slang terms that make you cringe?

[gougetheeyes]

On the train yesterday, this lady points at my arm and goes, "Why'd you put a deer there? It looks so weird!" I said, "Well, kind of a mish-mash," and shrugged it off. Then she says, "Well, it just seems.. you have this background, and then it's like, stuck over it." And I said, "Yep, I planned it out pretty poorly and then we did a background to try and tie it in. I wish I had a better explanation for you lady." I don't know if she was trying to hit on me, but she kept looking at me when people piled in and it got crowded. I have yet to really be mean about it, and I don't think she even thought about what she was saying.. The best is when you hear some person talk about you, like what happened a couple days ago, this guy to his girlfriend, well within earshot, goes, "See! Like that, man, I wanna get all tatted up, you know? Damn.." Long sleeves in August is just too hard.

[CaptCanada]

I'll admit I say my artist, but it's easier then saying "this guy inking all these cool tats on me." Also cause if I do go the body suit route with him, he would have covered most of my body.

[gougetheeyes]

I'll admit I say my artist, but it's easier then saying "this guy inking all these cool tats on me." Also cause if I do go the body suit route with him, he would have covered most of my body.

Touche!

[Gregor]

I like the term "scab vendor" - ripped off from shakey pete

[Paul Shachtman]

Pardon my bile. Tattoo "culture" is just so damn adolescent. It's demeaning to what's legitimate.

Guess what time it is!!! NAME DROP TIME. Freddy Corbin told me that when he worked with Mike Malone, Malone insisted upon calling tattoos "tattoos", to bestow legitimacy upon "the craft." Made sense to me. I think that such a relationship to tattooing manifests when you've been doing it (very well) for a while. At that point, the honeymoon's long over. Infatuation's dead. If you really like tattoos and tattooing, you're going to detest most of what presents itself as such. It's always been that way. Read "American Tattoo Master", or one of Malone's letters to Keith Underwood. Those guys hated everything.

[Ursula]

Oh god Gouge. I want to murder stuff when I notice some look at my tattoos and then start talking loudly about how they wanna get all tatted up. Usually it's dudes that are just trying to look cool in front of the tattooed chick and usually I laugh in their face 'cause that's how I roll.

So I'm at work right now and someone just touched my arm and said "you're all marked up arnt you" I said yup I've got a couple. Her reply "do they come off?" "no" " you mean you're stuck with that forever!?" "yup"

[MsRad]

i was once asked at work if i believed in jesus due to my praying severed hands straight edge tattoo. i didn't know what to say.

[Jaycel Adkins]

Displaying my ignorance again, but:

Is there a proper way to acknowledge someone else's ink that you come across in passing?

Motorcyclists give their hand signal, etc.

[Ursula]

If I walk by someone on the street who is heavily tattooed and we are both eyeing each others stuff I'll just nod or smile as I go by them.

If I get in a situation say waiting in lone at the bank and there's someone in front of me with nice tattoos I'll just look and not say anything. If they start a conversation in a polite way I have no problem telling them what shops I prefer in town or who did a certain tattoo. I'll often ask them the same. Usually though I've found neither party says anything, just take a look and goes on their way.

[Ursula]

Oh and jaycel, first thing would be not to refer to it as ink. That generally turns and real collector off the moment they hear it, makes them not want to tell you anything.

[CaptCanada]

Oh and jaycel, first thing would be not to refer to it as ink. That generally turns and real collector off the moment they hear it, makes them not want to tell you anything.

She's right, they are called squid spots.

[Jaycel Adkins]

Ursula:

Thank you for input.

Ditto CaptCanada.

[Ursula]

I find the best approach is the same approached you should have when you want to talk to any stranger about something. Just be as nice as you can and don't be offended if they don't want to talk. They might be having a bad day that you don't know about.

[ShawnPorter]

As Kyle pointed out...

Ed Hardy originated Squid Pants....

[hogg]

My dental hygienist caught a glimpse of my wrist the other day and said, "What's your art?" I should've said, "Romance!"

[hogg]

Displaying my ignorance again, but:

Is there a proper way to acknowledge someone else's ink that you come across in passing?

Then I'll display my own ignorance: are you tattooed, Jaycel?

[kylegrey]

My dental hygienist caught a glimpse of my wrist the other day and said, "What's your art?" I should've said, "Romance!"

Yeah or pain management .Dental hygienist you say !!

[smiling.politely]

i was once asked at work if i believed in jesus due to my praying severed hands straight edge tattoo. i didn't know what to say.

I've got a pair of straight edge praying hands on my leg, and usually get asked about them by little kids at the diving board in the summers. trying to figure out an answer the first time or two took a minute.

As for awful slang terms, some dude tried hitting on a chick I work with by saying something to the effect of "Yo girl, you inky!" It didn't work out.

[Jaycel Adkins]

There's also a guy in one of Horitaka's books who has a full 9-dragon body suit that Horiyoshi did in a year and a half. It's everything but the strip down the center of his chest ("river style"), and the whole thing--neck to ankles, full sleeves--is black and gray. I think about that guy from time to time, because it's insane to me to think that someone went 30+ years without a drop of ink, then made the huge decision to get fully suited. I just can't get my head around it.

Not yet, is structuring my life to be one of the those guys (above).*

*Not from Horiyoshi, of course.

[gilligan22]

Got a picture message of a friends lame script tattoo on her foot yesterday labeled "Fresh Ink!" Why do people feel like since I have quite a few tattoos they all have to show me their little tattoos and expect me to be excited to see them? Lol

[Ursula]

Yesterday my mom thought she was the first person ever to have this idea when she suggested to me instead of a ring my dude could tattoo a diamond on my finger.... I didn't even really know what to say... I just went 'yeah i don't think he's gonna want to do that'

[ShawnPorter]

Got a picture message of a friends lame script tattoo on her foot yesterday labeled "Fresh Ink!" Why do people feel like since I have quite a few tattoos they all have to show me their little tattoos and expect me to be excited to see them? Lol

It's the cross you bear.

"Shawn... YOU of all people will appreciate THIS" (insert shitty tattoo photo here).

It happens with strangers too.

"When I get older, I'm going to look like YOU" (I always retort "What, a dorky manchild?")

"I haven't gotten it YET, but (insert long drawn out story of a tattoo I don't care about).."

"My cousin has this amazing tattoo that (insert tattoo that I don't care about)..."

You just smile.

If they SHOW you a tattoo, respond "yeah, that's a tattoo alright".

if they ask your feedback, respond "yeah, that could totally work".

That or do what I did at the bar the other night:

"honestly, I could care less. So. you want a drink?"

[Jake]

That or do what I did at the bar the other night:

"honestly, I could care less. So. you want a drink?"

Man I wish I could pull that line on my customers but they're all a bunch of whiny dicks who would email our owners complaining. I just walk away as soon as I see that twinkle in the eye that means some random wants to talk about tattoos with me.

[ShawnPorter]

Man I wish I could pull that line on my customers but they're all a bunch of whiny dicks who would email our owners complaining. I just walk away as soon as I see that twinkle in the eye that means some random wants to talk about tattoos with me.

I have it pretty good.... sarcasm and cattiness is totally expected where I work.

[Lynn Leslie]

I want squid pants!!