# Tattoo of dots - what does it mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2004, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884 "2004-03-01T09:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wiggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a4c791/32.png) [@wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wiggler)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/1 "2004-03-01T09:14:46Z")
I’ve always been fascinated why people have 4 individual dots tattoed on their four fingers just above the knuckle in the place where sometimes others have “love” and “hate” written there. Hopefully the diagram below (not very good) shows what I mean. If anybody can explain this I would be much appreciated. Thanks Wiggler Fig 1 ===== /_\ /_\ /_\ /_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | - | | - | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \* | | \* | | \* | | \* | | | | | | | | | ---
**Author:** ![Achilles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dc4da7/32.png) [@Achilles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achilles)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/2 "2004-03-01T11:16:04Z")
IIRC it originally had something to do with how many times you’d been in prison: i.e. - sort of a status symbol amongst the n’er-do-wells. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/3 "2004-03-01T11:36:49Z")
Are the faded and not very sharp? Alot of people end up with cheapo tattoo’s when they find out the can do it themselves with india ink and a needle. I saw plenty of high school kids with dots, little smiley faces, crosses, thier names all done by themselves or a friend. ---
**Author:** ![wiggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a4c791/32.png) [@wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wiggler)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/4 "2004-03-01T11:51:16Z")
They do tend to be faded and not sharp - I’ve always tended to think that it was a form of saying you are in a gang. ---
**Author:** ![kenny11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@kenny11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenny11)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/5 "2017-02-28T10:57:08Z")
The 4 dots mean a.c.a.b all cops are bastards it’s used in the UK and means you would go down for your gang or crew ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/6 "2017-02-28T11:29:34Z")
> [@wiggler](#): > > I’ve always been fascinated why people have 4 individual dots tattoed on their > four fingers just above the knuckle in the place where sometimes others have > “love” and “hate” written there. > > Hopefully the diagram below (not very good) shows what I mean. > > If anybody can explain this I would be much appreciated. > > Thanks > > Wiggler > Fig 1 > ===== > > /_\ /_\ /_\ /_ > | | | | | | | | > | | | | | | | | > | | | | | | | | > | | | | | | | | > | - | | - | | - | | - | > | | | | | | | | > | | | | | | | | > | \* | | \* | | \* | | \* | > | | | | | | | | It sometimes helps with ASCII diagrams to put them in a code block like this: ```auto Fig 1 ===== /_\ /_\ /_\ /_\ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | - | | - | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | * | | * | | * | | * | | | | | | | | | ``` ---
**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:** [February 28, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/7 "2017-02-28T12:43:53Z")
Or link to a photo… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/8 "2017-02-28T12:48:35Z")
or check the date on the OP… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/9 "2017-02-28T12:54:36Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Or link to a photo… Yeah, although I can see why it might not always be easy to snap a photo of the prison tats on someone’s knuckles. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > or check the date on the OP… I missed that. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/10 "2017-02-28T20:35:20Z")
Not necessarily on the knuckles, but I know several people with small dots tattooed on various parts of the body. They are cancer patients with the location spots for radiation treatment tattooed, so that the radiologist can easily locate the spots. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/11 "2017-02-28T20:52:35Z")
I have a small blue dot on the underside of my wrist because of Carl Sagan. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/12 "2017-03-01T07:22:37Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I have a small blue dot on the underside of my wrist because of Carl Sagan. According to Terry Pratchett, it’s not a proper tattoo if you can remember how you got it, but I’d love to hear more about your adventures with Carl… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884/13 "2017-03-01T08:32:33Z")
> [@moes\_lotion](#): > > According to Terry Pratchett, it’s not a proper tattoo if you can remember how you got it, but I’d love to hear more about your adventures with Carl… This might be a whoosh, bu[t this should explain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot).