tramp stamp
2
8.6
- noun
- /træmp stæmp/
- Offensive
:
tatuaje en la parte baja de la espalda (despectivo, informal)
- Except it was a guy with an embarrassing drunk-induced butterfly tramp stamp who tried to seduce the dermatologist who removed it.
Examples
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Many people associate tramp stamps with a negative stereotype, but they can be a form of self-expression.
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We had the low rise jeans and the tramp stamps and the whale tail.
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Dude, that's a tramp stamp.
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It's a tramp stamp!
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It still surprises me when I see some kids' parents with tramp stamps or piercings.
Blog text (25) -
She decided to get a tramp stamp on her lower back as a bold expression of her personality.
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After years, she regretted her tramp stamp, realizing it carried unwanted attention.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'tramp' (derogatory person) and 'stamp' (a mark) suggest a derogatory mark and may lead learners to infer a negative, marking sense; however the conventionalized referent — specifically a lower-back tattoo and its cultural connotations — is slangy and culture-bound and not fully predictable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows both words might guess a pejorative kind of mark but would likely not deduce the precise meaning and social nuances without exposure.
Etymology
Tramp stamp comes from a blunt image: the word stamp suggests a small mark put low on the back, and tramp is a rude word that hinted people thought such tattoos were 'sexy' or shameful. So the phrase came to mean 'a tattoo on the lower back' and is often used in a teasing or negative way.