# Tech slang?



## Ezra Newman (Jan 11, 2020)

Hey guys! I’ve been browsing for a few months and figured I’d jump in.

What’s some of your favorite tech slang? My personal favorite is the “f*ck me nut” which is the set screw in a C clamp (because they’re a pain to tighten and our lightspeed wrenches don’t fit them), causing you to groan their name when they come loose.


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## josh88 (Jan 11, 2020)

I've always called it the fark nut, because when you bash your knuckle on it and catch a corner because its square, thats what you end up saying.

Edit: the CB language censor still works lol "the F*ck nut"


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## Jay Ashworth (Jan 12, 2020)

It's not what *I* end up saying... ;-)

There's another thread around somewhere on this, though IIRC it kinda diverged too...


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## Ezra Newman (Jan 12, 2020)

josh88 said:


> Edit: the CB language censor still works lol "the F*ck nut"



it’s under my name, I censored myself.


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## What Rigger? (Jan 12, 2020)

"Snipered" (although I use it in limited company, mostly people I have history with from the 90's that are still in my venues with me). It's when something gets broken, and someone in authority asks "Who broke this? How'd it happen?" and the answer comes back "No idea. We didn't see anything. Must've been a sniper."

Which is not to be confused with "Buttered". Usually that's when something large (say, a giant set piece being flown, or on automation, or something approximately car sized) crashes into something of similar size or larger (like a building) resulting in said object being totaled...or the person responsible shortly afterward being promoted to manager. 
"Bob flew the video wall in, but the set pieces on deck weren't clear, and the whole thing is buttered. No shows today. "

I know these examples are oddly specific.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 12, 2020)

What Rigger? said:


> "Snipered" (although I use it in limited company, mostly people I have history with from the 90's that are still in my venues with me). It's when something gets broken, and someone in authority asks "Who broke this? How'd it happen?" and the answer comes back "No idea. We didn't see anything. Must've been a sniper."
> 
> Which is not to be confused with "Buttered". Usually that's when something large (say, a giant set piece being flown, or on automation, or something approximately car sized) crashes into something of similar size or larger (like a building) resulting in said object being totaled...or the person responsible shortly afterward being promoted to manager.
> "Bob flew the video wall in, but the set pieces on deck weren't clear, and the whole thing is buttered. No shows today. "
> ...


 *@What Rigger?* "Oddly specific" similarly to unloading Les Mizz's hydraulic accumulator powered 'Barricades' and leaving them standing outside untethered on a non level surface? That kind of "oddly specific"?? 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbarrd


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## josh88 (Jan 12, 2020)

Ezra Newman said:


> it’s under my name, I censored myself.


No, I mean it autocorrected my post to "fark" it lets more through these days than it used to so we forget it's still around.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 12, 2020)

josh88 said:


> No, I mean it autocorrected my post to "fark"* it lets more through these days than it used to so we forget it's still around.*


"phuque" and "phuquecough" still both confuse my Office 2007's Spell check AND sail through CB with nary a hitch. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## RickR (Jan 12, 2020)

At a recent rigging seminar a world renown expert hadn't heard the term "peanut" for a 1/4t hoist. 

He was also firm in that we should call hoists correctly and not say "motors". 

My least favorite slang is labeling things "MT", living near Montana makes this less than clear.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jan 12, 2020)

I would like to submit -- for those who feel the need for a cussword, and are *not* fans of Galactica 77 -- frak and felgercarb.

It's probably obvious which traditional 'Murrican cuss words they substitute for. Glen Larson did a good job.


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## What Rigger? (Jan 12, 2020)

Jay Ashworth said:


> I would like to submit -- for those who feel the need for a cussword, and are *not* fans of Galactica 77 -- frak and felgercarb.
> 
> It's probably obvious which traditional 'Murrican cuss words they substitute for. Glen Larson did a good job.


I have been saying "frak" for Yahrens.


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## What Rigger? (Jan 12, 2020)

RonHebbard said:


> *@What Rigger?* "Oddly specific" similarly to unloading Les Mizz's hydraulic accumulator powered 'Barricades' and leaving them standing outside untethered on a non level surface? That kind of "oddly specific"??
> Toodleoo!
> Ron Hebbarrd


Pretty close. Seriously.


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## Ted jones (Jan 15, 2020)

RickR said:


> At a recent rigging seminar a world renown expert hadn't heard the term "peanut" for a 1/4t hoist.
> 
> He was also firm in that we should call hoists correctly and not say "motors".
> 
> My least favorite slang is labeling things "MT", living near Montana makes this less than clear.


We use "NG" or "NFG" depending on its state of "no good". 

I stil use "front light" for follow spots occasionally. Somewhere in my history were much older stagehands in Local 19. Miss those guys. They also used terms like "rock and spikes" for hammer and nails. Oh yeah, "X-Rays" for strip lights. I used to see that as nomenclature on some of the Frank Adams dimmer banks.


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## Eleanor Moriarty (Jan 15, 2020)

I was always been a fan of Cheeseburger for cheeseborough.


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## RickR (Jan 15, 2020)

I recall Xrays as a brand/model name, Altman?


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## JohnD (Jan 16, 2020)

RonHebbard said:


> "phuque" and "phuquecough" still both confuse my Office 2007's Spell check AND sail through CB with nary a hitch.
> Toodleoo!
> Ron Hebbard


Oh my, I always thought that was sort of like words like colour. 
As far as fark, don't forget Laugh-In and "Stick it in your Funk and Wagnals!"

RickR said:


> I recall Xrays as a brand/model name, Altman?


I think the brand name predates Altman.







X-Ray reflectors for direct store-window and show-case lighting. : National X Ray Reflector : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

40 p. : ill. ; 23 cm., trade catalogs


archive.org





Not really slang, but I would love to see a tech rider that insists on both a lectern AND a podium. That should help in getting what you really need.


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## almorton (Jan 16, 2020)

Further to Jay's suggestion, we often use "cattled" for something which is broken or completely beyond repair; shortened rhyming slang for "cattle trucked".


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## Mike Donovan (Jan 16, 2020)

Eleanor Moriarty said:


> I was always been a fan of Cheeseburger for cheeseborough.



cheeseburgers with pickles: a rigger’s favourite lunch.


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## bclighting (Jan 16, 2020)

"Pooched", a nicer way of saying "f'ed" in on those corporate and worship gigs.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 16, 2020)

bclighting said:


> "Pooched", a nicer way of saying "f'ed" in on those corporate and worship gigs.


* @bclighting* "Pooched", as in "Phuqueing the dog" 
(We've got that one up here north of Donnie's Walls as well.) 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## bobgaggle (Jan 17, 2020)

One that seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years, probably for the best, is the CH. As in "take a CH off that board". Or for the very minute length adjustment, you could take off a red CH.


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## Van (Jan 17, 2020)

Eleanor Moriarty said:


> I was always been a fan of Cheeseburger for cheeseborough.


Cheeseburger and Swivelburgers.


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## Van (Jan 17, 2020)

bobgaggle said:


> One that seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years, probably for the best,


Somebody brought that up the other day in the office. I'm surprised they are still working here.... Frog Hair, Finer than Frog hair.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 17, 2020)

bobgaggle said:


> One that seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years, probably for the best, is the CH. As in "take a CH off that board". Or for the very minute length adjustment, you could take off a red CH.


*Oops!*  I just got deleted for inappropriate / unsuitable "tech(ie) slang.  [and I'm not surprised.]  
Toodleo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## DavidJones (Jan 20, 2020)

RickR said:


> At a recent rigging seminar a world renown expert hadn't heard the term "peanut" for a 1/4t hoist.
> 
> He was also firm in that we should call hoists correctly and not say "motors".
> 
> My least favorite slang is labeling things "MT", living near Montana makes this less than clear.


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## bobgaggle (Jan 20, 2020)

Van said:


> Somebody brought that up the other day in the office. I'm surprised they are still working here.... Frog Hair, Finer than Frog hair.



Much less offensive . My go to for this is "take off half a kerf." Easy to say, lots of alliterative sounds, and doesn't offend anyone yet.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 20, 2020)

bobgaggle said:


> Much less offensive . My go to for this is "take off half a kerf." Easy to say, lots of alliterative sounds, and doesn't offend anyone yet.


 *@bobgaggle* Four or five decades ago up here north of the walls, 
"Fine, fine; mighty fine: Fine as the hairs on a frog's back." was commonly heard; to my limited knowledge, not even our frog's took offence; several were even heard croaking their approvals with pride regarding how mighty fine their back-hairs were purported to be. 
I'll leave my deleted term to disintegrate / dissipate to its half-life in a liquid and vapor tight underground vault somewhere. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## RickR (Jan 20, 2020)

"Scrillionth of an inch" almost sounds technical and can be fun to say.


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## Ancient Engineer (Jan 30, 2020)

"Jackwagoned" -- A piece of gear that was working adequately at the last stop and now is non-functional/broken into many pieces not associated with the object's edges/not in its assigned case(s)/left behind.

"Crud Muffin(ed)" -- A cable or cables (esp. soco) that were placed into the correct crate(s) clean and then arrived at the next stop covered in: The coffee that was tossed into the crate prior to the lid going on/Bodily fluids.../Truck lubricants or fuel/Paint (usually Rosco CK blue or green for some unknown reason)/Battery acid (not enough to damage the cabling a whole lot, but enough to ruin your clothes and burn your skin)/Vindaloo.

"nub" -- A leftover from my submarine days... A freshly minted technician full of ideas and dreams that have yet to have some reality poured over their morning Wheaties. One who is Eager but not as Useful as you (or anyone else) would like. Technically an acronym; Not Useful Being.


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## Malabaristo (Jan 31, 2020)

Van said:


> Cheeseburger and Swivelburgers.



Interesting... are swivelburgers a subset of cheeseburgers in this context, or are those terms used exclusively?


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## Van (Jan 31, 2020)

Malabaristo said:


> Interesting... are swivelburgers a subset of cheeseburgers in this context, or are those terms used exclusively?


Definitely a subset. All Burgers are cheeseburgers but not all burgers are swivel burgers. A codicil to this being the a swivel burger can be a burger but a burger cant be a swivelburger.


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## RonHebbard (Jan 31, 2020)

Van said:


> Definitely a subset. All Burgers are cheeseburgers but not all burgers are swivel burgers. A codicil to this being the a swivel burger can be a burger but a burger cant be a swivelburger.


 *@Van* "Codicil" and "ontological", both posted on Dave's Control Booth Forum on the same day; Impressive, Ontological sent me to my Funk and Wagnall's, I don't think it had previously penetrated little Donnie's walls.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard


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## Van (Jan 31, 2020)

RonHebbard said:


> *@Van* "Codicil" and "octological", both posted on Dave's Control Booth Forum on the same day; Impressive, Octological sent me to my Funk and Wagnall's, I don't think it had previously penetrated little Donnie's walls.
> Toodleoo!
> Ron Hebbard


Ontological with an N. It basically just says this exists because it does or must. St. Anselm Ontological argument for the existence of God was: "That which nothing greater can be conceived." Which is patently ridiculous but it holds sway among religious scholars to this day...


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## Van (Jan 31, 2020)

Talk about a hijack; how did we get from Tech Slang to Religious philosophy?


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## misterm (Feb 7, 2020)

Van said:


> Talk about a hijack; how did we get from Tech Slang to Religious philosophy?



They're not the same? Maybe I HAVE been working in worship production for too long.....


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## NateTheRiddler (Feb 7, 2020)

One that I love: Fustercluck. Anytime someone unwittingly creates a giant mess through ignorance (or idiocy) I always throw it out there, with a very facetious undertone. “Oh, what a fustercluck.” The best part is, anyone with 1% or more dyslexia immediately corrects it in their head, and anyone else who hasn’t (somehow miraculously) heard it stops, thinks, and then realizes.

Use responsibly.


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## RonHebbard (Feb 7, 2020)

NateTheRiddler said:


> One that I love: Fustercluck. Anytime someone unwittingly creates a giant mess through ignorance (or idiocy) I always throw it out there, with a very facetious undertone. “Oh, what a fustercluck.” The best part is, anyone with 1% or more dyslexia immediately corrects it in their head, and anyone else who hasn’t (somehow miraculously) heard it stops, thinks, and then realizes.
> 
> Use responsibly.


 * @NateTheRiddler*
In the same vein *& with the same cautions*: "It's not as if it was Rocket Surgery" and keep right on walkin'. 
Later the same day or a couple of days later. "Well it's not like it was Brain Science" and keep right on walkin'. 

Thirty seconds later they're going to be thinking: 
*1*; "What did he say???" 
*2*; "Is he phuqued in the head, dyslexic or, or, or*? * 

Bottom Line: Leave 'em wondering; seeing how long it takes them to put it together will tell YOU Either: * 
a*; More about THEM than you ever wanted to know. 
OR 
*b*; More about THEM you NEVER wanted to know. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## almorton (Feb 8, 2020)

That's part of the thinking behind "Blah de blah .... and Bob's your auntie".


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## JimOC_1 (Feb 9, 2020)

Yes for good reasons the contraction for diagonal cutters has taken the same path as rch. 
“We’re not building a piano” is still used by some who went to a certain HS in Virginia. And just “son of a” with hand motions came out of Va. Tech in about 78.


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## GreyWyvern (Feb 14, 2020)

NateTheRiddler said:


> One that I love: Fustercluck. Anytime someone unwittingly creates a giant mess through ignorance (or idiocy) I always throw it out there, with a very facetious undertone. “Oh, what a fustercluck.” The best part is, anyone with 1% or more dyslexia immediately corrects it in their head, and anyone else who hasn’t (somehow miraculously) heard it stops, thinks, and then realizes.
> 
> Use responsibly.


I have the minor lysdexia that often comes with ADHD. Seems to be getting worse as of late, especially when typing..... When talking, I frequently swap words in sentences, eg: I'm going to pull the garage in to the car. I catch it a little more than half of the time. Depending on who's around determines whether I correct myself or not. The rest of the time people either correct me or just look at me with a stupid look on their face trying to figure out what I just said or trying to decide if it was on purpose or if I know I did it. Always fun. Drives my wife nuts, but not as much as switching letters in words. I do that on purpose more than accidentally. You gotta be careful with some such as tape rule though. Go ahead, I'll give you a minute....


Anyway.... I often do it just to see if it actually makes sense and/or is funny. Naturally, I can't really think of any good ones currently, but they will come flooding to me as soon as I hit the post button. Right.... now


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## JohnD (Feb 14, 2020)

Not tech slang, and this goes back at least half a century but, instead of using the phrase that is close to "son of a gun" the polite company phrase was "Well sunny beach".


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