What does hold fast mean tattoo?

“Hold Fast” written across the knuckles indicate a sailor's career as a deckhand. It's said that having “Hold Fast” on each of a deckhand's fingers would give them the grip they needed to work with the ship's lines and rigging.

Why do sailors say hold fast?

Sailors being a superstitious group began to tattoo “hold fast” on the four front-facing fingers of each hand. This was done for good luck while holding the lines and as a reminder that no matter what, the sailor would not let go.

Why do sailors get pig and rooster tattoos?

Pig and Rooster

The foot tattoos of pigs and roosters were worn by sailors in WWII in the hopes it would keep the sailor from drowning. The Navy shipped these animals in crates at the time. When ships went down, the crates floated, and the animals inside would sometimes be the only survivors.

What is a Sailor Jerry tattoo?

Sailor Jerry loved ships and held master papers on every major type of vessel. His legendary clipper ship tattoos represent both the call to adventure and the determination to be "Homeward Bound". And they're eminently seaworthy – Jerry always inked his riggings to be nautically accurate.

What does tattoo symbolize?

Tattoos often represent thoughts and feelings that we have not spoken about or acknowledged, even to ourselves.

A Guide to Sailor Tattoos

What tattoo means strength?

As mentioned earlier, the lotus flower is an ultimate symbol of personal emotional, and physical strength. The lotus design is suitable for both men and women and represents power, strength, endurance, and one's ability to overcome life's struggles.

What are the 10 most popular tattoos?

What does 13 in a tattoo mean?

What does a 13 tattoo symbolize? The unlucky number is treated as an antidote to conventional bad luck and identifier to other tattoo enthusiasts. The number 13 is associated with superstitious sailors, prison gangs and outlaws, and old school concepts of alienation and being an outsider.

What does shaking hands tattoo mean?

Shaking hands tattoos, or friendship hands as they are often called, are an old school tattoo design that is great for a filler tattoo. They're small, simple and quite awesome! Representing anything from friendship, love and brotherhood to respect and loyalty a handshake tattoo is great piece of classic ink!

What do swallow tattoos mean?

The swallow tattoo was a symbol used historically by sailors to denote their sailing experience. Of British origin in the early days of sailing, it was the image of a barn swallow, usually tattooed on the chest, hands or neck.

What does an eight ball tattoo mean?

Since it can represent both good and bad luck, it is an appealing tattoo design to emphasize the idea of "chance." It can be a reference to taking the good with the bad, or of balance. The eight ball tattoo is perfect for anyone who lives life on the edge or presses their luck.

Why do sailors get sparrow tattoos?

Among the most popular recipients of this traditional bird would of course be sailors. Before the days of advanced navigation systems, sailors would only know they were near land once they spotted swallows in the skies. This transpired into the tattoo meaning of a safe return to home.

What does crossed anchors mean?

Crossed anchors: A pair of anchors crossed on the webbing of the hand—between the thumb and index finger—meant you were a boatswain's mate. A boatswain was the foreperson on deck, in charge of managing the crew on duty and directing any rigging, anchoring, or cabling of the ship.

What does hold fast mean in the Navy?

HOLD FAST. Physically the term Hold Fast means to bear down and fight through the storm. There is also an understanding among sailors that when on deck, you dedicate a hand for the ship and a hand for you. That means in order to help your crew you must make sure that you are taken care of.

What does holding fast mean?

Definition of 'to hold fast'

If you hold fast to a principle or idea, or if you stand fast, you do not change your mind about it, even though people are trying to persuade you to. We can only try to hold fast to the age-old values of honesty, decency and concern for others.

What's another word for hold fast?

In this page you can discover 9 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for hold fast, like: clasp, adhere, lock, fasten, stick, bond, stick-to, clamp and bind.

What does the tattoo with 3 dots mean?

The three dots tattoo is a common prison tattoo that represents “mi vida loca,” or “my crazy life.” It's not associated with any particular gang, but with the gang lifestyle itself. This tattoo is typically found on the hands or around the eyes.

What does a snake biting a hand tattoo mean?

Some tattooists have even stripped it of its original connotations of friendship and peace, replacing them with the opposite — treachery and betrayal — by swapping out one of the hands for the head of a snake. These snake handshake tattoos are a treacherous spin on a time-honored maritime motif.

What does a dagger tattoo mean?

Having a dagger tattoo can represent both virtuous qualities within ourselves and also any adversity we may experience in life; the biggest of all being death. Not only is a dagger a representation of betrayal, loss and danger but it is also seen as a symbol of protection, sacrifice and bravery.

What does the tattoo 143 mean?

Design- 143 (girls) Meaning- Stands for "I love you" Placement- left ring finger | Cousin tattoos, Love yourself tattoo, Tattoos for daughters.

What is the most popular tattoo in the world?

Hearts are a simple and universally popular tattoo design that can symbolize love or simply make for fun body art. Kapowski told Insider that people are often interested in getting hearts inked on their hip or behind their ears.

What dies a diamond tattoo mean?

This is one of those tattoos that is symbolic of your own beliefs and represents what you want it to. Here are some possible meanings: Invincibility, Strength, Power, and Durability. Purity and Integrity. Love.

What's the most basic tattoo?

Marva tattoos agreed and revealed that, in his opinion, hand ink is definitely the most basic tattoo someone could get.

What tattoos are cliche?

What is the most common first tattoo?

Ankle tattoos are perhaps the most popular designs for first times and based on the many tasteful and subtle examples out there—we can tell why many tattoo virgins go for the ankle.