The teardrop tattoo or tear tattoo is a symbolic tattoo that is placed underneath the eye. The tattoo has several connotations. Teardrop tattoos usually signify the loss of a friend or loved one. Often, for a male, the tattoo is given to represent the death of a brother.[citation needed] An empty tear signifies that the loved one has been killed or that the bearer has unsuccessfully attempted murder.[1] A filled tattoo signifies that a loved one has taken his or her own life, or was killed by a cause other than murder (car crash, death penalty, etc.) A tear with an empty top and a full bottom means that the wearer has avenged the murder of a loved one. The majority of the 'tear tattoos' seen in popular culture today, however, signifies that the wearer has killed, with the number of tears representing the number of kills.[1]
Tear tattoos, when given in prison, primarily indicate that the bearer has murdered someone, either in or out of jail.[1][2][3] In Australian prisons, teardrop tattoos are often forcibly given to convicted child molesters by other inmates.[4] The tattoo can also be given to commemorate a loved one who died while the wearer was incarcerated.[2]
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Celebrities with teardrop tattoos
This list contains some notable individuals with teardrop tattoos:
Rappers
Other
- Song writer/producer/singer Linda Perry (empty teardrop)
- NBA player Larry Hughes has a tear tattoo in memory of his younger brother, who died.[5]
- Punk musician Lars Frederiksen has the tattoo in memory of his brother Robert who died of an aneurysm.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b c "The Teardrop Tattoo". A Tattooed Blog by Noel Boyd. http://www.noelboyd.com/2008/03/teardrop-tattoo.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-14.
- ^ a b "Break the Tattoo Code - The Tear drop Tattoo". INKEDBlog. http://www.inkedblog.com/archives/2005/09/break_the_tatto.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-14.
- ^ "Meanings of tattoos that start with the letter T". Target Tattoo. http://www.targettattoo.com/symbols/T.htm. Retrieved on 2008-09-14.
- ^ "Amy's new tattoo". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2007/dec/10/amywinehousetattoo. Retrieved on 2008-09-14.
- ^ "One year later, Hughes still hurting". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://blog.cleveland.com/earlyedition/2007/05/one_year_later_hughes_still_hu.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-14.
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