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Message no. 1
From: P Ward <P.Ward@**.CF.AC.UK>
Subject: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 13:42:01 BST
And here we have the fourth part of the slang guide, filled with more
words that I pick up as I go along. The slang comes from Nosferatu, Shadowplay,
Lone Wolf and Burning Bright, and most of the Japanese phrases come from
Michael Crichton's Rising Sun.
As before a (?) means I'm not totally sure about the usage.

Anybody got any corrections yet? Or any additions? Hint, Hint...

In thw roks are hawai'an stuff from Rising sun and Paradise lost..

Glossary of Slang in 2055 - Courtesy of World Wide Word Watch
(Arc) Archaic term (Mil) Military (Jap) A Japanese or Japlish Loan Word.
(Crp) Corporate (Pol) Police (CIA) Company slang.
(Crm) Criminal (Sam) Samurai (Spn) Spanish Loan-word.
(Dec) Decker (Vul) Vulgar (Rus) Russian Loan-word.
(Med) Medical (Rig) Rigger (Aus) Australian Loan-word.
a. Adjective. v. Verb. N. Noun.

Air-mobile (Rig) A unit or force which can be transported via air,
normally using helicopters or LAV's. Also refers to
an Air-cavalry war-cry.
Bolshoi (Rus) Very, as in "Bolshoi good".
Click-Stick (Sam) A collapsible blunt weapon like some police batons.
Usually made from composite materials that are not
detectable by MAD scanners.
Cobber (Aus) (still) Australian for chummer.
Core-War (Crp) (Computer) Viral warfare designed to destroy
opposing corporation's CPU cores and render them
helpless. Banned as 'unnecessarily cruel' by the
Zurich Orbital convention.
ESO (Crp) Equipment Smarter than Operator.
Gambatte (Jap) Try very hard.
Glacial a. (Dec) Very big or 'cold' ICe/system. ie. extremely
difficult to crack.
God Spot (Mil) A vantage point where a sniper can 'play god'. ie.
decide who lives and who dies.
Gunsel n. A Yakuza soldier.
Heat (Crm) The police, also a firearm.
Heeled (Crm) Carrying a firearm.
Hoop Butt :- 'kicked his hoop', 'hand his hoop to him'
IFF (Rig) Identify Friend/Foe, a transponder which constantly
broadcasts the identity of vehicle/plane.
Off-line (Dec) Any time spent away from the matrix.
(Crm) Any time spent out of 'the business'.
Jet-Core Loud, brash, dissonant rock and roll music.
Juice (Dec) To improve the performance of hard/software.
Kaffir (Vul) Once used by white south-africans to insult blacks,
now used by black south-africans to insult people
of mixed race.
Kaizen (Jap) The process of continual refinement.
Kicks Insults or digs, as in "no kicks to you".
Kokujin (Jap) Black man.
Korunbo (Jap) Black person.
Lost-Tech Hig technology that was erased or lost during the
computer crash of 2029 and the ensuing chaos.
Mano (Spn) Man.
No Brainer A run or other endeavour that takes little or no
mental effort.
Nullhead (Dec) A non-decker.
Paint (Rig) To use some sort of device to hit a target with a
signal and reflect it back to a receiver which uses
the signal to track that target, eg laser, radar,
microwave, ultrasound, etc.
Pick (Dec) An ICe-pick, ie a program or piece of hardware
designed to neutralise or bypass ICe.
Rack n. (Crm) Firearm (?).
Skin-Paint (Rig) Actual radar lock as opposed to locking on via an
IFF transponder. A skin-paint requires a more
powerful radar than a mere transponder lock,
Slag (Vul) A person.
Slagged Down (Dec) Death by Black-Ice, usually through brain damage.
Soldier n. (Crm) A member of a gang (or organised crime) whose
principal sphere of responsibility is violence and
fighting other gangs/law enforcement officers.
Squawk (Rig) How an IFF transponder identifies a plane/vehicle.
Tank-gun Like an elephant gun, but larger. Usually referring
to sniper weapons of the same calibre as the Barret
Model 121, or the Dragunov II.
Tingler n. Anti-rigger electrical charge designed to fuse
safety cut-outs and incapacitate or kill riggers.
Usually found in building security. See also Zapper
Torpedo n. A mafia soldier.
Transponder A radio broadcaster that identifies a plane. Some
poor countries rely on radar that are only capable
of picking up the much stronger transponder signal,
rather than actually being able to track the plane
via a "skin-paint".
Trog Rock A type of heavy metal performed by orc or troll
rockers. Very loud and often anti-human.
War Boss n. (Crm) That member of a gang's leadership concerned with
the overseeing of gang 'soldiers' and violent
activities.
White-Head Someone who has so much cyberware implanted that
they begin to act more machine than human.
Zapper n. Anti-rigger missile designed to deliver a large
electrical charge to a rigged target which will
induce (lethal) feedback at the controlling riggers
end.
n. also, a Remote control for an electrical device.
Message no. 2
From: "Stephen M. Bugge" <bugge@********.EDU>
Subject: Re: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 15:43:04 -0700
Bolshoi means literally 'big' in russian, It is frequently used for
important etc.

*-------------------------------------------*
|Stephen M. Bugge|<bugge@********.edu> |
|President, |<buug@***.com> |
|College GOP @ SU|<75764.240@**********.com>|
*-------------------------------------------*
Message no. 3
From: Mike Buckalew <mike_buckalew@**.CLARIS.COM>
Subject: Re: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 18:53:07 -0700
RE>RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Phil Ward gave us another installment of SR slang words which included:

>Mano (Spn) Man.

Well, in Spanish, Mano means "Hand", so "Mano-a-Mano" literally means
"Hand-to-Hand". (Hombre is man in spanish, and the 'H' is silent.)

I thought I'd add the following. I play in a Planescape (sorry, I know it's
@#&#, but it is a really well done world) campaign as well as DMing
Shadowrun. It has its own slang which is really cool. Since a lot of the
players are in both groups, we've ended up mixing the slang in our games.

Since T$R stole all of this from actual historical stuff, they can't own the
copyright on it. I think it's what a lot of the so called "Thieves Cant" was
actually supposed to based on.

Most of it is pretty generic and sounds great in street level Shadowrun
dialog. Substitute Seattle or <city of choice> for Sigil in the
descriptions.

The Cant:

Addle-cove
A not-particularly friendly way to call someone an idiot, as in, "Did you
hear what that addle-coved wizard wanted us to do?"

Bar that
An almost-polite way to say "shut up" or "don't talk about that."
It's quick
and to the point, and it can be used as a warning: "Bar that, Jannos, there's
Dustmen over there."

Barmies
The insane folks, especially those in Sigil, who've been "touched" by the
impossible bigness of the planes.

Basher
A neutral reference to a person, usually a thug or fighter.

Berk
A fool, especially one who got himself into the mess when he should have
known better.

Birdcage
A cell or anything that compares to it.

Blinds
The dead-ends of the Mazes, it also means anything impossible or hopeless, as
in, "He'll hit the blinds if he tries lying to the factol."

Blood
Anyone who's an expert, sage, or a professional at his work. A champion
gladiator can be a blood, just like a practiced sorceror. Calling someone a
blood is a mark of high respect.

Bob
The business of cheating someone, whether it's of their cash, honor, or
trust. A good guide to Sigil will warn a cutter when someone's bobbing him.
Thieves boast that they "bobbed some leatherhead on the street."

Bone-box
The mouth, named because of its teeth, fangs, or whatever. "Stop rattling
your bone-box," is telling a berk to lay off the threats or bragging.

Bub
Booze, wine, or ale that's usually cheap and barely drinkable.

Bubber
A drunk, especially if he, she, or it has fallen on hard times. Bubbers
don't get any sympathy from most folks in Sigil.

Burg
Any town smaller than Sigil, either in size or spirit - at least that's how
folks from Sigil see it. Other bodies don't always agree.

Cage, the
This is a common nickname for Sigil, used by locals. It comes from birdcage,
so it's a pretty harsh judgement on the place.

Case
The house or place where a cutter lives.

Chant, the
An expression that means news, local gossip, the facts, the moods, or
anything else about what's happening. "What's the chant?" is a way of asking
what's latest information a basher's heard.

Cross-trade
The business of thieving, or anything else illegal or shady. "A
cross-trading scum" is a thief who's probably angered the Mercykillers.

Cutter
A term that refers to anybody, male or female, that a person wants. It does
suggest a certain amount of resourcefulness or daring, and so it's a lot
better than calling someone a berk.

Dark
Anything that's secret is said to be a dark. "Here's the dark of it," is a
way of saying "I've got a secret and I'll share it with you."

Garnish
A bribe, as in "Give the irritating petty official a little garnish and he'll
go away."

Give'em the Laugh
Escape or slip through the clutches of someone. Robbin a tanar'ri's house
and not getting caught is giving him the laugh.

Give the Rope
What happens to condemned criminals who don't manage to give the law the
laugh. Usually thieves are the only folks who use this term.

High-up Man
This is what everybody - man, woman, and thing - in Sigil wants to be:
somebody with money and influence. Factols are automatically considered
high-up men. It's bad form to call one's self this; it's a phrase others
bestow.

Jink
The goal of the poor: money or coins. "That's going to take a lot of jink!"
for an expensive bit of garnishing.

Kip
Any place a cutter can put up his feet and sleep for a night, especially
cheap flophouses in the Hive or elsewhere. Landlords or good inns get upset
if a fellow calls their place a kip.

Knight of the Post or Knight of the Cross Trade
A thief, cheat, and a liar - clearly not a compliment unless, of course,
that's what the basher wants to be.

Leafless Tree
The gallows, which is where some berks wind up after they've been scragged.

Leatherhead
A dolt, a dull or thick-witted fellow. Use it to call someone an idiot.

Lost
Dead. "He got lost," means he ain't coming back without a resurrection.

Mazes, the
The nasty little traps the Lady of Pain creates for would-be dictators. It's
also come to mean any particularly well-deserved punishment, as in, "It's the
Mazes for him and I can't say I'm sorry."
Music A price a cutter usually doesn't want to pay, but has to anyway. "Pay
the music or you'll never your way out of here."

Out-of-Touch
Outside the Outer Planes. A body who's on the Elemental Plane of Water is
"out-of-touch." This vernacular comes from Sigil, which is considered to be
the center of the multiverse by those who adopted this phrase.

Peel
A swindle, con, or a trick is a peel. It's often used as a verb. Peeling a
tanar'ri is usually a bad idea.

Peery
Suspicious and on one's guard. What a basher whould be if he thinks he's
going to be peeled.

Pike It
A useful, all-purpose phrase, as in, "Take a short stick and pike it,
bubber."

Put In The Dead-Book
Dead. Some people have others "put in the dead-book".

Scragged
Arrested or caught.

Sod
An unfortunate or poor soul. Use it to show sympathy for an unlucky cutter
or use it sarcastically for those who get themselves into their own mess.

Turn Stag
To betray somebody or use treachery. Saying "he's turned stag" is about the
worst thing that can be said about a cutter.

Buck

buck@******.com
GCS d- s-:- a C++ !U !P !L !E W N- K? $w--- !O $M+(++) !V PS+(+++) PE++ Y+
PGP- t+ 5-(+) !X R++ tv+>(+++) b++ DI++ D---- G e++ h(@) r++>(+++) y?
Message no. 4
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 11:36:03 +0200
>Kip
>Any place a cutter can put up his feet and sleep for a night, especially
>cheap flophouses in the Hive or elsewhere. Landlords or good inns get upset
>if a fellow calls their place a kip.

Would you want to sleep in a chicken? :)


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Wicked mental dope
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 5
From: Dave Stone <dstone@******.DREAMSCAPE.COM>
Subject: Re: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 07:11:18 -0400
On Mon, 7 Aug 1995, Mike Buckalew wrote:
> Since T$R stole all of this from actual historical stuff, they can't own the
> copyright on it. I think it's what a lot of the so called "Thieves Cant"
was
> actually supposed to based on.
> <Slang>

I could be wrong, but the slang is actually lower class 19th
century england, I believe. Could be, though.

Dave

| David Stone -- dstone@******.dreamscape.com |
| "Five ride forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he |
| proclaim himself, bannered across the sky in fire..." |
Message no. 6
From: P Ward <P.Ward@**.CF.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: RENEGADE'S SLANG-4
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 12:53:25 BST
> >Kip
> >Any place a cutter can put up his feet and sleep for a night, especially
> >cheap flophouses in the Hive or elsewhere. Landlords or good inns get upset
> >if a fellow calls their place a kip.
>
> Would you want to sleep in a chicken? :)

err.... is this a dutch-language joke or what, does kip mean chicken?

Confused (near) monolinguist here...

Phil (Renegade)

Further Reading

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