Sporting a tattoo means you are more likely to be aggressive and rebellious, according to a study from Anglia Ruskin University.
And as one in four Brits has one, it suggests there could be an awful lot of angry people out there.
Not everyone agrees with the findings, because the days when tattoos were the province of Hell’s Angels and criminals are long gone.
Which reminds me of the chap who had the misfortune of losing a finger in a fight resulting in his hand tattoos reading love and hat.
Tattoos have been around since 6000BC and Ancient Brits had them to look fearsome.
Today’s Brits have them more as a fashion statement.
David Beckham is our foremost example, although Cheryl Fernandez-Versini runs him close.
The fact that celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Miley Cyrus, Tulisa, Rita Ora, Lady Gaga and Johnny Depp have tats, large and small, has made them desirable.
Even pensioners are queuing up for the odd inking.
My younger daughter got a tattoo of a Celtic cross on her arm when she was a daft or, as she might say, rebellious teenager. It looks more like a Wagon Wheel chocolate biscuit.
My mate Kev the Sparky had an obligatory visit to the tattoo parlour when he joined the Royal Navy, but his is more likely to cause a laugh than a fight: the art work is a pair of eyes on his buttocks.
Those with the urge for ink should take care of spelling mistakes because a body decoration is permanent. Among ones that went wrong are: ‘No Regerts; This World Is Hopless’; ‘Belive; and You Only Life Once.’
And always check before getting a translation done. A chap who wanted the Chinese symbols for ‘Live and Let Live’ ended up with ‘Sweet And Sour Chicken’. I suppose it helps in the local take-away.
