Maybe it’s summer and I’m seeing more skin around me. Or maybe it’s the news that David Beckham just got his 32nd tattoo and does not regret a single one of them. Whatever the reason, it’s time for a quiz on tattoos.

1 While body scarring and painting have been around since Roman times, which explorer popularised the Samoan word ‘tatau’ in the western world after his travels in Tahiti and New Zealand in the 18th century?

2 The first western sailors to widely use tattoos were Roman Catholics, especially in the UK, and they usually had a crucifix tattooed on their back. This is believed to have served two purposes, one being that they would be given proper Roman Catholic rites when they died. What was the second reason?

3 Till the 19th century, when new recruits were enlisted in the British army, they were always checked for the letters ‘BC’ and ‘D’ tattooed on their arms or torso. ‘BC’ stood for bad character, not to be enlisted unless absolutely necessary. What did ‘D’ stand for?

4 Eight members of the cast of which film had themselves tattooed with a representation of the number ‘9’? Incidentally, the director sported a tattoo with a representation of the number ‘10’.

5 In their search of Nazi war criminals, one of the easiest ways for the allies to find former SS officers was to look for a single letter, usually tattooed on the underside of the left arm. What did it indicate?

6 Recently, Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist sued the makers of Hangover 2 for copyright infringement when one of the characters of the film woke up with a tattoo like the one Whitmill had designed for a celebrity. Whose intricate Maori-inspired tattoo was inked by the artist?

7 Johnny Depp has a tattoo reading ‘Wino Forever’. What did it read originally?

8 In American prisons, one of the most common tattoos is of a tear drop just below the eye. What is it supposed to indicate?

9 This cricketer thought he was the 356th player for Australia and had the number 356 tattooed on his arm. It later turned out he was actually number 357 and his fellow debutant Brendon Julien was the 356th. Finally, the ACB assigned him the number 356 and he was spared a painful modification job. Name the cricketer.

10 While on celebrities, which actor had a line from the Beatles song Sexy Sadie tattooed on his person?

Answers

1. Captain James Cook

2. Officers were often hesitant to flog a back decorated with a religious symbol

3. Deserter

4.The Lord Of The Rings . You can spot Orlando Bloom's tattoo in some scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean

5. Blood Group

6. Mike Tyson’s unmistakable facial tattoo

7. Winona Forever, before he and Ryder broke up. Wine is probably more durable

8. That the wearer has killed another human

9. Michael Slater

10. Jude Law. He did have a long relationship with Sadie Frost

Joy Bhattacharjyais, in this age of televisions pundits and Facebook gurus, simply grateful that facts are not opinions.

Follow Joy on Twitter >@joybhattacharj

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