from: Laura M. 

to: tiangotlost@gmail.com 

date: Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 5:54 AM 

subject: A youtuber's tattoo 

I was watching some tattoo videos on youtube, and this lady seems to think this tattoo is her star-sign, Aries. What does it actually mean? She also joked people say it means "egg fried rice", so it will be amusing if it's actually something along those lines. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-etERblu5Q 

absolutely love your blog, by the way <3

It is absolute meaningless gibberish based on this font!

from: Aaron S.

to: tiangotlost@gmail.com

date: Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 2:24 PM

subject: Friend's Tattoo

Here is a pic of a friend's tattoo. She thinks it means, "I am a Goddess." I have already had it translated once but I thought I would get a second opinion just to be sure.

Thanks,

Aaron

It would've said goddess, 女神, only if 神 was not split into two vertical parts.

from: Sarah

to: tiangotlost@gmail.com

date: Fri, Jun 1, 2012 at 8:02 PM

subject: My tattoo

Hi!

I found your blog randomly, looking for someone to help me figure out

what my tattoo says.

I've had it for about 11 years.

I was young and stupid. I plan on covering it soon, but I would really

like to get your opinion,

I was told it meant "strength"...but then someone else told me it says

"Small animal" or "Little tornado".

Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

Sarah

Due to tattoo's poor calligraphy, it is difficult to determine if it is intended to be a single character, 慉 (to foster) or double character phase, 小畜 (small animal).  

Either case, it is definitely not "strength".

from: Lauren E. 

to: tiangotlost@gmail.com 

date: Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 9:18 PM 

subject: Translate

Can you translate this tattoo

"Hand flow"?!

Since the tattoo's location is above breast cleavage or buttocks crack, this could also be "L" & "R" based on the gibberish Asian font chart.  

How useful!

from: Joey L. 

to: tiangotlost@gmail.com 

date: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 3:22 PM 

subject: Lost in translation 

Can you please translate. 

Not another “gibberish tattoo”!

Obviously it’s supposed to be JOEY from the handy-dandy cheat sheet to the bogus gibberish font.

from: Alan Siegrist
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 11:52 PM
subject: Woman tree

Hi Tian, Hope you are still enjoying Austria.

Have you seen this tattoo?

The character is actually the Japanese katakana ホ (ho) not 木 (ki, tree). The mistaken use of ‘ho’ is quite unfortunate considering the woman as both subject and canvas. And yes, the hip-hop slang meaning of ‘ho’ (whore) is known in Japan and written with the same character.


http://www.ratemyink.com/?action=ssp&pid=103667

Back in 2005, I saw a photo in Flickr titled "Cindy, a beautiful canvas."

Fast forward to 2012, Dr. Victor Mair met the young lady in person:

So I asked Cindy what she thought the tattooed symbols running down her neck and spine meant. She replied:

The bottom two were supposed to be success… then respect.

Oh well. Works either way. It is what it is. You can put whatever name you want.

Queen OF The World is what I prefer.

I followed up by asking Cindy what she thought the second, very unusual, symbol meant. She said, "Oh, that's just a cross for Jesus."

Tentatively, this is what I had to work with:

1. mǔ 母 ("mother")

2. zǐ 子 ("child"), or perhaps some kind of cross

3. wù 物 ("thing, object")

4. guì 贵 ("precious; expensive")

With considerable effort, I could get that to mean "Mother and child are precious things." But I was not satisfied with this interpretation, both because of my uncertainty over the second symbol and because it required me to accept a strained interpretation of the final two characters.

(Continue reading at Language Log)