In the Loop: February 2023
(Inked) Skin in the Game
We're back! This time we're coming in hot with new thrilling editing content secretly hidden behind some pretty cool tattoo content.
Tattoos are having a cultural heyday—no longer just for sailors, bikers, and deviants—as a powerful and unique way to explore personal growth and individual aesthetic. Plus, here's a fun fact: 100% of the people behind PostScript are tattooed (some more than others).
We're spilling the ink on your burning copyediting questions—we've got the skinny on what's what.
P.S.: We want to know how many tattoos YOU have.
Editing Q&A: Did you Know?
MLA Style
Fig. 1. A woman with retro tattoos. Photo by Annie Spratt. https://pixabay.com/photos/tattoos-tattooing-arm-skin-1209589/
Chicago Style
Fig. 2. Coffee Break. Photo by Garon Piceli.
APA Style
Note. Tattooed girl enjoying [sic] on balcony [Photograph], shixart1985, 2016, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156445661@N02/48951039331). CC BY 2.0.
A Playlist for Inkspiration
What's the Diff?
There are a lot of sneaky words out there—words with similar spellings, similar sounds, or just similar vibes. Here’s the lowdown on some of those commonly swapped-by-accident words.
Compliment (n.): A compliment is a flattering remark, an expression of praise, admiration, commendation, respect, or regard (e.g., “Hey! That’s a nice tattoo!”). To pay a compliment is to say something nice; to send your compliments is to send your regards. Compliments may also be a form of friendly gesture or gift, or services provided as a courtesy (e.g., compliments of the chef); something provided or given at no charge is complimentary.
Complement (n.): A complement is something that completes, enhances, or perfects another thing. It enhances or emphasizes qualities of another person or thing. A set of three sisters might want complementary tattoos, which is to say they go together and complete a set.
Complement is related to completion; compliment is related to flattery or praise.
Cool Guides
Stuff We Like
Watch Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito critique Danny DeVito tattoos.
Stéphane Gros on facial tattooing among Drung women. He notes that facial tattoos play a role in “producing a sense of selfhood, person, gender, and reproductive roles.”
Screwed, blued, and tattooed! Traditional sailors’ tattoos and their meanings.
Everything you want to know about tattoos from a person who has a single, tiny tattoo—aka, an expert.
Color-changing ink tattoos can tell you about your health, including diabetes and cancer. That’s a pretty cool mood ring.
Would you let a gumball machine choose your next tattoo? Me too!
The art, economy, and ingenuity of prison tattoos.
Green screen tattoos bring the (com)motion.
Tattooing = body positivity. Treat that body to some love.
SNL presents: Turlington’s lower back tattoo removal.
A full and definitive list of all the Muppets that have tattoos.
“Every tattoo is a proclamation of self.” And also hot.
Check out Lars Krutak’s TED Talk on the cultural heritage of tattooing. But wait! There’s more: Here is Krutak on the importance of preserving the legacy of Indigenous tattoos.
Tattoos and self-care: Inking as an antidote to depression and an expression of personal growth.
TikTok made me do it: The rise of the micro tattoo.
Pay It Forward
Meet Carl Waggett!
Carl Waggett is a firefighter and social media personality. He is the creator of the podcast, blog, and video series PTSD Bunker Gear for Your Brain, which uses his own experiences with PTSD Depression and Anxiety to advocate for better recognition of and treatment for trauma among first responders. Most recently, he is the host of the video series about urban farming and trauma resilience called Canadian Shroomer.
Pretty amazing, right? Click over to the blog, where Carl shares some of his insights about tattoos and mental health.
