# Now that lower-back tattoos are commonly called "tramp stamps", why do young women still get them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770 "2010-02-12T20:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gruntled](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/34f0e0/32.png) [@Gruntled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gruntled)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/1 "2010-02-12T20:16:57Z")
Well, the title pretty much sums it up. I’m not anti-tattoo at all, might get one myself someday. But I sure as heck would not get a tramp-stamp, in large part because of their association with, well, trampiness. It’s kinda like using a pocket-protecter. Sure, go ahead and use one. But you WILL give off a strong geeky image if you do. Same with tramp stamps, IMHO. So, why get one of these if you actually are NOT a tramp/slut? ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/2 "2010-02-12T20:18:43Z")
Because you like them. I tease my best friend about hers, calling it a tramp stamp. Then she hits me… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/3 "2010-02-12T20:25:05Z")
Advice I offer to my son: if you think a woman has never, ever awoken of a morning and cried out in despair “God, I am _such_ a slut!”, run away. Or if she has more than two cats. ---
**Author:** ![Gruntled](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/34f0e0/32.png) [@Gruntled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gruntled)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/4 "2010-02-12T20:30:19Z")
> [@Who\_me\_1](#): > > Because you like them Except that…I don’t like them. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/5 "2010-02-12T20:34:15Z")
Because the times when they are visible are likely to be the times you want to project a well, trampy image? It’s not like women typically show up for business meetings wearing a bikini. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/6 "2010-02-12T20:39:43Z")
I thought it was the other way around now. They used to indicate trampiness, but are so mainstream now, that they don’t mean much of anything anymore. Ymmv ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/7 "2010-02-12T20:58:01Z")
Because they think theirs isn’t one. My sister got one just slightly off center and believes because it’s off center and a Celtic knot that is can’t be a tramp stamp. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/8 "2010-02-12T20:58:01Z")
Eh, I occasionally still wear a wife-beater, despite not wanting to project an image of occasional wife-beating. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/9 "2010-02-12T21:26:31Z")
It’s like shoes. They’re not getting them for _you_. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/10 "2010-02-12T22:16:46Z")
Isn’t the whole point supposed to be to reject popular culture and its views? Aside from the fact that most of popular culture is built almost entirely out of the rejection of popular culture, of course. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/11 "2010-02-12T22:28:09Z")
Some guys like tramps _raises hand sheepishly_ (Grain of truth there, but I think the main reason is that it’s a cool tattoo, and that getting one doesn’t automatically make one a ‘tramp’, simply because that is the label put on by some uptight people. Of course, full confession, I have a couple of tattoos myself, though not on my lower back. ‘Tramp stamps’ are almost as ubiquitous these days as arm band tribal tattoos…I’d almost say that they are mainstream, at least among the tattoo crowd. Well, at least among my own tattoo covered friends, anyway) -XT ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/12 "2010-02-12T23:01:33Z")
It does give us guys something to look at. I’ve only had 1 tattooed girlfriend and she has a big butterfly there on the lower back. I’ve heard that those with tramp stamps like it from behind and that is certainly the case with her. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/13 "2010-02-12T23:24:10Z")
Well, if you think you’re going to get bored, maybe take a book with you. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/14 "2010-02-13T00:11:18Z")
I have nothing constructive to add except that the German for tramp stamp is Arschgeweih: ‘ass antlers.’ ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/15 "2010-02-13T00:18:06Z")
Germans are funny? Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/16 "2010-02-13T00:24:00Z")
Possible reasons: No proven scientific connection between placement of tattoo and sexual activities, tattoos anywhere on a woman often considered ‘trampy’ (you know, like swearing), don’t care about ‘tramp’ labels, like having lots of sex with different partners and hoping for a reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/17 "2010-02-13T01:05:54Z")
When I was in high school, girls would walk around wearing Cheap Trick (the band) T-shirts. This is just a more permanent way of an old tradition 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/18 "2010-02-13T01:19:03Z")
My friend has one that is a crossword puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/19 "2010-02-13T01:20:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Germans are funny? Who knew? Germans are some of the funniest. Mozart wrote a canon called _[Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schoen sauber](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leck_mir_den_Arsch_fein_recht_sch%C3%B6n_sauber)_ - translation: “Lick me in the ass fine well and clean” - in 1782. Some of the lyrics: [QUOTE=Mozart] Lick my ass nicely, lick it nice and clean, nice and clean, lick my ass. That’s a greasy desire, nicely buttered, like the licking of roast meat, my daily activity. Three will lick more than two, come on, just try it, and lick, lick, lick. Everybody lick his own ass himself. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770/20 "2010-02-13T01:29:23Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Germans are some of the funniest. Mozart wrote a canon called _[Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schoen sauber](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leck_mir_den_Arsch_fein_recht_sch%C3%B6n_sauber)_ - translation: “Lick me in the ass fine well and clean” - in 1782. Some of the lyrics: Mozart was Austrian, born in Salzburg. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-lower-back-tattoos-are-commonly-called-tramp-stamps-why-do-young-women-still-get-them/528770.md?page=2)