from: Ken W.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 10:53 PM
subject: tattoo translation

Hi Tian,

I love your blog, and I was wondering if you could translate what I got tattooed on my arm some years back. Thanks a lot.



莾 is antiquated version of 莽, which means dense growth of bush or rash.

from: Lucy
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 6:11 PM
subject hanzismatter - medical insurance notice

Hi,

Attached is a notice sent by the medical insurance carrier called Aetna. I'm almost sure the Chinese section is illegible unless Aetna is using some kind of crazy font.

Can you please shed some light on what's going on?

Thank you.

Regards,
Lucy


(full size view)

The Chinese text section does appear to be jumbled either from poor printing process or incorrect font.

from: Anna H.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Wed, Dec 8, 2010 at 8:51 AM

Hello, long time reader and fan of your blog. I just came across this, and I smell bullsh*t.

http://www.makeyourownjeans.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21_27_129

Anyway, go nuts :)



Alan and I briefly browsed through the website mentioned above and "Kemuri" section. We can't believe some place is seriously using the Gibberish Chinese Font as is! We will be on the lookout for gullible customers with embroidered butts.

What a bunch of idiots.

from: Karl B.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Sat, Dec 4, 2010 at 3:34 AM
subject: Restaurant sign

Hi,
There's a sushi restaurant in Stockholm with this sign which is obviously not japanese, but even in chinese it doesn't *appear* to say anything coherent. Care to shed any light on it, despite it not being a tattoo?

- Karl

定価 = listing price
中 = within
低 = lower
冬季 = winter
大人 = adult
千円 = thousand yen
村 = village
高 = higher
内線 = inner line
年賀 = new year's greeting

from: Samantha M.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 2:00 AM
subject: My tattoo

Could you tell me what this means? I was young and dumb and was told it meant "Power" Thank you

Sami

權 should have two 口, instead of solid squares.

from: Chris S.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 9:49 PM
subject: Tattoo Translation

Hello

My uncle just got this Tattoo and I was curious to know what it says. I'm hoping he didn't get tricked and got something ridiculous.

from Chris S.



Similar tattoo with same mistake was posted here in July.

棺材佬 means "coffin man".

However, the middle character of 木見才 or 木貝才 does not exist in Chinese character list.

from: Gary B.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:59 PM
subject: Tattoo translation help

Hey

Lovin' your blog.

I got my tattoo aged 17 and it means a lot to me as it's meant to be the initials of people who are important to me, but I fear that I may well have been tattooed by someone who didn't actually know what they were talking about. It's meant to read:

JSG
PB
R

I know now that the Chinese alphabet doesn't have these letters, so I'm not hopeful, but intrigued to know what it means.

Many thanks for your help, it's really appreciated.

Gary



Another sucker of the gibberish font.