I saw earlier this week that a woman in New Jersey got a tattoo of the dreaded spotted lanternfly.

Her justification?

"There was really no inspiration for it. If anything, it represents the last 2.5 years of chaos. When I get older, and my kids and grandkids ask why, I can say, 'Well, let me explain the insanity of 2020.'"

I don’t know why anyone would want a reminder of the last few years permanently on them, but I do like the design of this tat! Plus, if there’s any insect to ink onto your body, the spotted lanternfly is one of the better-looking bugs.

So I got to thinking… what other Garden State-centric tattoos would be good for a proud New Jerseyan?

We’ll get the obvious one out of the way. Of course the shape of NJ would be an easy homage to our state.

Stylized green sketch map of New Jersey illustration vector
Pe3check
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How about these?

Your exit number

You know the trope: you find out someone is from Jersey and your knee-jerk reaction is to ask “what exit?”

Cut to the chase by proudly displaying “Exit 124” on your forearm.

Exit 91 on the Garden State Parkway
Google Maps
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A Violet flower

Flowers are a common tattoo idea, so the NJ state flower, the common blue violet, is a given.

Photo by Tobias Mockenhaupt on Unsplash
Photo by Tobias Mockenhaupt on Unsplash
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Tillie

Anyone who’s been to Asbury Park knows the iconic smile of Tillie, he’s basically the unofficial mascot of the shore town.

Tillie sits on top of the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ
Google Maps
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“PREC/SPK”

Alternatively “THEC/SPK,” depending on whether you’re a “pork roll” or “Taylor ham” person. Anyone who asks what the “SPK” stands for is obviously an outsider.

It’s “salt, pepper, ketchup,” for the record.

EzumeImages
EzumeImages
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An American goldfinch

Looking for a more subtle way to represent the Garden State? Look no further than our state bird! Bonus points if it has a slice of pizza in its beak.

Photo by Tyler Moulton on Unsplash
Photo by Tyler Moulton on Unsplash
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The Jersey Devil

For those looking to represent the darker side of New Jersey, what could be more badass than the Jersey Devil?

Maybe Tony Soprano …

Exploring The Life Of A Modern Day Mob Boss The Exclusive New Series The Sopranos Combin
Getty Images
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Have any other NJ-themed tattoo ideas? Let us know in the comments!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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