Tattoos have a deep and personal meaning for people. For some, they can be an expression of fidelity, self-identity, history, or culture. And for others, tattoos can take on a funny significance. Perhaps they are an expression of one’s love for a cat, a movie, or even a particular cut of meat. Long forgotten is the stigma surrounding tattoos as they have entered popular culture. And with them, certain meanings have followed along as well. For one particular tattoo, the pineapple, its meaning can be a bit surprising. So, hold onto your seats as we explore the lesser-known pineapple tattoo meaning.
What Does a Pineapple Tattoo Mean?
The wonderful fruit of the pineapple is often associated with joy and happiness. Its bright and sweet insides can be found beneath a prickly surface. Many people feel that the pineapple, then, is a good representation of their own personality. On the one hand, they may look like they are unapproachable. But when you get to know them you’ll find that they are soft, bright, and sweet on the inside. In other words, a little rough around the edges, but once you get beneath that surface you’ll find a sweet and irresistible individual. Much like (dare we say it?), a pineapple.
For people who fall into this category (prickly outside, sweet inside), the pineapple can be a symbol. Perhaps they associate with it so much that they just have to tell the world through some body art. Hence, the pineapple tattoo.
Why So Serious?
Another association made with the pineapple is that of being laid back and easygoing. Where does this come from? Most likely it’s an association with the island state of Hawaii. The cool breeze off the ocean and the beautiful people of this archipelago, with their calm demeanor and swaying hips, is an easy enough association for people to make. For some travelers who have become so enamored by island life while on holiday, the pineapple tattoo becomes a way of commemorating the experience and a symbol to try and take life a little less seriously.
“Psych!”
An offshoot of this laid-back and easygoing meaning found in the Aloha state is the concept of family and togetherness. People for whom that resonates may mark this family bond with a pineapple tattoo. Many know of the long-running USA show “Psych,” featuring the mis-adventures of a fake psychic and his best friend sidekick. Shawn and Gus, respectively, could be seen week after week running amok in the coastal town of Santa Barbara, using skills of intuition (and definitely not psychic ability) to solve crimes and (to their amusement) frustrate the local police department. Did you also know that every single episode contained a pineapple in the background of at least one scene? Perhaps it was there to mark and symbolize the deep bond of friendship these two shared since childhood. Likewise, some people mark such deep bonds and ties with one another by, you guessed it, marking the same body part with matching pineapple tattoos.
Time To Turn Things Upside Down
And now for something completely different. Who are we kidding? This is the one meaning most people are here for. In recent years, it has been revealed that a pineapple tattoo can mean something very specific, that is, if it’s positioned just right. What’s the position, some wonder? Upside down. Yes, the upside down pineapple tattoo meaning is quite the eye-opener. It signifies that the bearer of such a tattoo is open to the swingers’ lifestyle.
Swinging is a lifestyle choice whereby couples are in a mutually sharing experience … sexually. What does this mean? Such couples enjoy bringing others into their bed (with both halves of the couple present; swinging is different than having an open relationship) for physical intimacy. This lifestyle has really taken culture by storm in the last decade or so with conventions, specific hashtags on social media, and an overall acceptance in our current cultural climate.
So, if this is a lifestyle you enjoy and will continue to partake in, perhaps it’s time to get a pineapple tattoo. Just make sure it’s upside down to the eyes of people who see it.