like when your mum used to send you to the shop for her fags! - or it's simply someone with old-timer's disease that really wants a punt on the lottery!!  Smart!

(written on a rather smart piece of paper that looks like it's from one of those notepad cube things)

Shopping List (onions)

A real rarity, this one.  Rare and never to be repeated, it's a shopping list of my own that I found lying about.

Now, I'm not trying to outdo anyone with my zany list but you've got to admit it's a pretty wacky collection of items.

Onions (specifically three of them) means I had a specific recipe in mind when I made this out.  

The small cauliflower suggests I was making my vegetable curry.  

The fact that toothpaste, crickets and earrings all appear together on the list suggest I was going to park at the pet shop on the ring road and get the food for my praying mantises... then hop across to the indoor market and check out the earrings on offer (I'm always up for some "hinged" sleepers) - probably scoring the toothpaste at Home Bargains or Wilkos on the return and get free parking at the pet shop into the bargain!

(written on a scrap of paper)

Shopping List (Pot)

 This list works for me on a whole heap of levels.

Anyone who adds "POT" (in block capitals to emphasise this and placing at the top of the list) to their Friday-big-shop is OK by me.

It's like a little Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in its own right - the only items missing might be a woolly jumper and a hooker.

Gotta get these things right.... got my pot.... then the munchies.... cup of tea and some toast... check..... glass of gin... check.... series of stoned stunts involving farts and hairspray.... check....  the rest is a complete mystery.

The fact that someone is UNchristian enough to tear up a Christian Aid leaflet so they don't forget to buy some blow is testament to this list in itself.

(written on a christian aid leaflet)

shopping list front

 shopping list back

Shopping List (sugar)

Oh Sarah and Ashley, what did you let yourselves in for?

I am trying to work out from the list what this happy couple might be enjoying for their evening meal when they get home tonight.  My guess is fish finger sarnies with an assortment of "veg" - hopefully not simply a bag of frozen mixed veg, but a stunning array that is far too stunning to detail in a simple shopping list.

As for onions and sugar?  Perhaps it's that age-old northern speciality of toffee onions - not dissimilar to toffee apples other than the fact that they are made with onions and NOT apples.

One item of extra special interest is the item that's been "scrubbed" from the list... is it a tart? A fort?  Sarah, Ashley, if you're reading, please let us know what it was you DIDN'T need!

(written on a small envelope)

Shopping list front

shopping list back

Shopping List (chocolate bars)

Written on a piece of paper far too big to fit your shopping list onto, I am continually amazed at how few items people need before making a list of them.... I mean, six items, perfectly understandable, but five?  Where is the line?

The naming convention of this list, coupled with very neat joined-up writing is a joy to behold..... not just any old chocolate, but chocolate bars....  not just any old tuna but tuna fish!  I bet they were not going to just any old supermarket but to a... you get the idea.  It's genius!  

And did I mention the writing?  What lovely calligraphy.

(written on an a6? spiral bound sheet)

Shopping List (Timber?)

Here's a different kind of shopping list.  I'm attracted to this list for a couple of reasons.

1) six feet and five inches is actually 11/64ths of an inch out!

2) Timber?  I mean "timber" - what the hell does that mean?

Ok so these reasons may not be universally appealing but it resonates with me because I am a feckless DIYer and it's the kind of moronic list I would write for myself knowing that I am about to be laughed off the forecourt of Walker Timber in Birkby!  Shades of spotty oiks in computer shops offering 1Mb hard disks whilst snearing down their spotty noses at tech-unsavvy shoppers!

(written on scrap of plain paper)

Shopping List (Huge)

An Inland Revenue Tax Credits Office envelope was used to create this masterpiece. Biggest shopping list EVER! The envelope is so large it doesn't even properly fit on my A4 scanner!!

Immediately of note:

• Dual shop list - Featuring two lists for the price of one with certain items highlighted at each shop. Savings aplenty by buying cold meats and fruit and veg at Aldi, and sticking with the better items like Sainsbury's coffee - anyone who has drunk Aldi's "Alcafe" will sympathise with this reasoning.
• Random layout - The seemingly random placement of items like "Pasta" and the "x2" above pesto for no reason. Also the use of the hyphens seems a bit random. Note that the Aldi list has only one hyphen, but the Sainsbury's bit is hyphenated to separate items in the list on the same line, or indeed just to start a new line.
• Our milk - Please be more specific or you'll just end up with a six pinter of semi-skimmed.
• Bana - Obviously as you were writing banana, you were overcome with the desire to buy "peppers x1" and couldn't wait to write it down.
• Peppers x1 - That's singular. Pepper, please stipulate red or green, or even yellow or orange if you're feeling a bit way out.
• Sandwich meat - I love the use of the term "couple of hams etc" for no specific reason than it works brilliantly, especially the "etc" caveat at the end, which covers chicken, salami, beef, even turkey ham if you so wish.
• - (Breaded fish) - The only hyphenated item on the Aldi list and the only item that appears in parentheses. I just find that a bit weird.

Shopping List (Susan's Lunch)

Strangely, I'm more interested in shopping lists now than I am in snapping pictures of randomly shopped items in the supermarket. All these lists are found in supermarket car parks or in supermarket shopping trolleys or baskets.

Immediately of interest:

• Susan's lunch - I take it that the items on the list don't actually constitute the global term "Susan's lunch" and that the shopper must be very familiar with Susan's lunch so as to not have to actually itemise the required components.
• I love the correct use of the apostrophe in "Susan's". Good grammar throughout with good capitalisation.
• Gum - Chewing gum? Bubble gum? Spearmint? Peppermint? Too vague for my liking. Please be more specific. I hate not knowing what was required.
• Item 4 - Ham Biscuit box - Can't decide if this is Ham and separate item Biscuit box or whether I am misinterpreting the word Ham!?!?! Judging by the excellent use of grammar, you'll notice the capitalisation indicates two separate items.... All that remains is whether you wanted sweet biscuits or savoury biscuits for a cheese board.
• Cakes - Please be more specific!!
• Turkey crown + gammon - What a treat. Get some pineapple while you're there!!

Shopping List (forgetful?)

It's been a while since I've featured a shopping list, and it's been a while since I picked this particular one up.... I think it was from Sainsbury's but I couldn't hazard a guess at when it was.

Things of immediate interest:

• Lovely little notelet pad (lined and spiral bound).


• Great abbreviation of broccoli to "broc".


• The list is so bloody short that you have to wonder whether they ought to be including some fish or omega 3 capsules to help their brain function properly. I mean, come on, did it really warrant a list? Thankfully, it seemingly did!!

Shopping List (Skinny)

Unfortunately I always seem to start these items with the term "I love ..." This one should be no different, apart from the fact that now it doesn't, it begins "Unfortunately..." and I love that!!

What is great about this post-it-note based shopping list is the following list.... yes a whole list of brilliant things....

• It starts "weightwatchers tomato soup".... they're obviously on a diet, and that's presumably why they can manage to fit a shopping list onto a post-it-note.
• By the end of the very short list, the diet has gone out of the window, and we're into cream and "normal" soup!!
• I am left wondering whether I have only managed to find a single page of a multi-paged post-it-note based shopping list.
• The second occurrence of soup on the list is of a non-specified variety, and I like that a lot..... random soup!!
• It's true, good things really do come in small packages!!

Shopping list (abbreviations)

I love the keeper of this shopping list. Their abbreviations are great, and I spent a good while cracking their code.... F. Peas = frozen peas.... T.C.Toms = Tinned chopped tomatoes etc etc.... lots of fun. I particularly like the appearance on this list of "Fish?" - Can't make my mind up, but I'll put it on the list and see if anything takes my fancy..... I think judging by the amount of meat on their list they either need lots of fish or a colonic irrigation!! Note also the addition of the item "oven gloves" - how lovely!! I was worried that, because they didn't add "P.T.O." at the end of the list that they forgot "creme fraiche" and "tarragon" though!!

Shopping list (mental).

This is one crazy assed shopping list. Not only did I find this shopping list on a public footpath in the middle of a field during a walk, but.... well, see for yourself. Not only is it a shopping list, but it's also a list of things NOT to buy..... Genius.... absolutely genius. I love the writer of this list, and their methodology more than they will ever know. God bless 'em, and look out for chillies.... they want some, but they don't want some..... if they spot this, they just might explode in the local Co-Op.

Shopping list (super)

Well, who is this posh bugger? Pinot Grigio? Pinenuts?? Liquid soap?? Brilliant, and I thought yuppies were a thing of the past!! I particularly like the way they start their list with "super" like they would forget to get their shopping from a supermarket otherwise!! Also worthy of note in this example, is the fact that the list was written on the back of a "1000 places to see before you die" tear off calendar. The date was for 28th August, and was Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

Shopping list (fruit)

Can't work out whether they wanted fruit and salad or fruit salad? Plenty of "mixers" and some bubble bath. Very comforting. I love the "joined up" quality to the writing.

Shopping list (cleaners)

I like the way this person thinks. They broke down their shopping list into two categories: Cleaners and food. Very logical thinking, but perhaps a little too zealous with their cleaning rituals. Really ace "old person" writing style.