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You know how in fantasy settings, sometimes dwarves and the like will call an elf "knife ears?" I decided to make a thread wherein we could compile some of our favorite in universe slurs, insults, and pejoratives. I want to be clear that I am in no way endorsing discrimination or real world prejudice or any kind. This thread is just for people to have fun writing silly things about strictly fictional groups. The kinds of things one is likely to encounters in seedy pubs, on sodden tongues.
Devourer Cultists: "The Peckish."
"You feelin' a might Peckish?" - A jab at someone, implying that they might be mad, crazed, or buying into something both dangerous and stupid.
A Brutish Vesk: "Tyrannosaurus Vesk/T-Vesk"
"Look at T-Vesk over here, lord of his domain." - Often used ironically, like calling a foolish person "Einstein."
An Annoying Ysoki: Any small animal that isn't a rat - further from it, the more insulting.
"I cannot stand that squirrel!" - Relatively mild.
"I've had it up to here with that goldfish." - Super harsh.
Someone from Absalom Station: "Abalone"/"Baloney"
"This guy's a regular baloney!" - Roughly equivalent to calling someone a know-nothin' city slicker.
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I could very easily see a vesk referring to all shirren as "prawns" they have that whole district 9 thing going on
If we are quoting movies, I'll go with "trash panda" for multi colored Ysoki... I mean, come on, you know somebody will make a Rocket Raccoon in EVERY group.
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I could see a blunt-speaking character (Vesk!) maintaining that since Lashunta have bug-antennae, they 'obviously' are some sort of Shirren/Human half-breed, and calling the Lashunta a half-Bug.
Yeah, it's gonna be hard not to have a big vesk bluntly-quoting Drax lines from GotG2 at the lashunta.
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I like the idea of Shirren's insulting people based on a quality that no one else gets. Like... "Well, that bad guy is awfully purple today if you know what I mean." Cue party members staring at him blankly.
"That guy is 3 eggs short of a clutch." "He is so handsome, it makes me smell like green."
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I like the idea of Shirren's insulting people based on a quality that no one else gets. Like... "Well, that bad guy is awfully purple today if you know what I mean." Cue party members staring at him blankly.
"That guy is 3 eggs short of a clutch." "He is so handsome, it makes me smell like green."
Oh my god. I've got to make a character like that! I wasn't attracted to the bug-people, but I wanna play one now!
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I feel like a passing shout of "Hey hive mind!" would really push a shirren's buttons. Something that implies the complete lack of the individuality that their society so cherishes.
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I feel like a passing shout of "Hey hive mind!" would really push a shirren's buttons. Something that implies the complete lack of the individuality that their society so cherishes.
Another great Shirren diss would be confusing them with other shirren, "Oh, you are just like everyone else!" is as sick a burn as I can imagine for a Shirren.
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I feel like a passing shout of "Hey hive mind!" would really push a shirren's buttons. Something that implies the complete lack of the individuality that their society so cherishes.Another great Shirren diss would be confusing them with other shirren, "Oh, you are just like everyone else!" is as sick a burn as I can imagine for a Shirren.
Oh yeah, any of the insults used on people who are considered to be groupies or followers could be extra salty to Shirren, like copycat, tagalong, conformist, sheeple, clone, 'one of the herd,' wannabe, drone (extra points for double bug entendre), etc.
Referring to a Vesk by an (unearned!) rank, like, 'Yes, General,' could be seen as insultingly snide, both disrespecting the Vesk in question, and the rank itself. (Unless the Vesk being addressed is in fact a general, in which case it's just good etiquette!)
A Ysoki (or Gnome bleachling?) who is kinda/sorta 'race-blind' (or at least pretends to be, to the enormous frustration of her colleagues) might call the Shirren by the Human's name, or ask the Vesk soldier to use a mystic cure that only the Kasatha mystic can cast, and, when called on it, just throw up her hands and complain, "Oh, whatever, I can't be expected to tell all you aliens apart."
Terrible linguistic malapropisms await, of course, such as claiming that the big scaly soldier is 'Vesking' you, instead of 'vexing' you.
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During my first session of Starfinder, all people at the table assumed my Yskoi knew all others because 'rats have big families' and also assumed he peed everywhere because 'that's what rats do. Also we assumed the Vesk had a bunch of anger issues, but to be fair, he wen around intimidating everyone.
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I like the idea of an Android that doesn't quite get proper slang and pejorative use, but tries and fails constantly, kind of like Sandra B!~%&+@ in Demolition Man.
I could see a scene such as:
Party plans to start a fight, android exclaims, "Time to physically abuse the livestock!"
....Human leans over and whispers in his ear
"...I mean, time to kick some @$$!"
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I like the idea of an Android that doesn't quite get proper slang and pejorative use, but tries and fails constantly, kind of like Sandra B&#$&*~ in Demolition Man.
I could see a scene such as:
Party plans to start a fight, android exclaims, "Time to physically abuse the livestock!"
....Human leans over and whispers in his ear
"...I mean, time to kick some @$$!"
"I'm here to consume edible adhesives and abuse livestock, and I'm all out of edible adhesives."
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"Well, someone's feeling contemplative today!" - said to people who tend to overthink things. Kind of like a certain alien race on Akiton.
"Mouth-talkers" - some lashunta and shirren are exasperated that other species haven't developed telepathy yet, and express this frustration often.
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Self-Propelled Luggage- Vesk, other reptilians.
Tin Man- Androids (obviously)
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I feel like a passing shout of "Hey hive mind!" would really push a shirren's buttons. Something that implies the complete lack of the individuality that their society so cherishes.Another great Shirren diss would be confusing them with other shirren, "Oh, you are just like everyone else!" is as sick a burn as I can imagine for a Shirren.Oh yeah, any of the insults used on people who are considered to be groupies or followers could be extra salty to Shirren, like copycat, tagalong, conformist, sheeple, clone, 'one of the herd,' wannabe, drone (extra points for double bug entendre), etc.
Worst of all: "You're unique, just like everyone else."
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'Robot' could actually be a profoundly offensive epithet for Androids, since it comes from a word meaning "forced labor/slave," and also compares them to a mindless industrial tool.
Of course, Androids could always respond with "the joke is on you; I do not have feelings, therefore you cannot hurt them."
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Androids could be the straight-man playing off of the others.
"I'll tell your children what you did here today."
"I don't have any kids."
"I know."
A hung-over lashunta or shirren, to the rest of the group: "Could you think quieter please?"
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Ysoki: Wheel spinners, trap stoppers, something about cheese.
Androids: Rusty, Sparky.
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As an aside: our moderation team is keeping an eye on this one.
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'Softskin' sounds like something vesk would say to most other races
If Shirren respiratory systems work like bugs they could call almost everyone else "mouth breather"
In reverse conclusion others would probably refer to shirren as "butt breathers"
And right now I imagine a conversation between an android and (most likely) a human:
H: "Why are you folks anatomically correct again?"
A: "To F*** (up) people who ask us dumb questions"
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I like the idea of an Android that doesn't quite get proper slang and pejorative use, but tries and fails constantly, kind of like Sandra B~#&#*# in Demolition Man.
I could see a scene such as:
Party plans to start a fight, android exclaims, "Time to physically abuse the livestock!"
....Human leans over and whispers in his ear
"...I mean, time to kick some @$$!"
Her line, "Let's Blow this Guy!" is still a classic.
(AWAY, Huxley!... Blow this guy AWAY...)
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Androids: Glowboy/Glowgirl (for the circuitry), Tin-pants, Arty (male or female, for "artificial")
Ysoki: Thief-cheeks, beady-eyes
Vesk: Snarly, flat-ears
Shirren: Fang-neck (just look at the picture), 'tennas (could be Lashuntas, too)
For Shirren, I was thinking of an onomatopoeic insult (like the term "barbarian") based on what their native language or sounds might sound like in the absence of telepathy-- perhaps something like "vizz-vizzers" or something?
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Androids: Glowboy/Glowgirl (for the circuitry), Tin-pants, Arty (male or female, for "artificial")
Ysoki: Thief-cheeks, beady-eyes
Vesk: Snarly, flat-ears
Shirren: Fang-neck (just look at the picture), 'tennas (could be Lashuntas, too)
For Shirren, I was thinking of an onomatopoeic insult (like the term "barbarian") based on what their native language or sounds might sound like in the absence of telepathy-- perhaps something like "vizz-vizzers" or something?
"Dennis? Who's Dennis?"
Maybe "clicker?" Especially apt if they handle your ship's comms.
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Mumblers/Mumbles- Kasatha (with the covered mouths and all)
Chatterers- Humans ('cause they talk and talk and talk)
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By the time of Starfinder, we gobs will have been calling most of you murder hobos "pinkskins" for at least hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Praise Be to St. Doodlebug the Bubble-Bubble!
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I like the idea of an Android that doesn't quite get proper slang and pejorative use, but tries and fails constantly, kind of like Sandra B~+@!~& in Demolition Man.
I could see a scene such as:
Party plans to start a fight, android exclaims, "Time to physically abuse the livestock!"
....Human leans over and whispers in his ear
"...I mean, time to kick some @$$!"
That just reminds me of Omi from Xiaolin Showdown
Referring to ysoki or vesk or shirren by animals would probably be fairly common. Calling ysoki "rat," a vesk "lizard" or shirren "bug" is pretty dehuminizing. In much the same way that calling a human a "monkey" would be (the fact that it's inaccurate isn't even the point. If anything, it makes it more perfect)
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I feel like a great insult to Shirren would be calling them all by a common name that Shirren hold. Like calling a Dwarf Fortress dwarf Urist or an American Steve. Maybe it has gotten to the point that it is no longer a common Shirren name, but people still call them that name.
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Could be some fun threats to be made involving food.
"Never ate a big ol' bug before. What say we cook this one up in hot oil and skewer the meaty bits in chocolate boys?"
"The problem with pinkskins is that they're all dust waiting to happen. Gotta crispy-fry them first 'fore they're good eatin'."
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The RPGs Shadowrun and Planescape did a great job with this. And Star Wars got the great phrases, like Bantha Poo.
http://shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Slang
http://www.mimir.net/cant/cant2.html
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_phrases_and_slang
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Calling humans naked monkey is pretty much standard in my games - at least for the elvish players but I can imagine others doing that too
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As an aside: our moderation team is keeping an eye on this one.
The post that was removed was directly referencing Firefly's mish-mash of several languages, FYI.
Oooh, what about people bringing up things from Golarion's History without knowing what it is they are really talking about.
"By the snows of Qadira!" "What's a qadira?" "I dunno. Sounds like it'd be cold though."
To be fair, the Gap didn't wipe out all known history. All it did was wipe out a few hundred years. Everything before that still has records.
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To be fair, the Gap didn't wipe out all known history. All it did was wipe out a few hundred years. Everything before that still has records.
I think maybe you misunderstand the Gap's effect. Everything prior to to 300 or so years ago is garbled (including physical records).
"historical records go back a few centuries and then suddenly go blank or contradictory, shifting randomly between readings and becoming reliable again only when referring to the dim and misty ages of the ancient past."
Besides, even if that WASN'T true, most people don't know much about the world of 300 years ago, much less before that. If I asked you "What was the climate like in Siam" would you know off the top of your head without looking it up?
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By the time of Starfinder, we gobs will have been calling most of you murder hobos "pinkskins" for at least hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Praise Be to St. Doodlebug the Bubble-Bubble!
ALL GLORY TO ST. DOODLEBUG!
Who... I may or may not have known back in the day...
Kind of a blur.
Anyway!
"Shellfish"- Goblin slang for Shirren... whose exoskeletons have such a satisfying texture when lit on fire.
To be fair, the Gap didn't wipe out all known history. All it did was wipe out a few hundred years. Everything before that still has records.I think maybe you misunderstand the Gap's effect. Everything prior to to 300 or so years ago is garbled (including physical records).
"historical records go back a few centuries and then suddenly go blank or contradictory, shifting randomly between readings and becoming reliable again only when referring to the dim and misty ages of the ancient past."
Besides, even if that WASN'T true, most people don't know much about the world of 300 years ago, much less before that. If I asked you "What was the climate like in Siam" would you know off the top of your head without looking it up?
Qadira was in that ancient past. All of Pathfinder was. Ergo, the records exist. This is exactly what I said. Don't intentionally misconstrue what I say to fit your narrative.
No, but I wouldn't ask what a Siam was, either.
Here's another take on ancient history 'in the now' of the Pact Worlds.
10,000 years ago is effectively prehistoric for modern Terrans (us), as in ~8,000 years B.C.E. They imply but do not spell out how dim current Pact Worlds knowledge is regarding the Golarion of eons past.
Unlike ourselves, the AG timeline of the Pact Worlds does not have a Golarion to study nor - at least as things presently seem to be - even a museum or similar archives of information.
I'm curious as to how far back AG historical records go before they become accurate. Hazard the guess that the historical records get muddled about 4700 A.R. ;)
Here's another take on ancient history 'in the now' of the Pact Worlds.
10,000 years ago is effectively prehistoric for modern Terrans (us), as in ~8,000 years B.C.E. They imply but do not spell out how dim current Pact Worlds knowledge is regarding the Golarion of eons past.
Unlike ourselves, the AG timeline of the Pact Worlds does not have a Golarion to study nor - at least as things presently seem to be - even a museum or similar archives of information.
I'm curious as to how far back AG historical records go before they become accurate. Hazard the guess that the historical records get muddled about 4700 A.R. ;)
Fair enough. Lack of physical reference to study has further-reaching implications than I was accounting for.
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Oooh, what about people bringing up things from Golarion's History without knowing what it is they are really talking about.
"By the snows of Qadira!" "What's a qadira?" "I dunno. Sounds like it'd be cold though."
"By the bristling beard of Aroden!"
"Who's that?"
"One of the lost dwarven gods, I think."
"No, he's a saint in Iomedae's church. I think he adventured with her when she was a mortal. Possibly her squire?"
"Guys. It's just the Sarusan word for 'Abadar.' Same god. Stop making stuff up!"
"Buzzer" for Shirren. also "Buzz off"
I read a lot of scifi, and there's some great use of imaginative curse words. Here's some curse words taken from a variety of space adventure books:
Space can take over God/Jesus for phrases like, "What in Space is that?" or "Space be damned!" It can even take over the F-word in phrases like, "Space it, let's go."
In another book, mathematical terms were used as curse words by all the ace pilots,due to a ban on normal curse words.
Multiply (or Ply for short) replaced the f-word. "Plying space pirates!" "Ply off, kid." "Go forth and multiply, you plying doint."
"Doint" is a contraction of Decimal Point. It refers to the male and also takes over the d-word and a-hole.
Div is short for division, and refers to the female. As a curse word, it takes over the b-word.
Tract is short for Subtract, and takes over the sh-word or any word with scatological leanings. "We're in deep tract on this mission." "This is one tract of a planet." "This tract-filled city is full of brackets."
Bracket serves as an all-purpose insult. "You aren't even paying attention to me, are you, you bunch of brackets!" "That bracket of a kid ran off with my wallet!"
One book gave the characters universal translators a la the Babblefish, but the translators censored curse words. So every time they tried to cuss, it came out as: Shizz, Fonk, etc...
“The chip’s translation system filters out certain words and substitutes them with something less likely to cause offense,” said Sinclair.
“Which ones?” Cal asked. He held up a hand and began listing on his fingers. “Fonk, shizz, pimsy, bamston, cump, twazz…Shizzing motherfonking jotztrumpet. Arrgh!”
“You get the idea…” Sinclair began, but Cal wasn’t finished yet.
“Amshoop. Amswod. Amsclod? Bedge, donchenod, dirty fonking slodgebiscuits.”
Cal threw his arms in the air. “Argh! Damn it!” He gasped. “Damn it! Damn. Damn, I can say ‘damn!’”
Sinclair smiled, but there was impatience clamped between his teeth. “Is that a curse word?”
“You’re damn right it is!” cheered Cal, triumphantly. “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, dandge.” His face fell.
“Dandge. Dandge. Oh fonk it.”
Going into TV shows, Frak was used in Battlestar Galactica, Frell was used in Farscape. Both replace the F-word.
And, of course, in Hitchhikers Guide, 'Belgium' was considered the most offensive word in all of the universe.
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One book gave the characters universal translators a la the Babblefish, but the translators censored curse words. So every time they tried to cuss, it came out as: Shizz, Fonk, etc...
That's pretty funny.
Going into TV shows, Frak was used in Battlestar Galactica, Frell was used in Farscape. Both replace the F-word.
And from the original Battlestar Galactica, they used 'felgercarb' instead of 'frak,' although I'm less clear on what word it was replacing, since it was generally used by Starbuck when he was losing a game of whatever that card game was.
The Reboot Legion used nass, sprock/sprocking and grife as fake-swears.
Kind of surprised no one has mentioned "meatbag" yet. A great all-purpose insult for every android who has to deal with those weird flesh-persons around them on a regular basis.
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Kind of surprised no one has mentioned "meatbag" yet. A great all-purpose insult for every android who has to deal with those weird flesh-persons around them on a regular basis.
Or 'ugly bags of mostly water' (from Star Trek) or 'fleshies' (what Machine Man calls organic folk in Marvel comics when he's feeling ornery).
Calling an elf "racist," "xenophobic," or even "stuck-up." If their out of their enclave then they're probably none of these things.