Who's got Ovid tattooed on their tummy? Who has the Song of Songs down their spine? And whose tribute to her mother is in bad French? Can you match the rather highbrow inkings to the big names?

By Alison Boshoff

Published: 20:11 EST, 12 June 2014 | Updated: 03:20 EST, 13 June 2014


No Doubt his mind is firmly on the rigours of the World Cup challenge ahead.

So perhaps that’s why England footballer Ross Barkley has got himself a rather inspiring tattoo.

Quoting Aristotle, it reads: ‘No notice is taken of little evil, when it increases it strikes the eye.’

And he’s not alone.

Other celebrities have similarly profound quotation tattoos — be they sayings from Confucius, lines of poetry, great chunks of the Bible and even an excerpt from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. president.

So — with the help of some background information from Alison Boshoff — can you match the rather unlikely celebrity to the tattoo?

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Ross Barkley has got a new tattoo which, quoting Aristotle, reads: 'No notice is taken of little evil, when it increases it strikes the eye'

Ross Barkley has got a new tattoo which, quoting Aristotle, reads: 'No notice is taken of little evil, when it increases it strikes the eye'

1: 'Quod me nutruit me destruit' which is Latin for 'That which feeds me also destroys me'. There are whispers that it refers to this Hollywood star's brush with eating disorders, and it also has resonance for drug users. The phrase appears on a 1585 portrait of playwright Christopher Marlowe, and is borrowed from Roman poet Ovid, who claimed that he had been killed by his own talent

1: 'Quod me nutruit me destruit' which is Latin for 'That which feeds me also destroys me'. There are whispers that it refers to this Hollywood star's brush with eating disorders, and it also has resonance for drug users. The phrase appears on a 1585 portrait of playwright Christopher Marlowe, and is borrowed from Roman poet Ovid, who claimed that he had been killed by his own talent

2: This champion runner from South Africa has a long verse from Corinthians on his back, which begins: 'I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. I execute each strike with intent. I beat my body and make it my slave...' Done on impulse at a New York parlour at 2am, the last letters are 'squiggly' because the tattooist was falling asleep

2: This champion runner from South Africa has a long verse from Corinthians on his back, which begins: 'I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. I execute each strike with intent. I beat my body and make it my slave...' Done on impulse at a New York parlour at 2am, the last letters are 'squiggly' because the tattooist was falling asleep

3: This singer has German text on her bicep, by poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It translates as: 'Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?' Clearly, her taste in poetry is nearly as odd as her dress sense

3: This singer has German text on her bicep, by poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It translates as: 'Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?' Clearly, her taste in poetry is nearly as odd as her dress sense

4: With a stellar TV career and two marriages under her belt, this actress had 'I am enough' in Latin inked on her foot when she was 46. She explained: 'When my daughter says "I want a tattoo", I can reply: "Wait until you're 46 and you can get whatever tattoo you want."' Nothing Desperate about that, then

4: With a stellar TV career and two marriages under her belt, this actress had 'I am enough' in Latin inked on her foot when she was 46. She explained: 'When my daughter says "I want a tattoo", I can reply: "Wait until you're 46 and you can get whatever tattoo you want."' Nothing Desperate about that, then

5: A big tattoo fan, this retired footballer has a Chinese proverb on his torso. 'Death and life have their determined appointment, riches and honour depend on heaven,' it reads. An odd sentiment as he and his wife have plenty of riches, but have never shown any signs of a spiritual side, let alone of waiting until the next world for their reward

5: A big tattoo fan, this retired footballer has a Chinese proverb on his torso. 'Death and life have their determined appointment, riches and honour depend on heaven,' it reads. An odd sentiment as he and his wife have plenty of riches, but have never shown any signs of a spiritual side, let alone of waiting until the next world for their reward

6: 'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path' reads the tattoo on this believer¿s shoulder. The verse comes from Psalm 119. Certainly, after a series of recent scandals, the controversy-prone heart-throb singer could use some solid guidance from on high

6: 'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path' reads the tattoo on this believer¿s shoulder. The verse comes from Psalm 119. Certainly, after a series of recent scandals, the controversy-prone heart-throb singer could use some solid guidance from on high

7 : This boyband star has some rather amateurish-looking tattoos peppering his body. This one reads, 'Things I can't', while on his other arm he has the words: 'Things I can.' He also has his sister's name in Hebrew, a rendition of HMS Victory and - bizarrely - a coat hanger. Is he heading in the wrong direction?

7 : This boyband star has some rather amateurish-looking tattoos peppering his body. This one reads, 'Things I can't', while on his other arm he has the words: 'Things I can.' He also has his sister's name in Hebrew, a rendition of HMS Victory and - bizarrely - a coat hanger. Is he heading in the wrong direction?

8: A love poem from the Bible's Song Of Songs, written in Hebrew presumably to look more Posh. It reads: 'I am my love's and my love is mine.' Her footballer husband had a matching Hebrew tattoo done at the same time

8: A love poem from the Bible's Song Of Songs, written in Hebrew presumably to look more Posh. It reads: 'I am my love's and my love is mine.' Her footballer husband had a matching Hebrew tattoo done at the same time

9: The TV presenter and style expert had a tattoo done to honour her famously brash mother: 'Je vous aime la maman.' She is now having it removed, as it¿s in appallingly poor French. First, the use of the formal 'vous' to a mother is peculiar, and second the stray definite article means it reads: 'I love you the mother'

9: The TV presenter and style expert had a tattoo done to honour her famously brash mother: 'Je vous aime la maman.' She is now having it removed, as it¿s in appallingly poor French. First, the use of the formal 'vous' to a mother is peculiar, and second the stray definite article means it reads: 'I love you the mother'

10: Some time model, DJ and singer, her tattoo reads 'What will survive of us is love', and is the last line of the Philip Larkin poem An Arundel Tomb. His poem undercuts the sentiment by describing it as 'almost true' - but readers tend not to notice. It seems to be a touching tribute to her TV presenter late mother, whose signature is tattooed on her wrist, and who was found dead of a heroin overdose on her 10th birthday

10: Some time model, DJ and singer, her tattoo reads 'What will survive of us is love', and is the last line of the Philip Larkin poem An Arundel Tomb. His poem undercuts the sentiment by describing it as 'almost true' - but readers tend not to notice. It seems to be a touching tribute to her TV presenter late mother, whose signature is tattooed on her wrist, and who was found dead of a heroin overdose on her 10th birthday

11: This flame-haired model has the words 'Ut Apes Geometriam', meaning 'As bees know geometry' across the inside of her foot. It's from a quote in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: 'I possess philosophy by instinct, by nature, ut apes geometriam' - a reference to the fact that bees build hives of perfect geometric form. Given her Cambridge double first, her smart tattoo seems appropriate

11: This flame-haired model has the words 'Ut Apes Geometriam', meaning 'As bees know geometry' across the inside of her foot. It's from a quote in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: 'I possess philosophy by instinct, by nature, ut apes geometriam' - a reference to the fact that bees build hives of perfect geometric form. Given her Cambridge double first, her smart tattoo seems appropriate

12: A huge fan of rock band Stereophonics, this footballer has the words 'Just Enough Education to Perform', the name of the band's 2001 album, tattooed on his inner arm. He did leave school before his GCSEs but took English and Maths after private tuition, although he remains better known for his ball skills than his erudition

12: A huge fan of rock band Stereophonics, this footballer has the words 'Just Enough Education to Perform', the name of the band's 2001 album, tattooed on his inner arm. He did leave school before his GCSEs but took English and Maths after private tuition, although he remains better known for his ball skills than his erudition

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Human Artex.

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Oh FGS, why get Chinese/Sanskrit/philosophical writings inked on you if you've got NO connection to any of those cultures/things?? Naff and pathetic.

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pathetic, only people with no self esteem need to have their bodies bodged. bunch of trustafaians

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All fashions eventually turn. If I was investing in a business it would be laser tattoo removal.....it's going to be huge in the next few years.

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True but they never totally disapear. Just end up looking like a badly rubbed out piece of paper!

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I only clicked on this because I recognized Harry's tattoo

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Has anyone stepped inside a university or a student bar recently? You will find that there are more students with tattoos than without, not to mention piercings. Like it or lump it this is the next generation workers and degree candidates. Pretty soon it wil be over half the population (if its not there already). A young girl named Sophie was beaten to death because she dared to be a goth, she looked different and dressed different and was killed for not being part of the norm. Every person has the right to express themselves any way they choose, be it hair, clothing or tattoos without being BULLIED by others. If you don't like something thats your choice but there is no need to judge or bully others because they dont conform to your outdated views.

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This isn't self expression, it is people acting like sheep. I can think of nothing more boring than the same old writing on my body, day in, day out.

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That's your decision "karin", luckily for those of us that enjoy getting tattoos done, your opinion isn't law. I'll continue getting tattoos until I decide I've had enough.

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Wow, Justin Bieber really needs to give his nails a good scrub!

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Why would I want to know who the tattoos belong to?

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About as profound as a bowl of soup, irrelevant, infantile and naff to the extreme...........Self harming with PR!

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You're eating the wrong soup my friend, you dig?

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Justin Biebers mate on number 6 needs to scrub their nails .

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