What’s with the trend for Chinese character tattoos these days? It seems that everyone has caught on into the Oriental vibe and intends to permanently etch it into their skin. Chinese tattoos look cool, there’s no doubt about that, but the language itself is designed in such a way that using the wrong character can throw a tattoo’s meaning completely off base. Britney Spears had a tattoo which she thought meant “different” but actually meant “strange” (a dose of poetic justice), and you may similarly pick a cool-looking character at a tattoo shop which may mean “duck” for all you know (go figure). If you’re insistent on having a Chinese tattoo on your thigh or neck or where else, make sure that you do your research before you let that needle come anywhere near your skin.

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