Wartime references for Aliens

We called them either 'Vaks or Warthogs or Hogs in Rot Hafen.

Los

http://www.concentric.net/~Los/ft/lossf.htm

[quoted original message omitted]

In every war we have those wonderfully colorful slanderous terms for the
enemy. In Vietnam, we had 'Charlie' and in WW2 it was the 'Krauts' and
"Gerry". In modern times we've had others. now I know none of these is very
cool in an enlightened social sense, but they are present in every war.

Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments might be
called in the Tufflyverse?

Would Kr'Vak be called "Kilo-Victor" and referred to as "Victor"
Would we just refer to the Phalons as "Dickies"
 or worse
What what?

Might be handy for those of us who like to write background for scenarios.

Eli

> Eli Arndt wrote:
and "Gerry". In modern times we've had others. now I know none of these is
very cool in an enlightened social sense, but they are present in every war.
> Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments might

Well, since they look like *snails* instead of male anatomy parts to *me*, I
refer to 'em as Phalons or 'snails'. I think they have another name for
themselves (don't have my FB2 with me right now) as the Kra'Vak do, so
referring to them by their GZG given names would seem to work (Los did this in
his Rot Hafen online sage with the Kra'Vak; seemed to work okay there)

Robert Deakin was the first (AFAIK) to dub the Kra'Vak "Karla" in his story
"Karla's Kidnap" (see http://www.ftsr.org/scifi/karla.html).

I have also heard them called "Worthogs" as Jon's sculpting to make them
less na-Preditor gives them a somewhat Wild-Pig look (a lot depends on
the paint).

I have not seen the Phalon infantry, so I do not know what "acceptable in
mixed company" name would be given them. Nic at Eureka describes them as "A
very different race of aliens getting
away from the usual humanoid stereotypes - the Phalons have single
three-lobed eyes, an extra joint in arms and legs and semi-biotech
equipment." Cyclops may be an acceptible term.

-----
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net
http://www.ftsr.org
-----

> -----Original Message-----
and
> "Gerry". In modern times we've had others. now I know none of these

***
Would Kr'Vak be called "Kilo-Victor" and referred to as "Victor"
***

More likely just Vic's, though that tends to be an NAC ship. Kill-Vic's?

***
Would we just refer to the Phalons as "Dickies"
 or worse
***

Not bad, though I'm thinking some other approbation, though all I can think of
is 'Jewels', as in family. All Lucks in rhyming?

***
What what?
***

Aren't the Savasku referred to as 'spikies' or 'spikes' in FB2?

> Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments might

I always saw "Karla" as in "Karla's Kidnap" as sort of a codename. I prefer
the use of "Vaks".

As for S'Vasku, I like "Sku" though "spikies" seems to be a good one and just
the generic "Bugs" would be acceptable.:)

The Phalons? "Tri-heads" or "Papas" as in the radio term for P.

Just some thoughts.:)

JS
---

Usually terms like that are short and sound bad, so I'd imagine that Kra'vaks
would be called "Cracks" and Phalons would be called "Dicks".

-- Rick Rutherford

[quoted original message omitted]

[quoted original message omitted]

***
How about 'Krocs' as a take both on their name and appearance? Should also
work in various other human languages
***

After my poor attempt at rhyming slang for the Phalons, I realized I was
making an acceptable unacceptable form, probably what you'd expect of lowly
grunt, and probably NAC at that. ;->=

Karl took up a point I had in mind, that the different powers' different
languages and cultures would have 'local' polite and vulgar forms, as well as
nicks that could be shared by all humans. Unless Karl has objections, I'd like
to suggest Kroc as a common though not quite vulgar appellation, attributed in
origin to NSL soldiers.

Karla could be an intel common term. I think Kill Vics is short, harsh, and
ties in with Kilo Victor, the kind of thing I'd expect NAC assault units to
use.

Too weird?

> ***
Kill-Vic's?
> ***

Well, from the background blurb I wrote in FB2.... "Spikeys' or "Spineys" for
the S'V "Kravs" or "Kraks" for the K'V
"Shellies" for the Phalons (reference to the shell-like carapace on both
the ships and the Phalons themselves). However these are only ideas, and I'm
quite sure that the grunts of the various nations have a WHOLE list of their
own as well......

Slightly OT, I remember an article in a (very) old Traveller JTAS issue called
(IIRC) "Epithets from the Fifth Frontier War" on exactly this
subject - all I can recall clearly are the suggestions of " Zho"
(usually "dirty, stinkin' Zho"), "Joe", Donny" or "Lank" for the Zhodani....

On Tue, 27 Feb 2001 10:03:16 -0800, "Eli Arndt"
<emu2020@wattosjunkyard.com> wrote:

> now I know none of these is very cool in an enlightened social sense,

They are present in every war because every army wants to encourage the
"dehumanizing" of the enemy. This is one of the reasons that films like
"Stalingrad", "Das Boot" and "Saving Private Ryan" have been so successful: in
the end, both sides of every conflict are just people, and the tragedy of that
makes for compelling drama (note: "Enemy At the Gates", about dueling snipers
in Stalingrad, opened at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this month and opens
in North America in a couple of weeks).

So, yes, this will keep happening. You want your troops thinking of the enemy
as evil, nasty, awful. It's easier to kill them that way (this is also why
soldiers can often make bad peacekeepers).

> Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments might

Do you want the PG version or the R or X rated version? *L* In war the names
that are used are often not suitable for children's ears! *L*

> Would Kr'Vak be called "Kilo-Victor" and referred to as "Victor"

Possibly. I think this is where "Charlie" came from for Viet Cong, right? (As
in Victor Charlie?) I think they might be called "Vics" for short. Maybe
"Kravs", which can get corrupted to "Kraps". Maybe "Vaks".

> Would we just refer to the Phalons as "Dickies"

*L* I think "snails", "slugs", or "dicks". I don't see "dickies"... it's too
comical.

I'm happy with the response to this thread and have been thinking a bit more
on real world epithets.

In WW2 we had national terms. If I recall corectly a German was "Gerry" to a
brit and a "Kraut" to an American.

My suggestion of "Kilo-Victor" was just that, and would of course
reference NAC radio terminology most likely. We seem to have fallen by the
wayside in modern times as our enemies become more ethnic.

Gone are Reds, Pinkos, Commies, Krauts, Gerries, I-talians, even Rebs
and Yanks. We now have the more vulgar references to ethnicity and clothing
styles (I won't repeat them).

Eli

Los and a few others are using Karla for Kra'Vak, but I prefere Tuskers (based
upon their physical appearance).

Rob (who is always a little different)

[quoted original message omitted]

> Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments might

I've always called the Kra'Vak "Vak". 'Course I'm sort of a
mono-syllabic
guy ...

I think it's reasonable to say that "Kilo-Victor" might come into use.
I personally would shorten it up to "Kilo"...

> --- Ground Zero Games <jon@gzg.com> wrote:
...
> Well, from the background blurb I wrote in FB2....

I would suggest a shorter form for the S'V; 'Pines', a shortened form for the
spikey
animal we all know and love.   (Hand me the
pliers dear!)

The Phalons would just be called by the generic term for all shelled
creatures, Bugs!

Bye for now,

> I have also heard them called "Worthogs" as Jon's sculpting to

the word "Javalina" comes to mind (or as my Philippino friend commented, "dais
rite ugkli pucks")

> Nic at Eureka describes them as "A very different race of aliens

for this one - "Pumpkinhead"

Shop online without a credit card
http://www.rocketcash.com

The reason I thought of referring to them as Victor is along the same line as
why Charlie was picked for NVA, it's actually a name. So it actually fits into
common talk,

"Looks like Victor vac'ed the space station. Friggin Tuskers, they don't give
a rat's ass 'bout civilians, not like we do...."

It just works. And as you can see fro mthe example, other nicknames work in
too just as several names were used for Vietnamese, Korean, German, and even
today Iraqi enemies.

I'd be interested to find out what, if any, names were attached to the 'enemy'
in that whole Bosnian thing as you are dealign with a European enemy once
more.

Eli

P.S. I wouldn't call Phalons "Dickies" either, that was more for the sake of
arguement.

> Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 18:13:18 -0800
I
> personally

> > Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments

I think Vaks would be the term used. It's short, sharp, harsh and goes well
with "dirty stinkin'":)

JS
---

What about just KV (said Kay-Vee)?

Nathan

[quoted original message omitted]

In message <5.0.0.25.0.20010227181018.01bd90d0@naxera.com>, Ted Arlauskas
write
s:
> > Has anyone given any thought to what the aliens and governments

I could see Kraks mutating to Krags, which seems a little easier to

Or "Kay" from the initial 'K'.

"Kay hit this place hard."

-----
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net

Actually,

I like that. It's short, it demeans the KV as being 'feminine' by giving them
a female sounding name (No, I do not think female means weak), and it is still
a proper name so it works well in sentences like "Charlie"

It also works well with other more slanderous terms like Kargs and Warthogs.
And it can easily be worked into other terms the "The Big K" and such.

Eli

> From: "Bell, Brian K (Contractor)" <Brian.Bell@dscc.dla.mil>

G'day Eli,

> It's short, it demeans the KV as being

I know you clarified your statement Eli, but there is a reason there are

sayings about the dangerous nature and immense magnitude of a woman's wrath,
the last thing I'd want to do is picture an enemy as one pissed off lady;)

Beth

Ah yes,

I know this full well and thus the clarification. I have often spoken in favor
of women in combat for just this reason. I have never feared anyone more than
I have feared the few angry women I have come face to face with.

I would rather have a stare-down with a MBT than face a squad of angry
ladies.

Eli, Ducking for cover and hoping this thread stays on course
> Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 09:34:42 +1100

G'day Eli,

> I would rather have a stare-down with a

Now we've got that straight;)

We tend to just refer to them as KV, SV and PH (symptom of the acronym
obsessed modern world?), but if its any help Janneke calls the Sa'Vasku the
"spiders". And based on how I've seen other names transmutated by the
Australian inability to call something by its proper name the Kra'vak would
probably end up be called something like the "whacks" and the Phalons
"crunchies" (" well sir, that's the noise Bloggs says they make when you

pop 'em").

Cheers

Beth

> [quoted text omitted]
Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 09:34:42 +1100
From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au>
Subject: RE: Wartime references for Aliens

G'day Eli,

> It's short, it demeans the KV as being

I know you clarified your statement Eli, but there is a reason there are

sayings about the dangerous nature and immense magnitude of a woman's wrath,
the last thing I'd want to do is picture an enemy as one pissed off lady;)
<<<<<<<<<<

but not if she contantly rolls 1s....   ;-o

Dave

> but not if she contantly rolls 1s.... ;-o

That will just lull you into a false sense of security before her minions do
you in;P

Beth

***
> but not if she contantly rolls 1s.... ;-o

That will just lull you into a false sense of security before her minions do
you in;P
***

I figured they'd just worsten her attitude and make her more dangerous.

Course, after Derek's testimony, I envisioned her rolling the 1's with her
right hand, while her left was setting up for a powerful jab. ;->=

As far as promoting females in combat, I think it was Margaret Mead who was
against it. Something about the women being too vicious to abide by the
Geneva Conventions. ;->=

In the final analysis, Jon's SGII figures seem a great deal more intergrated
than our current mindset. Now, I won't go into some of his other lines.

Remeber, he called ME a dirty old man.

The_Beast

PS No, I won't ever let him forget it. *heh heh*

Kay can be a man's name, too.

[quoted original message omitted]

okay

:-)

> --- Jeremy Seeley <jbs@Aros.Net> wrote:

G'day,

> I figured they'd just worsten her attitude

That too;)

> Course, after Derek's testimony, I

I think he's given you completely the wrong idea of me.... why I'm positively
angelic!;)

> As far as promoting females in combat,

As anyone who's watched women's soccer can attest too;)

> In the final analysis, Jon's SGII

You mean the psychological warfare specialists.... they work a charm...
especially as decoys and distractions;)

Beth

> >Course, after Derek's testimony, I

Beth prevaricated:
> I think he's given you completely the wrong idea of me.... why I'm

Fallen angel, Beth?

> >Course, after Derek's testimony, I

As was Lucifer ;->

And now for something on-topic:

Has anybody done any rules for Marine contingents for FB rules? I don't have
FB1 yet, just FB2 so if they are in there please let me know.

Random Sig of the Moment:

#695. It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the
Earth/Minbari war. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal,
to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work
out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call - home away from
home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens
wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all
alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope
for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is
2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5.
  - Commander Sinclair

G'day,

> As was Lucifer ;->

Oh thank you!

> Has anybody done any rules for Marine

Are you talking for boarding parties and such? I used to have a design with
dedicated cargo space for marines but it went when my computer blew last

year. However, I used MT as a guide so I may have been out anyway. I can

recreate my calcs if nothing better comes up though.

Cheers

Beth

On Thu, 01 Mar 2001 17:58:16 +1100 Beth Fulton
> <beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au> writes:
<snip>

> >Course, after Derek's testimony, I
<snip>

According to scripture there are 'angels' and then there are fallen 'angels'?
<grin>

[If we were on a WW2 list - "Down Scope! Take her down!  Full Speed!
Come to course 2-7-0! {pause} We found the escort."   Klick.]