combo's prison tattoos

[mina]

i was wondering (and if shane reads this - i hope- maybe he can explain) about combo's prison tattoos. it's my understanding that a teardrop tattooed on someone's face means that they've killed someone - either in prison or out. also, a the bird on his neck, along with the swastika on the back of his neck, are obvious references to nazi-ism (although combo shakes his head when the national front guy claims that they're not nazis). so i'm wondering - does the teardrop mean that combo has killed someone? is he a nazi?

by the way, i loved loved loved this film and find the subtleties of the relationships and psychology of the characters absolutely complex and remarkable.

[quixote]

i think the teardrop meaning you have killed someone is an american thing in britain i think i'm right in saying that a teardrop means you did time in a borstal in case you don't know what borstal is it's prison for kids watch the film scum which is all about borstals and set around the time combo would have been in one it's an excellent film,

where's ya tool

[pointblank]

the teardrop is a symbol of a tear you will always shed for a dead fellow gang member,the symbol of having killed a man is a cobweb on your left elbow.also the swallow has a nautical aspect in sea going areas and it is also a sybol of having "done your bird" ie served your time.hope this clears this up

[mina]

thanks very much for clearing things up. most of what i know about prison tattoos is from people i've known in america, so it's interesting to hear what the differences might be in other places. i wonder what combo was in prison for then? thanks again for such quick replies

[quixote]

according to wikipedia there are many meanings to tear tattoos including the one you mention pointblank but it does point out that in uk they were signifiers of having been in borstal i found this supported in other places too my memory is a bit hazy but i'm sure there is some mention of combo's tattoos in the this is england dvd and i think it may mention borstal tears there but i haven't got time to check at the mo

[pointblank]

it is my feeling that the sign of having been in borstal a small "dot" on your right cheek is the common symbol,but i may be mistaken

[large michael]

you are indeed right sir, dot on the cheekbone. i think the tear thing may have been imported from the yanks, tho maybe a little lost in translation. I dont remember seeing the teardrop over here say, 20 years ago, tho i may stand corrected.borstal breakout, indeed.

[kate]

I was wondering about Combo's tattoos as well. What about the cross? Does it mean something different if it's on your finger or on your forehead?

[badboy]

Ha ! myself having all of the mentioned tattoo's & also doing my stint in borstal when i was a young thug ! would have to say that your all right ! the borstal dots were on each knuckle along with A C A B - all coppers are bas**rds : ) the tear drop or dot on the cheek did mean you had done time in borstal,but i think depending where was to with what you had ? the cross as far as i remember is meaningless really,i think more of a gap filler ? tattoo's around those times was more of a "im a bad boy" thing & most that had them had spent time in the system at some stage,the longer you was in the system the more you clocked up ! hence my large collection ! i started at the bottom (kids homes) - detention centre (short sharp shock) as it was called,to borstal (glen parva ) then on to prison, stafford-lincoln-ranby-brockhill hope that lot helps ? oh & im vickys uncle by the way,so no longer a bad boy ! looks good though dunnit !