What are some slang terms associated with tattoos?

Answer 1

Ink - a tattoo, because it is made with ink injected into the skin
Tat - a tattoo because it's a short form of the word
Flash or Tattoo Flash - the sheets of designs which can be purchased by a tattoo artist or designed by the artist themself
Ink Pusher - a tattoo artist, the one who "pushes" the ink into the skin
Gun or Ink Gun - the tattoo machine because it looks a bit like a gun
The Works - an artist's tattooing equipment; needles, "gun," ink, etc
Slinging Ink - doing a tattoo
Getting Inked - getting a tattoo
Pounding Skin - doing a tattoo
Getting Needled or Getting the Needle - getting a tattoo
Airbrushing - when the ink accidentally spews out of the machine before it hits the skin and sprays everywhere
Irons - tattoo machines used only by true tattoo artists
Sleeve or Half Sleeve - when the entire arm or just the arm from shoulder to elbow is covered with tattoos, because it looks like you're wearing a shirt
Tramp Stamp - a tattoo on a woman's lower back just above her arse-crack, because it is designed to make men look at her arse
Hacker or Scratcher - an amateur or unskilled tattoo artist who causes more pain and swelling than is necessary (and usually is a poor artist in general)
Show Your Ink - to show off your tattoos

Phrases you might hear in a tattoo parlor -
"You know you're getting a tattoo!" - the person is being tattooed on the inner part of the arm which hurts really badly

"Kickin' it into third" - the tattoo artist sees that you are not going to scream or act like a baby, so they are going to increase the needle speed and fill in the design faster


Things you do NOT want to be called in a tattoo parlor -

B-back - somebody who chickens out and runs away; they usually say something like "I got to get some money at the ATM - be right back!"

Cadaver - somebody who never talks to the tattoo artist at all during the tattoo

Closer - somebody who deliberately shows up right before the tattoo parlor closes and expect to get a huge elaborate tattoo

Dealer - somebody who whines about the prices and tries to get the artist to lower their cost

Michaelangelo - somebody who thinks they know more than the tattoo artist, who wants specific colors or specific shades, or who tells the artist how to do the tattoo

Tattoo Shark - somebody who steals tattoo ideas from others

Yo-Man - somebody who comes in saying something like "Yo, man I got $20, what can I get?