When not watching one of the most boring World Cup matches in recent memory, Japanese soccer fans were watching the tattoo on the arm of Greece’s Theofanis Gekas. The tattoo fail, that is.
As noted on Hachima, the tattoo reads “寒冷殺人魔” (kanrei satsujin ma) in Japanese, which literally translates as “cold (weather) murder demon”. The problem is that the kanji used here for “cold” (寒冷) refers to weather, as in “chilly” or “frigidity” or “cold” as in a “cold front”. In Chinese, the tattoo doesn’t make sense either, and the “cold” here refers to weather. This tattoo is gibberish.
Ironically, this isn’t the first time Japan has noticed Gekas’ tattoo. The same thing happened in 2010, during the last World Cup. Maybe the country will notice it again during the next one too!
Though, as you can see in this new pic from Getty, Gekas is sticking with his tattoo and hasn’t covered it up. Yet.
Scuttlebutt online says Gekas’ tattoo is supposed to mean “Cool Killer”. At least in Japan, the correct way to write that would be “Reikoku na Satsujinki” (冷酷な殺人鬼), which means “Coldhearted Cutthroat”, “reikoku” (冷酷) meaning “cruel” or “cold-hearted” and “satsujinki” (殺人鬼) meaning a “bloodthirsty killer”. In Chinese, “cold-blooded killer” would be 冷血杀人魔.
Sadly, what Gekas has now is hardly badass, and it makes it seem like Gekas is murdering winter weather. Maybe he is! You know, causing global warming, screwing up the climate. If so, then, he is truly to be feared.
No wonder Japanese Twitter users are miffed. But you know what they’re miffed about? Why Japan couldn’t score, playing against a team with only ten players on the field. Forget kanji screw ups, now that shit is truly baffling.
W杯】ギリシャ代表ゲカス選手、「cool killer」という意味で漢字の入れ墨を頼んだ結果悲しみを背負うことにｗｗｗｗｗ [はちま起稿]
Picture: deathash13/Twitter
Comments
13 responses to “Bad Tattoo Baffles Japanese Soccer Fans”
Oh god, no. Please no! The shaaaaaame !
Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks “chilly murder demon” sounds kinda awesome.
Indeed. Almost certainly better than the crap he thinks it means. Although I keep picturing Chilli Murder Demon in my head. He kills by ramming habaneros into your gullet. Otherwise I’m picturing a horned beast in a woolen jumper and that doesn’t have the same effect.
Haha, perfect closer. Aww but I really wanted Japan to take that game T_T
Worst case scenario – He get’s the right tatt grafted from a Japanese person. He’s got the cash.
I guess it goes the other way when people mispronounce Greek words like β (beta). Greeks must cringe every time an American says “bay-ta”.
I cringe whenever an American says anything.
Well, beta is vurrently pronunced Vita in Greek, but in ancient Greek the b had a B sound.
It is impossible to know what the original pronounciation of Beta sounded like.
“kami-kaarh-zee!!”
“No wonder Japanese Twitter users are miffed. But you know what miffed about?”
Wut
Clearly its about his Ex wife
Heh, this reminds me of a time I went to get a tattoo in Sydney; a Japanese friend wanted to come along to watch. So, we’re sitting in the waiting area and a guy starts talking about his tatts to a friend, points to a Japanese character on his arm, saying he got it for his girlfriend and it means “Undying love”.
My friend leaned over to me and whispered that it actually said “Kitchen”.
(btw, the parlour was The Illustrated Man, right in the CBD and highly recommended – it was about ten years ago and it still looks almost as fresh as it did on the day).
I don’t think Brian knows what ‘ironically’ means.