T-shirt guides
Funny T-Shirts for Men: How to Pick a Slogan He Will Actually Wear
Plenty of funny T-shirts get bought and never worn. The joke was good on the screen, but it was never his joke. This guide helps you pick a slogan that sounds like him, in a fit and colour he will pull on without a second thought, whether you are buying for a brother, a husband, a mate or yourself.
In this guide
- How do you match a funny T-shirt to his sense of humour?
- Dry and deadpan: the safest slogans for most men
- Puns and groaners for the man who loves a bad joke
- Farming and Northern Irish slogans for men with local humour
- More funny T-shirts he might actually wear
- Fit, size and colour: what makes him wear it
- When and where will he wear it?
- What about rude or cheeky slogans?
- Buying for him, or buying for yourself?
- Can’t find the right slogan? Try a custom idea
- Funny T-shirts for men: FAQs
Shopping for him?
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Here is the pattern with most men and slogan tees. He wears one that is short, dry and says something he would say out loud anyway. He leaves the long, loud, trying-too-hard ones in the drawer. A good funny T-shirt is less a gag and more a small piece of his personality printed on cotton.
So the real job is not finding the funniest slogan. It is finding the right one for him. That comes down to four things: the type of humour, how bold the print is, the fit and colour, and where he will actually wear it. We will go through each.
Quick answer
The funny T-shirts men actually wear are short, dry and sound like something he would already say. Pick the humour type first (deadpan, punny, farming or Northern Irish), keep the print readable at arm’s length, choose a colour he already owns, and check the size guide before ordering.
How do you match a funny T-shirt to his sense of humour?
Think about the last three things that made him properly laugh. Was it a clever one-liner, a terrible pun, a daft story from the yard, or somebody getting wound up? That is your humour type, and each one has a different kind of T-shirt.
| If his humour is… | Look for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Dry and deadpan | Short lines that sound like an eye-roll | Anything that explains itself |
| Pun-loving | Groan-worthy wordplay and cartoon animals | Puns that need a long setup |
| Office-worn | Workplace lines he can wear on a casual Friday | Anything his boss would need to discuss |
| Farming or country | Tractors, livestock and rural in-jokes | Jokes that suggest farming is a hobby |
| Northern Irish | Local sayings only a neighbour will get | Slang from the wrong county |
| Properly cheeky | Innuendo or strong language, clearly flagged | Anywhere his mum, nan or boss might see it |
Dry and deadpan: the safest slogans for most men
If you only know one thing about his humour, assume he likes it dry. Understated slogans are the easiest to wear because they do not shout. They work on a Saturday morning at the shops and at the pub on Friday.
Short, big and readable is the formula, and the red tee above shows it. A good option for the office-worn is Expert Advice, where a cartoon rooster talks to itself and admits it sometimes needs a second opinion. It suits the man who thinks out loud.
The Due to budget cuts design pairs a small tunnel graphic with a gloomy punchline about the light at the end of it. It is a good pick for a man who jokes through a long week. If your search is more about gifts than wardrobes, our guide to funny gifts for men who have everything and our one on funny gift ideas for dad cover mugs and wall art too.
Puns and groaners for the man who loves a bad joke
A pun tee is nearly always a safe bet for a dad-joke fan. The slogan is in on its own awfulness, and that is half the charm. Cartoon animals help too, because they make the joke visual and easy to read from a distance.
The spider with 10 eyes T-shirt
A spider with a surprising number of eyes, and a punchline that stretches the word out as far as it will go. It is a natural for the man who tells the same joke at every family gathering. Of the designs here, it comes in the widest range of colours, with five to choose from.
Baaaad To The Bone T-shirt
A sunglasses-wearing sheep with a rebellious streak. It is a gentle farm pun that suits a man with a few ewes, or one who simply enjoys a woolly joke. Available in black or royal blue, in sizes from XS to 4XL.
Tip: read it at two metres. Hold a photo of the design at arm’s length. If you cannot read the slogan in a second or two, it will not land on a night out either. Short lines and large letters nearly always win.
Farming and Northern Irish slogans for men with local humour
Local humour is where a slogan tee stops being a joke and becomes a badge. A farmer in a design about tractors does not need it explained, and a Northern Irish lad wearing a saying from his own street will get nods from half the bar. For a full list, see our guides to funny gifts for farmers and funny Northern Irish gifts, and browse the Northern Irish T-shirts and farming T-shirts.
Decent Spud T-shirt
High praise in Northern Ireland, printed on a friendly cartoon potato. A good choice for the man everyone calls a decent spud: a neighbour, a brother or an uncle who always turns up when you need a hand.
Bout Ye is the friendliest one on the list: a greeting in bold yellow letters. For a farming man, the upside-down Help back on tractor tee asks anyone who reads it to help him get back on his tractor, which makes it a talking point at every mart and show.
Ready to order
More funny T-shirts he might actually wear
A spread of dry, punny and farm-friendly tees to round out your shortlist. Check each product page for the colours and sizes available.
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Upside Down Gullible – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Put some vinegar on it – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Easily Distracted – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Bike OK – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
I Found This Humerus – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Chicken Game – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Multitasker – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Social Distancing Since Birth – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £19.84Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Got a funny idea of your own?
Every FunnyTshirt design is our own, dreamed up in Antrim. If you have a custom design idea, send it over and we usually reply within one working day.
Printed to order in the UK
Fit, size and colour: what makes him wear it
A great slogan on the wrong fit stays in the drawer. Our tees are unisex adult cuts in sizes from XS up to 4XL, although a few designs start at S. Colours vary by design, so always check the options on the product page rather than assuming every colour comes in every design.
- Buy the size he already wears. Check the label on a T-shirt he likes and compare it with the size guide. Our guide to what size T-shirt to buy as a gift goes through it in more detail.
- Match the colour to his wardrobe. Open his drawer and see whether it is mostly black, navy or grey. Black is a safe base for most designs, and our guide to the best T-shirt colours for printed designs explains why.
- Size up if unsure. A T-shirt that is a touch roomy is easier to wear than one that is a touch tight, and the shirt can be worn untucked either way.
Death before decaf T-shirt
A good example of a design that works in more than one colour: it comes in black, teal, royal blue or berry. It suits the man who cannot function before his first coffee, and it gives you a choice if his wardrobe is not all black.
When and where will he wear it?
A slogan tee has a natural home. Work out where that is before you buy, because it decides how cheeky the joke can be.
- Weekends and the pub: almost anything goes. This is where dry lines and local sayings do best.
- The gym, the garden or the yard: bold, short and easy to read, since it will be worn hard and often.
- Casual Fridays: pick a gentle, workplace-friendly line, such as the budget cuts design above.
- Family occasions: keep it kind. A tee that works at the pub might not suit a christening.
What about rude or cheeky slogans?
Some men want the ruder joke, and that is fine, as long as it is clearly flagged and the audience fits. Strong language and innuendo belong at the stag do or the lads’ weekend, not in front of a boss or a grandmother. Our guide to funny rude gift ideas labels those designs plainly, and our clean funny T-shirts guide covers gentler lines. Read the printed slogan carefully either way, because a clean-sounding name sometimes hides a cheekier joke.
Buying for him, or buying for yourself?
The rules change slightly depending on who is wearing it. Buying for yourself, trust your instinct: if the slogan makes you smile, it will keep making you smile. Buying for someone else, play it a little safer than you would for yourself. A joke that is only half right is worse than a plain one that is a little too gentle.
Women who like these designs can wear them too, since the cut is unisex. Our guide to funny T-shirts for women goes through that side of the shop.
For a quieter man, Social Distancing Since Birth speaks for itself in colourful lettering. 3 Types Of People is a more sincere pick, a small reminder to be grateful for the people who helped you. It suits the man who is not a big talker but means it.
Can't find the right slogan? Try a custom idea
If you know the exact line he would wear, such as a nickname, a running joke or a phrase from the yard, send it to us through the contact page. Every FunnyTshirt design comes from Antrim, and custom ideas are welcome. Our guide to funny personalised T-shirt ideas has plenty of starting points.
Before you buy
- Say the slogan out loud: does it sound like something he would say?
- Check you can read it at two metres
- Check the colours and sizes on the product page
- Compare against a T-shirt he already wears using the size guide
- Think about where he will wear it, and who will be reading it
- Allow 3-5 days for printing, which is the normal time
For the safest pick
- Choose short over long
- Choose dry over loud
- Choose black over a surprise colour
- Choose a joke he already makes
Funny T-shirts for men: FAQs
What are good funny T-shirts for men?
The best ones are short, dry and easy to read, such as Expert Advice. Puns like Baaaad To The Bone and local slogans such as Decent Spud also work well, depending on his sense of humour.
How do I choose a funny T-shirt he will actually wear?
Match the slogan to a joke he already makes, choose a size he already wears, and pick a colour that fits his wardrobe. Keep the print readable at arm’s length and think about where he will wear it. When in doubt, go for the shorter, drier slogan.
What size funny T-shirt should I buy a man?
Buy the size he usually wears. If you are not sure, look at the label on a T-shirt he likes and compare it with our size guide. Our tees are unisex adult sizes, mostly XS to 4XL, and the available sizes are shown on each product page.
Which colour of funny T-shirt is safest to buy?
Black is the easiest choice, since most men already own black tops and it keeps the slogan bold. Colours differ by design, though, so check the product page for what each tee comes in.
Can men wear a funny T-shirt to work?
That depends on the workplace. A gentle, office-friendly line is usually fine on a casual day, but save anything cheeky or sweary for time off. Our guide to clean funny T-shirts is a good place to start.
Keep reading
More ideas from the FunnyTshirt blog.
Funny Gift Guides30 Funny Gift Ideas for Men Who Have EverythingStuck on what to buy the man who already owns everything? Here are 30 funny gift ideas sorted…Read the guide
Family & Relationship GiftsBest Funny Gifts for Your Dad: Birthdays, Father’s Day and ChristmasDad jokes, strong coffee, tractors and a firm view on the heating. Funny gift ideas for your dad…Read the guide
Funny Clothing & T-Shirt GuidesWhat Size T-Shirt Should I Buy as a Gift? A Practical UK GuideHow to choose a T-shirt size for someone else without asking: measure a tee that already fits, compare…Read the guideReady to find a slogan he will actually wear?
Pick the joke that sounds like him, check the size, and let the T-shirt do the talking. New customers get 5% off a first order with code GO5.
