Tattooists aren’t linguists

If you are going to get a tattoo and you want it in some exotic language don’t depend on your tattooist to know the finer points of Latin, Chinese, or any other language (including English). As if Spitzer’s escort didn’t have enough to be embarrassed of, her tattoo is now being made fun of.

Experts said it was pseudo Latin, like the mostly meaningless Chinese characters some people tattoo on themselves – but even stodgy scholars were chuckling at the double entendres jumping out of it.

Tutela, which is related to tutor, has to do with a protector or guardian. Valui appears to be a past form of the word strong.

“So I guess you would say it means, ‘I have a strong patron’ or ‘I have a strong keeper,’”

“Or, actually, it’s more like, ‘My guardian was strong.’”

One California professor translated it as “I have been highly proficient in support” – which he further simplifies to “I have been an expert escort.”

So her tattoo basically says she’s a whore. Nice, you stay classy.

~ by Perpetual Memory Loss on June 14, 2008.