# The significance of barbed wire tattoos **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237 "2003-11-03T23:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/21 "2003-11-05T03:42:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*Teardrop tattoos at the corner of the eye mean the same thing. > \*\* I thought they meant someone you knew died, usually in some gang related thing. So, the tear shows that you always are sad about it, it always will pain you, and you will always remember them. ---
**Author:** ![Forty-Six\_Two](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@Forty-Six\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forty-Six_Two)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/22 "2003-11-05T06:12:53Z")
I’m pretty sure a “tatt-ed tear” means you’ve killed someone. At least, I THINK that’s what all the rap songs are trying to impart to me. ---
**Author:** ![Irishlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3da27b/32.png) [@Irishlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishlove)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/23 "2003-11-05T07:51:52Z")
we call those “prison tears” in this part of the world; my understanding was that they meant you have been in jail. One tear for each stretch inside you’ve done. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/24 "2003-11-05T08:02:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*Teardrop tattoos at the corner of the eye mean the same thing. > \*\* I know plenty of people who have spiderweb tattoos in all number of places and not a single one has killed anyone. They just think it looks cool, or it meshes with a particular design. there is NO tattoo that means anything to anyone but the person who put it there, even if that person means it as their own personal billboard, not everyone is going to get the same meaning. Nor does a teardrop mean anything other than lack of creative design. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/25 "2003-11-05T11:17:45Z")
Having a tatoo on your right arm, just above the elbow, means you’ve been to see a tatoo artist. I’m pretty sure all other tattoos mean the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/26 "2003-11-05T12:29:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \*\*\*But the real reason for tattooing a barbed wire around your arm is practical. It keeps cows out of your armpit. \*\* Finally! I knew we were going to get to the bottom of this. As far as I can see, it works quite effectively, too. I haven’t seen any cows anywhere close to the fellows who sport these adornments. I bet it keeps the elephants away too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/27 "2003-11-05T14:09:06Z")
There’s a huge, huge disparity between “meanings” of prison tattoos, prisoners not being the sort of guys who are really down with hard and fast rules. You’ll usually hear the teardrop tattoo as being a tribute to a dead brother-in-arms, but the other meanings given (killed someone, prison stretch, nothing in particular, etc. etc.) are far from uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Ebola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a183cd/32.png) [@Ebola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ebola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237/28 "2003-11-05T14:46:47Z")
\ There’s a photo on the Web, you can find it on the [rotten.com](http://rotten.com) Web site, of a spiderweb tattoo positioned at a very unique location. You can find it – if you dare – by going to [www.dailyrotten.com](http://www.dailyrotten.com) and searching on “Spiderman’s Backdoor.” \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-significance-of-barbed-wire-tattoos/211237.md?page=1)