To mention a mistake on friend's tattoo?

[thenightsky]

I've toyed with posting this in Pedants' Corner.

DD's best friend has just had a HUGE tattoo on her side and over her hip... I won't post the whole verse, but it starts with 'Lifes too short'. She has posted it on FB and made it her profile pic.

Should I tell her that there is a missing apostrophe?

I can remember a time when tattoos were for sailors, miners and proper hardcases. Now it seems everyone has got some hackneyed quotation etched somewhere on their body. I can't understand why you'd do this are they worried they'll get caught in the bog with nothing to read?

If you are going to get a tat done, keep it old skool. Daggers, Anchors, Skulls, spiderweb across the face, that sort of thing. If I was going to get ink I'd go for some classy prison tats like the hard dads I used to work with at social services. A popular combo was 'ACAB - all cops are bastards' across one knucke and a dot on the other for each year you'd done inside. Y'know, something subtle like that.

ROTFL at this lot. And living in fear as teenage daughters are getting old enough to do this sort of shit to themselves.

There used to be a man in my home town who had 'Sid is Vicious' tattooed on his forehead. It was spelled correctly; the only problem was, he'd done it himself. How could you tell? It was in reverse- mirror writing

I love the idea of people getting profound messages written in Chinese letters, which turn out to actually say 'king prawn chop suey and egg fried rice'!

Most of it can be laid at the door of the legendary Skippy the Tattoo Artist who appeared annually at the TT Races and couldn't spell or count words.

Hence, 'Born Too Loose,' 'Death Or Or Glory,' and 'Nevver A No One.'

It could be worse ... The cartoon underneath never fails to amuse me.

LineRunner PMSL at 'Born Too Loose'

Compo Your post made me laugh. When anyof DD's friends say they are going to have a tattoo, I always say...'why? Are you joining the merchant navy or something?'

Luckily DD thinks they are hideous.

Well - some of those put a missing apostrophe in the 'oh well, it can easily be fixed' box don't they

Thank god I have NO intention of ever getting a tattoo.

I had a meeting the other day with a beautifully groomed, poised young woman who was sporting a tatoo around her wrist that looked like it had been drawn by an artistically challenged child.

All I could think was why? Can anyone explain it to me?

A friend of mine recently set herself up as a tattooist (she has taken qualifications and set up a proper shop with all the necessary health certs and everything I must add) and one of the very first ones she did was a huge word in Gothic script across someone's shoulders on their back. One of the letters is on backwards - it is pretty damn obvious if you have ever looked closely at the font, and we have never quite dared to tell her. She posted a picture of it. As far as we know, the person it's on has never noticed... and yes, we laughed, uproariously, but only in PM where no-one else could hear us

My Dh worked with someone whose friend bought a tattoo kit online 'because it's easy, innit?'. His colleague now has a dragon on his neck that looks like it was drawn by a five year old.

And he wrote 'Darren woz ere' on his leg to practice. Really honestly truly.

This worries me about tattoo artists, you must have to make a mess of someone else's skin whilst you are starting out and acquiring the requisite skills.

I did once, commented on the fb picture. It was missing a whole word out!!

i would definitely tell her! i'm suprised her own mum hasn't!

i remember one of my friends showing me her new tattoo on the top of her foot. i asked her what the 'C' stood for. turned out it was actually a half moon (woops!). obviously as i was facing her it looked different to me than her when she looked down. she started crying when she realised and i felt awful! at least this girl can put it right. my friend didn't have that option (and a lot of people have asked her what it stands for since then). less than a year later she hated tattoos and couldn't understand why she wanted one in the first place

I know someone who had a tattoo and duly posted a picture on Facebook.

"the greatest thing you'll ever learn
And be loved in return
Is just to love"

She didn't even realise, posted it on Facebook so proud of her new tattoo. What made it worse is not one other person who commented on it noticed either. My friend told her in the end and they managed to fix it. Still laugh every time I think about it!

This will out me but... my DFIL was in the army and stationed in Malaya. He went to get a tattoo of a thistle (being a proud Scot). However, in Malaya they had never seen a thistle so depended on FILs (no doubt slightly drunk) description. He ended up sporting an attractive blue and green pineapple on his arm. But at least he had a story to tell...

Wrongagain - how the hell did they fix that??? With some cunningly placed arrows??

Compos they practice on pigskin at first, it's almost exactly the same as human skin and tattoos just like it apparently. (Dead pigs I should say, not live ones!) Then there does seem to be a never ending stock of people who will let trainee and very new tattooists work on them just because it's free or dirt cheap too.

Pom If I were to get a tattoo done (very unlikely) I'd be steering well clear of any trainee/new tattooists, but good to know they build up some experience before being let loose on human flesh.

I fancy training as a tattoo removal person. Reckon I'll be well in the money in a few years' time when they go out of fashion and all the impulsive types of today want rid.

wrongagain - how on earth did they rectify that!!??

Apart from all the spelling and grammar mistakes, what about plain old ridiculous tattoos? Eg pop singer Sarah Harding is sporting a new tattoo that reads 'don't be bitter- glitter' . What great advice. >

They covered the 2nd line with vines/flower type things and re-wrote "and be loved in return" underneath! Seriously will never forget it... Especially the proud moment she put it on facebook and her shock when she found out!

How both the tattooist and the girl didn't notice I will never know!