Singer was hoping for a translation of her hit 7 Rings but ended up with ‘small charcoal grill’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Too bad pop star Ariana Grande is vegan – she just tattooed an accidental homage to a Japanese barbecue grill on her palm.

The US singer’s attempt to ink an ode to her hit single 7 Rings backfired Wednesday after social media quickly chimed in to tell her the characters actually translated to shichirin: a small charcoal grill.

Grande, 25, had posted a now-deleted photo of the new body art on Instagram before her fans pointed out the error.

In widely shared screenshots of now-deleted tweets, Grande acknowledged there were missing characters but noted that the design would not last, as skin on the palm regrows faster than that on the rest of the body and tattoos there usually fade.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘I left out “つの指” which should have gone in between,’ Grande tweeted. Photograph: twitter/ariana_japan

“Indeed, I left out ‘つの指’ which should have gone in between. It hurt like fuck n still looks tight. I wouldn’t have lasted one more symbol lmao,” she tweeted. “But this spot also peels a ton and won’t last so if I miss it enough I’ll suffer thru the whole thing next time.”

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She later wrote: “Pls leave me and my tambourine grill alone. thank u.”

Her apparent nonchalance didn’t stop Twitter from skewering her with memes and mockery.

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Some were ironically sympathetic: “Met with all the Asians, and our official ruling is that the Ariana Grande tattoo is good,” wrote Twitter user Kevin Nguyen.

The video for 7 Rings boasts more than 100m views on YouTube and debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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That success follows Grande’s record-smashing break-up anthem Thank U, Next, which also debuted at the chart’s pinnacle.

Her album, also titled Thank U, Next is set for release on 8 February.

Grande has subsequently posted an update to the tattoo on her Instagram account, saying “Slightly better. Thanks to my tutor for helping me fix. RIP tiny charcoal grill. Miss u man. I actually really liked u.”