Speed Bump by Dave Coverly for July 08, 2013

I’ve always thought they probably say stuff like “Good thing you can’t read Chinese, you stupid jerk.”

When I sold collectibles I’d get old earrings, cufflinks, etc, carved out of ivory or bone in Chinese characters….Some customers would ask me what they said…like I would know!

So I’d peer at them carefully, then look up and say something like the above, or maybe "It says, um…. ‘Made in Mexico.’ "

Half the time they believed me!

Years ago in Hong Kong, dresses were being sold with Chinese characters that read Flour Sack. But then, you should see some of the English that is used here in Japan “because it looks cool”.

Had a friend years ago who bought a pretty dress with Chinese writing on it. She loved it, until she learned what was written. ‘I am a wh.re’.

Inconceivable!

It says: Another Stupid Round Eyes.

Inigo nods…

Saw a woman with a Japanese tramp-stampShe didn’t know either…

my favorite is a high-hat with epicanthic folds and a fu manchu… known as a “chinese cymbal”

It says ’ Foolish American so Clueless"

His looks like Egyptian Hieroglyphs to me…

Add to this the fact that some glyphs/characters in other words can have more than just the one meaning, including pronunciation with “Romanized” letters, either trough that pronunciation, or through that language’s common usage…….it very well could be a double message (and a lot of laughs, stares, sneers, etc.) that you didn’t intend, apart from what you “thought” you were getting!….

http://failblog.cheezburger.com/ugliesttattoos?ref=navbar

Farther up his sleeve, it says “You spent way too much on this tattoo”.

It says “I’m the kind of person who would pay someone to permanently scar my flesh with symbols that do not come from my culture that I do not understand, and everyone knows that, to make me look clever, when all it does is confirm I’m a dick”.