Kate O'Connor, of Ireland, makes an attempt in the pentathlon long jump at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Photo)
Emma Navarro of the U.S. celebrates with supporters after beating Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in their second round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Photo by Joanna Chan/AP Photo)
Participants run through the streets of the Back Bay during the 16th annual Santa Speedo Run in Boston, Massachusetts, December 12, 2015. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)
Revellers react after falling in the mud at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival, Britain, June 26, 2016. (Photo by Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
Tattoos are commonly used among criminals to show gang membership and record the wearer's personal history—such as his or her skills, specialties, accomplishments and convictions. They are also used as a means of personal expression. Certain designs have developed recognized coded meanings. The code systems can be quite complex and because of the nature of what they encode, the tattoo designs are not widely recognized.