Photo by Adam Gerard.

Welcome back to Overheard in D.C., DCist’s weekly column of funny, strange and poignant things that our readers and staff overhear and send in. We’ve been doing it since 2006, so check out the archives here.

Tattoos are pretty hip these days. Lots of folks in town have D.C. flags on their arms, or sleeve tattoos, or other such things. There are some bad ones out there too, but these folks are doing it right.

Overheard of the Week

On the Blue Line in Virginia late Tuesday morning:

A group of co-workers is talking about tattoos. There’s one man in his late 50s or early 60s, one woman about the same age, and two women in their mid-30s.

Man: “If you get one young they wrinkle. That’s why I waited until my 50s to get a tattoo.”

Later, one of the younger women: “I got a tattoo that said ‘diva,’ but then I got pregnant and it said [deep voice] ‘diiiiiivaaaaaa.'”

After the jump, bad parenting, confusing situations at restaurants, and more.

As always, Real, Original Overheard in D.C. relies on you to submit the good stuff to our special Overheard in D.C. email address. Make sure to tell us who, where and in what context, too.

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Life is hard

Sitting at the bar at a steakhouse in Old Town:

Guy to stranger: “It just tasted too meaty.”
Stranger: “Well, you realize you ordered a steak, right?”
Guy: “I know, but it was just like … I dunno. Too meaty.”

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The new Brooklyn, indeed

A couple outside Le Diplomate restaurant on 14th Street NW:

Woman: “We could go there, but it has a French bistro feel.”
Man: “That doesn’t seem like a place to have PBR there.”
Woman: “Yeah, you are right.”
Man: “It’s not like I would order it, but I want a place with it on the menu for what it represents.”
(Then a bit later)
Man: “Wow! 14th Street has really blown up recently.”

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Five dollar… never mind

Passing the Subway sandwich shop at 17th and R Streets NW during lunchtime on Tuesday:

Construction worker 1: “Subway smells good.”
Construction worker 2: “Nah, I just farted.”

Needless to say, they did not go in.

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No wonder it tried to escape

At the National Zoo the other day:

An around five-year-old boy is looking at a red panda: “Dad, is that a fox?”
The dad laughs: “No, no, no! That’s a RED PAAANDA. It’s just a baby now. When it grows up it will look like that big panda.” (Points to giant panda.)

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Politics

Tuesday night at the High Heel Race on 17th Street NW:

Mayor Gray is making his way down the crowd to shake hands.

Guy in the crowd: “Oh man, here comes Gray. I’m going to take three giant steps back so I don’t accidentally punch him!”

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More parenting

Near the Convention Center last week:

A guy is walking way ahead of his maybe five-year-old son. He gets halfway down the block and decides to jaywalk across the street. The guy finally looks back for his son, puts his hand out, and tells him, “We’re breaking the law,” as they proceed to cross the street mid-block.

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Well, the numbered streets…

On the street during the High Heel Race:

One 20-something to another: “Ugh, I never knew 17th Street was soooo long.”

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Pretty cool guy

At the Rosslyn Metro during morning rush hour:

Two mid- to late-20s professionals board one of the new high-speed elevators at the Rosslyn Metro station. The elevator car is packed to capacity.

The woman is talking about how people made fun of her at first when they found out she had started taking the elevator instead of just walking up the escalator. A couple of weeks later, with the lines to get on the elevator and the packed elevator cars, the elevators have clearly caught on.

Man: “I took the elevator on, like, the first day it opened.”
Then, after a moment of reflection: “I’m not trying to brag, but I’m kind of a trailblazer.”

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The times are changing

On 17th Street NW, two guys apparently talking about a mutual acquaintance:

Guy: “He has a girlfriend! Seriously, a girlfriend! I mean, who still does that?”

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And finally, he’s a famous duck, or YMBNH

Around 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Bloomingdale Wine & Spirits:

A group of early or mid-20s women are talking.

Woman 1: “It seems like there are a lot of people around tonight!”
Woman 2: “It’s Howard’s homecoming this weekend.”
Woman 1: “Who’s Howard?”
Woman 2: “Howard’s not a person. It’s a university.”