Useful Phrases in Traveller

[robject]

I want to put together some useful phrases, which I'll then port to various Traveller languages (or, in some cases, just use the random word generators).

What phrases are good, iconic, or impactful for this sort of thing?

I guess the most obvious example is Mayday! -- Gashimeku Kalariin in Vilani.

 

[Timerover51]

I want to put together some useful phrases, which I'll then port to various Traveller languages (or, in some cases, just use the random word generators).

What phrases are good, iconic, or impactful for this sort of thing?

I guess the most obvious example is Mayday! -- Gashimeku Kalariin in Vilani.

I posted the link to an Icelandic Phrase book a while back on the forum which would work for the Sword Worlders. Let me know if you want it again.

 

[Enoki]

I think my favorite would be from Ral Rantan:

Scanli ölümäk! (To your glorious death! or May your death be glorious!)

 

[nobby-w]

I want to put together some useful phrases, which I'll then port to various Traveller languages (or, in some cases, just use the random word generators).

What phrases are good, iconic, or impactful for this sort of thing?

I guess the most obvious example is Mayday! -- Gashimeku Kalariin in Vilani.

In my 'verses I often have 'tinfoil hats' as a colloquial term for psi shield helmets, and 'spoon benders' as a colloquial term for psi sensitives. "The Zhos have got their spoon benders with them. Got yer tinfoil hats?"

In some settings I have a chain of ship's outfitters called 'A Bertram' with branches at most class A-C starports in or near Imperial space.

Lithobraking is a method of shedding velocity by navigating one's ship such that the periapsis of its orbit lies beneath the surface of a solid body. A crash may be referred to as an 'unscheduled lithobraking manoeuvre' and is generally regarded as a career-limiting move for naval officers.

'Coleslaw gun' is a nickname for the VRF gauss gun, named after its effect when used for suppressive fire against targets hiding in vegetation.

 

[Timerover51]

In some settings I have a chain of ship's outfitters called 'A Bertram' with branches at most class A-C starports in or near Imperial space.

Very good, and I hope most of the forum gets the reference. His writings are quite good, and are one of the inspirations of my Out Rim Sector.

 

[Timerover51]

The following is the link to the U.S. Army handbook on Icelandic, which would work for the Sword Worlders. It has a range of useful phrases, and if you download the PDF with Text, it is a matter of copy and paste for your phrases. There might be a "slight" problem with some of the Icelandic characters.

https://archive.org/details/TM30-313Icelandic/page/n1

TM 30-313 Icelandic: A Guide To The Spoken Language, 1944

As a U.S. Army manual, this is in the public domain of the United States.

 

[Enoki]

Another I use is the term "Sand crabs." This is used by space fairing crew as a term for those at starports that never go into space but have some function they do in relationship to spacecraft.

"Yea, the sand crabs are supposed to be here in an hour to fix the drive..."

 

[kilemall]

You could peruse my insults of the Imperium thread-


http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=35623&highlight=insults

 

[Timerover51]

A very important phrase to know if you are visiting the Sword Worlds.

English: Where is a toilet?

Phonetic Pronunciation: KVAR AYR NOWDH-hooss?

Icelandic: Hvar er náðhús?

Another good one to know.

English: Where is a restaurant?

Phonetic Pronunciation: KVAR AYR MAHT-ser-lew-hooss?

Icelandic: Hvar er matsöluhús?

 

[Enoki]

I've learned from travelling around the world that the three most important phrases to learn are:

Where's the bathroom?
Not only NO, but F... NO!
Another beer please!

In Ral Rantan these would translate (roughly) as:

Hamamaxna (gesturing with hand to show you want to know the location)
Yox ölüm! (including your pulling a blade, sword, or knife on the person)
Rivä baa! (preferably growled and banging your empty glass on the table) or for something stronger "od su baa!" (again banging your empty glass on the table)