# Can anyone interpret this t-shirt? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2018, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253 "2018-11-29T06:58:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/21 "2018-12-01T17:01:17Z")
Oh, stewardess! I speak t-shirt." ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/22 "2018-12-01T17:09:49Z")
1. Stick figure of Al Jolson 2. Three bean sprouts 3. Birdman 4. A Cinnabon ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/23 "2018-12-01T17:10:24Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Can’t read Japanese, but it’s definitely a stick figure. The bottom resembles 大 (dai/big) which is meant to symbolize someone with outstretched arms, but the Japanese (and Chinese) don’t use a circle or oval as a radical (part of a character). AFAIK, it’s only used in Korean. Well, crap. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/24 "2018-12-01T17:56:30Z")
The top right looks like onsen (hot water). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/25 "2018-12-01T18:04:30Z")
Since the only person who can give a factual answer to this is the designer, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/26 "2018-12-01T18:16:59Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Since the only person who can give a factual answer to this is the designer, let’s move this to IMHO. Or anyone who knew if it was an existing design with a known meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/27 "2018-12-01T18:25:46Z")
Honestly, I thought it was just a collection of emojis. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/28 "2018-12-01T20:41:08Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > The top right looks like onsen (hot water). Close, but most (all?) onsen symbols have a semi-circle below and no knob at then end of the lines, like this: [https://www.google.com/search?q=onsen+symbol&rlz=1C1MSIM\_enUS785US785&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil9p22vv\_eAhULCTQIHRRiAA4Q\_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=854](https://www.google.com/search?q=onsen+symbol&rlz=1C1MSIM_enUS785US785&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil9p22vv_eAhULCTQIHRRiAA4Q_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=854) Just goes to show how we all interpret things differently! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/29 "2018-12-01T21:36:30Z")
3 wavy lines, no semicircle, would be “river”, kawa/sen, but it’s not that either because of the presence of the bulb/knob. ---
**Author:** ![Grave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/30 "2018-12-03T14:36:45Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Or anyone who knew if it was an existing design with a known meaning. A /very/ close variation was sold (in the late 1980s) at head shops as a representation of the four elements. Water : Fire Air : Earth YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Grave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/31 "2018-12-03T15:00:28Z")
Should have been clearer Top left - Surfer = water Top right - Flames = fire Bottom Left - Flier (bird) = air Bottom Right - Rock = earth That was the way the shirt was sold. Bottom right doesn’t look like a rock, just sharing a bit of ancient knowledge ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/32 "2018-12-03T16:19:00Z")
> [@Grave](#): > > Should have been clearer > > Top left - Surfer = water > Top right - Flames = fire > Bottom Left - Flier (bird) = air > Bottom Right - Rock = earth > > That was the way the shirt was sold. Bottom right doesn’t look like a rock, just sharing a bit of ancient knowledge I think you’ve got it. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253/33 "2018-12-03T21:41:05Z")
> [@Grave](#): > > Should have been clearer > > Top left - Surfer = water > Top right - Flames = fire > Bottom Left - Flier (bird) = air > Bottom Right - Rock = earth > > That was the way the shirt was sold. Bottom right doesn’t look like a rock, just sharing a bit of ancient knowledge :smack: Ummm…I knew that’s what it was all the time. Just wanted to see if anyone else knew it! :rolleyes: Thanks for solving the mystery! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-interpret-this-t-shirt/825253.md?page=1)