The most confusing tie clip in the world.

in Random Crap

Years ago we inherited this tie clip and none of us have every been able to figure out what’s going on with it.

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 3.20.04 PM

At first I thought it was a bowler who dropped his bowling ball because who hasn’t done that, but Victor said that’s not something you would memorialize in a tie clip, so then I thought maybe it was a fancy grampa running for a goal with an invisible football.  Then I thought maybe this was a “Sorry. I’m introverting today” tie clip because that’s sort of how I look all the time and it would be nice to have a piece of jewelry that just lets people know that it’s me and not them, but Victor took a close look and decided that this is “NO TIME FOR YOUR BULLSHIT” guy.

And for once, he might be right because it fits:

112

11 10 9 8 7 6 5

14
3 2

Long story short? This is now my favorite piece of jewelry.  

UPDATED:  Commenter RuthC wins the internet:

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221 thoughts on “The most confusing tie clip in the world.”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. I agree, at first, I thought he was a ten-pin bowler, but then his get up made me think he was a cricket player. I like Victor’s idea though. There are so many possibilities with this and you’ve thought of most of them 😃👍🌟

  5. This is 10/10 and I appreciate the fact that the text was changed for each saying. You should put it on your purse or backpack! I find great pleasure in putting sassy and weird pins on my backpack. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

  19. Sitting in my psych class trying so hard not to smile or laugh. These are great

  26. I’m with Victor on this one because the first thing I thought when I saw it was “talk to hand, ’cause I don’t care.” Maybe that’s just the day I’m having, though. 🙂

  33. At first I thought it might be a Heisman Trophy tie clip, but football players generally don’t have fly shirt collars and bell bottoms.

  36. Are you sure he’s not just waving to someone as he’s running to catch a bus? “Hi! Gotta go.”

  37. I think it looks like Elvis doing martial arts. But I like your suggestions also. 😉

  38. Shared with friends & we decided the “Bitch, please.” needs to be put on a tshirt in your shop.

  40. He’s tap dancing. Although I like your interpretations much better. 🙂

  41. I thought maybe Elvis…
    But, I love the idea that this guy is DONE with your BS today! I need this clip!!!

  43. My,his hands are rather large.You know what they say about men with large hands…Maybe that is the whole point of the tie clip.

  45. Okay, that was freaky… the interpretation comments directly after eachother were left by two different people. 🙂 YOU INSPIRE US JENNY!

  47. I love this! I need one of these as a brooch to wear every single day! Good call Victor.

  49. If you DO need a mold made, that’s what my husband does professionally (sculptor/mold-maker) and this is right up his alley! Probably because most days he IS the tie-clip man lol…But seriously, he could mold the crap out of this so we can all tell the world, “Nope”. 🙂

  51. I think it’s a Cashier in a store going on break when a customer tries to stop him he’s like NOPE peace out

  62. Best tie clip ever – my husband needs this for his classroom… mostly for the faculty meetings.

  64. I was going to impress you by doing all of this Internet research and discovering exactly what it was and find the matching cufflinks to complete the set, but then I wandered into the kitchen and discovered that we had leftover pizza, and now I’m all like, “PEPPERONI!”
    I knew you’d understand.

  66. If he didn’t just let go of a bowling ball, he’s clearly the guy who gets a bad autocorrect text from his friend and says, “dude nah.”
    “I don’t want to know what perverted thing you just did to your mother!” is now available in tie clip form. 😀

  69. Be honest. You just wanted an excuse to play with fonts for a few hours…:) I think it is a jitterbug or lindy hop championship tie clip.

  71. He appears to be in the middle of a fly dance move but for some reason he is PISSSSED about it… Your memes would probably have cheered him right up 🙂

  74. They used to make things like this as give-aways and mail-aways, often associated with stage shows and radio plays. Shirley Temple brooch pins, for example. My best, fairly-educated guess is that this is either Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, dancing the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time Fo Dat” jig.

  75. How about these No-zy ones:

    “No photographs please.”

    “No, I am not Fred Astaire.”

    “Sorry, no autographs.”

    “No, can’t stop. On the way to get my very long arm shortened!”

    “Oh, gosh, please, no applause, really, it was nothing.”

  76. I’m thinking he’s a salsa dancer, based on his flashy hand move and his shirt, which looks like it has some flair-like detail on the shoulders.

  77. He is clearly in the process of a flying martial arts technique known best as, “come hither and receive my tennis shoe inside your least receptive crevice. “

  81. Sorry about the dup comment. My phone does not like the comment section for some reason and prefers to make me work for it. So anonymous it is!

  82. What is that on his shirt? Just above his right forearm.

    (Nothing. It’s just a shadow under his wing-tipped collar. ~ Jenny)

  83. I’m just trying to get across this street -oh God taxi please don’t hit me!

  84. You have got to somehow have more of these made and sell them in your store. Or at least get the image on a coffee mug – I’d buy one for sure!!!

  85. Pingback: The most confusing tie clip in the world. — The Bloggess | marketingwithbudus

  91. I first thought it was a Heisman trophy maybe from back before they wore pads and had concussions every hit. But then I realized it the Captain from Gilligans Island with unusually large hands (??) and he’s strutting happy because he’s about to get off the island and go out with that hot Ginger.

  93. Long ago, kiddos, there was a man called “gas station attendant”. He ran out just like that and you stayed in your car while he pumped your gas, washed your car windows and checked the oil. You didn’t even tip him! I shit you not! believe this was a giveaway by one of the gas companies, possibly in the 1940’s. They were always giving away something.

  94. He’s doing the Charleston, a 1920s dance that was a huge craze – absolutely one of the biggest in history (this is what happens when you ban alcohol) – and which spawned competitions for who could do it longest/highest/quickest/best/you name it. The pin may well have been a runner-up prize in one of these contests – they were often big money competitions with very large payouts – or may have belonged to a dance band member as part of the uniform.

  95. Oh my God, I want one!

    “I’m out.”
    “Don’t forget to fuck yourself on the way out.”
    “Goodbye. Don’t keep in touch.”
    “No thanks, I’m sober now.”
    “See you later, vaginator.”
    “Peace out, bitch.”

  97. Yes to all of those especially Toodaloo Douchecanoe. But my first instinct was Gene Kelly orFred Astaire dancing. It’s the drapy pleated pants of all things that make me think that.

  98. I thought maybe it was “You Can’t Make Me Wear A Tie” man, but you had me with Bye Felicia.

  100. Judging from the collar I’m guessing…disco dancing champion? Otherwise I was thinking something along the lines of “stand back bitches, I got this!”

  102. omg I am dying! Love this so much!

    It is technically a bowling award pin, I have some that look almost exactly like this from when I bowled league in middle and high school 🙂

  104. Needs another figure at the hand like a clown, certain religious solicitor trying to give you what you don’t want, some guy in a foreign country selling you something you don’t want just as you leave the airport or the neighbor’s Great Dane with its nose aimed at your crotch

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  106. These made me progressively laugh harder and harder until I had tears streaming down my face! Thanks for that! 😂

  108. “Stop, in the naaaaame of looooove, before you breeeeaaaaaak my heeeaaaarrrrrt!” Also, the bowling thing is still totally possible. I’m epic-ly bad at bowling – to the point that, on more than one occasion (since I have bowled exactly twice and it happened both times), I have accidentally sent the ball flying back BEHIND me. I’m kind of proud of how bad I am. I mean, if you’re going to do it, do it right. And I do bad bowling RIGHT. So yes, I would happily make a tie clip to memorialize my bumbling backward ball bowling (say that 5 times fast). Tell Victor he’s just going to have to deal with it. 😉

  116. Nearly died choking on my coffee when I scrolled down and saw the first meme. This absolutely made my day, and now I need to save all of these memes for future use, because DAMN!! hahaha <3

  117. The tie posted by anonymous is hilarious! I know a number of people that would love this tie clip now. It would help them make it through a bad day with a little smile on their faces knowing the true message of the clip.

  120. Now everyone needs one of these. You could have buttons made up. I especially like the Sorry, I’ve reached bull shit limit for today.

  125. I love yours and RuthC’s but I would have guessed shotput or discus sport wise. I high school I accidently hit a guy named David Nych in the back of the head with a discus. I can still see him drop to his needs several yards ahead of me on the field. In my defense I was a beginner and he wasn’t supposed to be there. True story.

    Anywhoozle, your tie pin reminds me of the position a discus thrower is in after they release there flying saucer of death.

  127. Being of a certain age, I immediately thought he was rushing to the bathroom with an emergency and would brook no interlopers….

  128. Another bad day where reading your post made me laugh. Thanks for that,and special thank you for adding “toodleoo douche canoe” to my list of fun new phrases….. 😜

  132. I’m one of the tai chi guessers, although I loved the person who said “tie” chi cause that’s so much better.

  134. I’m in agreement with those who are saying it’s a dancer…maybe Gene Kelly or Jimmy Cagney?

    But these memes are going to come in VERY handy on Facebook….

  141. Will you be offering this design as earrings? PLEEEEEASE? (Love the tie, too, but I want the earrings.)

  146. I’m sorry, but it’s actually a New Yorker running across the street putting up his hand to signal the cars to stop because he needs to catch that cab to get to the interview that’s going to change his life forever. True story. Ask any New Yorker.

  150. It looks like a cricketer to me. It kinda looks like he’s wearing gloves, I think when cricket players field they wear gloves.

  159. Lol awesome love Victors ideas but hmm still confusing of what it is and where it came fro

  160. Since they just made Mother Teresa a saint and your better, does this mean that this the new tie pin of the faithful to which all future prayers for unicorns and other miracles should be offered? J

  163. I think he’s sprinting across a busy street to rescue a small golden-haired child from certain death. That’s an “outta my way, I’m being a hero!” hand

  170. I had to look up why “Bye, Felicia” is funny. Now I have a movie to see.

  171. I think he is doing karate. His stance is just like the first step in a technique I am learning!

  173. He’s doing tai chi! He’s trying to calm his shit down so that he doesn’t shank someone. Om, motherfuckers. Except you don’t say Om when you’re doing tai chi. But don’t tell HIM that or you’re like to get shanked.

  177. I’m holding all the fucks I have to give you. Oh, my hand is empty? Guess that should tell you where you rank today. Bitch.

  184. You guys act like you’ve never seen Andy Griffith before. I’m not sure what he’s warding off though. Aunt Bee’s terrible pickles maybe?

  186. Great. I now have the phrase “toodleoo douchecanoe” stuck in my head, which wouldn’t be a problem except that I’m in retail and will have way too many times that I want to use it. I also really want a pin, shirt, or coffee mug with this guy on it.

  189. The last one is my favorite!
    But also, I named my breast cancer Felicia so that all my friends and family could inundate me with Bye Felicia memes and swag (and ask about Felicia instead of my CANCER). So I love that one too 🙂

  190. He IS a bowler—–it’s from the early 1940’s——-and he’s wearing the shoes—-he just shook hands with the head pin and got a strike!

  192. OMG I was laughing so hard Bella (my part Siamese and completely brainless six month old kitten) came running over.

    Bella: MAAAAAAAAAAAAAWM! Youz makin dat weird noise again. Youz okayz? Youz need lickz? Youz need headbumpz?

    Me: No I’m fine. Really.

    Bella: Okayz den. I go backz to destroying dese blinds.

  193. Somebody thought it was a gas station giveaway. So I googled “gas station tie clip” and started looking at images. Two were from this page!

  196. Ha, out of curiosity, I did a google search for “tap dance tie pin”, and the “Not Today, Motherfucker” image came up!

  198. I actually agree with the one person who said Joe Paterno. He’s running out on the field with his team. He always wore high water pants because his wife yelled at him early in his coaching career that his pants were muddy after the game….hence, high waters. Also- although his glasses are historic in sports circles, I believe he either had eye surgery or started wearing contacts for a while, but Penn State fans thought he didn’t look like him without his iconic glasses. Thus, he got some others to wear.

  202. I think he’s dancing the Charleston and this tie clip was meant to restrain the tie of someone really into cutting a rug…

  203. When are you having a batch of these cast? Sell this little men with their extra long arm and oversized hand. I am going to check with a vintage salesman.

  204. OMG, RuthC is a genius!!! I can’t wait to use that: Toodaloo, Douchecanoe!!! I love the tieclip, but all I can think of is that expression.

  206. Um, hi, I just published a blog post called “Fuck you Jenny Lawson,” and I really stand by the title. It is a very high compliment to you, but for the sake of good karma I had to reach out and clarify in case you have a google alert for “fuck you jenny lawson” as I do for my name. It is a very positive post.

  207. I was intrigued by this tie bar and decided to see if I could find out anything about it. As it turns out, this was a product of the Hickok Manufacturing Company of Rochester, NY (1912-1971). In addition to tie bars, they also made men’s belts, cufflinks, and other assorted accessories. The company was handed down through the family until it was acquired by the Tandy Corporation in 1971. Raymond Hickok was the last person to head the company and is notable for having developed prototypes of what would become seatbelts for cars as well as an athletic trophy belt called the S. Rae Hickok belt in honor of his father that was awarded yearly from 1950 through 1976. He passed in 1992 (NY Times article: http://goo.gl/Nt93e5).

    If you search around on eBay, Etsy and a few similar sites you can find several of these for sale. Here’s one I found on “Bonanza” for $45 which calls it the “Stop In The Name Of Love” tie clip: http://www.bonanza.com/items/like/212853931/hickok-tie-clip. In the third picture you can clearly see the words HICKOK USA stamped on the back of the tie bar. Google Book Search has a couple of ads for the company from LIFE magazine (http://goo.gl/cSd9lW) and (http://goo.gl/GfAeAO), but I’ve been unable to positively identify what the company actually called this product. Still, it made for some fascinating reading and I hope you don’t mind me sharing it with you.

  208. This guy just tap danced his way into our hearts! See what I did there. He’s tap dancing and now we all love him. Right?! Just me? Fine.

  210. Oh my gosh, I just had the most hellacious day at work and you are EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you. Thank you for being YOU!!

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