This is one reason that I cut my own hair.

This morning I gave myself a haircut with the pair of clippers I have.

• バリカン (n) barber's clippers; (from Edict)
  

Since I just shave my head, it's easy, and I save money and time. However, there's another reason. Look at the photo.

Here's another case of someone with good intentions but bad execution.

• genuinely good intentions 純粋な善意 (from 英辞郎 on the web)
• bad execution 不出来 (from 英辞郎 on the web)

We can guess they intend to get English-speaking customers, so they have written:

× spoken English

I understand what they mean. Probably they want to say something like this:

○ English is spoken here.
○ We speak English, too!
○ Don't speak Japanese? Don't worry! We speak English!

This isn't a big mistake, I suppose. Check out the difference between spoken English and written English:

• 口語英語 (n) spoken English; (from Edict)
• written English 書き言葉の英語、文語英語 (from 英辞郎 on the web)

Remember the sign about beer from the other day? I wouldn't worry so much if there's an article mistake when I'm trying to order beer. A communication error in this case won't be so serious.

However, if I want to keep it long on top, and the stylist takes a lot off the top, we're going to have a problem.

• keep it long on top = allow the hair on the top of one's head to remain long; 上の方の髪は長い方がいい。
• take a lot off the top = cut the hair on the top of one's head very short; 上の髪を短く切って下さい。

So, if I need to speak English with my barber, the barber's English really has to be OK. Maybe they really can speak English here, but they should have gotten one of their clients who is a native English speaker to check the text for their sign before they made it.

• 床屋 (n) barber; (P); (from Edict)
  

And as always, if you catch a mistake in any of the Japanese here (and I bet there are plenty of mistakes!), please let us know.