List of terms (TOS)
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- For terms used in separate continuity and unproduced script sources, see: List of terms (TOS alternate).
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The Colonials and Cylons employ a distinct nomenclature of military jargon, colloquialisms, sayings, and technical terms to create a culture distinctly "alien" to the audience. This article serves to organize and summarize this terminology, leading to different articles if the term needs to be further expanded upon.
Acronyms
- CORA: Computer, Oral Response Activated; an artificial intelligence capable of operating a Viper (TOS: "The Long Patrol")
Honorifics
- Count, a title of nobility (e.g. Count Iblis)
- Lord, a title of nobility (e.g. Lord Baltar)
- Sire, a title of nobility, typically ascribed to a civilian of the male gender (e.g. Sire Uri, Sire Solon)
- Siress, a title of nobility, typically ascribed to a civilian of the female gender (e.g. Siress Tinia, Siress Blassie)
Colloquialisms
- astrum: buttocks (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")
- Barge Lice: a "term of endearment" for prisoners on the Prison Barge
- felgercarb: expletive, similar to "crap"
- frack: expletive, similar to "shit"
- galmonging: an expletive, possibly similar to "asshole" or "God damned"
- Hades hole: hell hole, used to describe the Red planet (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I")
- mong-raking: an expletive; after thwarting their attack on Galactica, Cain comments that "those mong-raking Cylons are in a state of shock right now" due to the appearance of Pegasus (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part II")
- plant vapors: a psychoactive drug familiar to the Colonials; Boomer comments that the Blonde Taurus woman on Carillon was probably "smoking plant vapors" (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- pogees: expletive, similar to "shit" (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part II")
- socialator: a sex worker, escort, prostitute (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
General Jargon
- agro: products related to agriculture (TOS: "The Magnificent Warriors")
- ambrosa: an expensive alcoholic intoxicant
- auto-control: auto-pilot; Brie is instructed by Starbuck to activate this after having problems on her first launch from Galactica (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- bio-pulse line: an unspecified body function, possibly an emotional state; Starbuck attempts to use this as an excuse to not join Apollo's mission to clear the Cylon minefield (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- boraton: a liquid that extinguishes fires (TOS: "Fire in Space")
- breather: term for a breathing mask, or a life support system supplying air (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- bureautician: bureaucrat, politician (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- carbide: a likely term for carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- centura: possibly an expression related to percentages. "If we just let him lie in that life pod he doesn't have a chance in a centura" (TOS: "Fire in Space").
- Chief Opposer: a prosecuting attorney in a trial (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star").
- chronometer: a time keeping device, essentially a watch (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- computape: a video recording; Sire Solon watched computapes of the triad match between Ortega and Starbuck (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- crawlon: a spider (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- comline: a communication channel between ships
- cubit: a form of coined currency
- daggit: a domesticated canine, e.g. dog
- death stone: tombstone (TOS: "The Long Patrol")
- drone: a term for a robot, such as Muffit II (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- ducket: a type of prepaid voucher used on the shuttle Canaris, typically collected at the end of the shuttle trip (TOS: "The Man with Nine Lives")
- flight slumber: unintentionally sleeping while flying a craft, like a Viper; Apollo attempts to write off John and his second visit to the Ship of Lights as being a dream from a flight slumber (TOS: "Experiment in Terra")
- fumarello: a small cigar that Starbuck typically smokes
- furlon: a furlough, or short leave of absence for Warriors in the Colonial Military service (TOS: "The Man with Nine Lives")
- geogram: a diagram; Ravashol shows Apollo a geogram of the pulsar with instructions on how to destroy it (TOS: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II")
- glaiders: coined currency on Equellus (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- grog: an intoxicating beverage, likely similar to beer
- Homemade Buzzer: a version of "moonshine" on Equellus (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- hovermobile: apparently a form of ground transportation that can be hot-wired (TOS: "Fire in Space")
- ion field: a stellar phenomenon, which can cause scanner echoes (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")
- ion vapors: likely term referring to the trail of a turbo engine (TOS: "The Long Patrol")
- isoldin: a type of intravenous fluid given to patients (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- leisuron: a vacation or leave of absence, similar to a furlon (TOS: deleted scene, "Saga of a Star World")
- lextrium III: a type of fuel used by the Eastern Alliance destroyer (TOS: "Experiment in Terra")
- life pod: a life support bed used in the life center aboard Galactica (TOS: "Fire in Space")
- lupus: a wolf-like animal
- mega star: a star; in a deleted scene, Omega reports of the "mega star" they detect as they leave the magnetic void (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II")
- mega sun: a star; the Nomen come from the "land of the mega sun" (TOS: "The Man with Nine Lives")
- med tech: a medical technician, such as a nurse or orderly
- meteor fire: meteor storm; Starbuck likens the readouts on his instrument panel "lighting up like a meteor fire" upon coming across the magnetic void (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- modocker: an unknown term, likely of endearment; Cain asks Apollo how Adama is by asking, "Well, how is he? How is that old modocker?" (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")
- mushies: a food
- nightflyer: an owl-like creature on Equellus that hoots (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- officiator: someone who oversees a triad game (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- Orion hasher: something that is black and blue; Cassiopeia comments that Starbuck looks like one after his matches with Ortega (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- oviner: a rancher (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- plant vapors: some sort of drug, likely a reference to marijuana (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- pluton: a radioactive material whose radiation breaks down food (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- pods: a Cylon outpost (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- primaries: basic food groups (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- Protector: a defense attorney in a Tribunal (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- protein: another type of food
- protest: the equivalent of saying "objection" in a Colonial Tribunal (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- pulse scrambled code: secure method of communication used by the Colonial Fleet (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- pyramid: a card game, similar to poker
- quadrant: region of space, see also Sector. Usually named after a Greek letter, or (less frequently) a star system or planet.
- scorpius: likely term for a scorpion; Maga comments that Borellian Nomen have the patience of such a creature, he also comments that the name "Borellian Nomen" strike fear at the hearts of those who hear it like the scorpius (TOS: "The Man with Nine Lives")
- sector: region of space or planet, see also Quadrant. Usually named after a Greek letter (space sectors), or a geographic formation on the surface of a planet (geographic sector, e.g. Sector Hekla on the planet Arcta")
- sleep period: Colonial term for bedtime
- seal: marriage
- sickbed: term for bed rest when one is recovering from an illness (TOS: "The Young Lords")
- skybus: a type of starship (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- solium: a type of fuel
- solonite: an explosive used in demolitions (TOS: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II")
- spacedrome: a space port (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- star speed: a speed which is used by Eastern Alliance (TOS: "Greetings from Earth")
- telecom: an internal communications phone aboard Galactica (TOS: "Fire in Space")
- tinhead: epithet used to describe Cylons (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")
- tribunal: a Colonial court hearing
- turboflush: a toilet (TOS: "Baltar's Escape")
- turboram thruster: a type of engine or thruster; in a deleted scene where Serina completes her first landing, Serina turns off this part of the Colonial shuttle as a part of her landing sequence (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- turboshower: a shower (TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")
- travelator: a travel agent (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- triad: a contact sport, similar to football or basketball
- tylium: a fuel source, highly combustible (TOS: "Fire in Space")
- wardaggit: "war dog" (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")
Technology
- gyro capacitors: component of a Viper's stabilizer system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- laser controllers: component of a Viper's weapon system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- otron extensions: component of a Viper's weapon system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- point diverters: component of a Viper's weapon system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- proton activators: component of a Viper's weapon system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- proton energizers: a type of weapon on an Eastern Alliance destroyer (TOS: "Experiment in Terra")
- scanner: term for a computer monitor and television set
- tape coder: a voice recording device; Thane successfully passes off a hand mine as a device (TOS: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II")
- transmit tek: component of a Viper's stabilizer system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
- zonar modules: component of a Viper's stabilizer system (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I")[1]
Military Jargon
- "flash inspection": an inspection of military assets that is performed without prior notice by a superior officer (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
- "four-point peel off": a maneuver performed with a group of four Vipers (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I")
- "free flight jump": an infantry parachute landing, having jumped out of a shuttle (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part II")
- "life station relief": sick call (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II")
- "maximum G-climb": a maneuver done near a celestial body, which may cause the pilot to blackout; Starbuck orders C.O.R.A. to perform this maneuver, which causes the pursuing Raider to crash into the loading docks on Proteus (TOS: "The Lost Warrior")
- "stand alert": Colonial term for "attention" (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- "stripped and moduled": a consequence of severe infractions in military law, likely similar to being stripped of one's rank and thrown in hack; Greenbean expresses a fear of this happening as Giles asks where he got the alcohol from (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")
- Warrior: an all-purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot
Sayings
- "By your command": a typical Cylons response to an order (TOS: "Saga of a Star World", et al.)
- "By your leave": a Colonial response to an order (TOS: "Saga of a Star World", et al.)
- "clear as the Nubian sun": a saying, similar to "as clear as day"; Cain uses this saying when referencing to the non-existent Raiders he allegedly pursued when he made his attack on the Cylon fuel tankers (TOS: "The Living Legend, Part I").
- "daggit drivel": a term used to describe someone's lies, similar to "garbage" or "bullshit"; Lucifer uses this term when asking if Baltar believes Specter's false reports (TOS: "The Young Lords").
- "For the glory of Caprica": saying used by the Colonials, particularly those from Caprica (TOS: "Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II").
- "Go rust yourself": Colonial equivalent to "go fuck yourself", typically used towards Cylons; Cadet Cree says this to Vulpa while the Cylons interrogate him (TOS: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I").
- "laser in their side": analogue to "thorn in their side", Starbuck uses this term to describe how the actions of Megan's surviving children have kept their father alive at Cylon hands (TOS: "The Young Lords").
- "like a daggit on a sunspot": fidgety; Apollo points out that Starbuck acts this way during his pre-flight meeting on destroying the mines in the Straits of Madagon (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
Units of Measure
Table notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 As noted from Sheba's scanner readout in "The Living Legend, Part I". Refer to this image.
- ↑ Yahren may be only about 2/3 of a year; see note.
- ↑ In episodes such as "Saga of a Star World" and "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I", centon is used as the Colonial equivalent of a week before being retconned in later episodes.
- ↑ Microcenton is likely another term for "micron"; Starbuck uses this term when he says "switching off of you for a microcenton to scan ahead" (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II")
- ↑ A sectar is an unknown unit of measure, measuring either distance or time.
- ↑ "Metron" is used in a deleted scene as Serina approaches the starboard landing bay (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II"); likely similar to a meter, which is known as a "metric" in other episodes.
See also
- Battlestar Galactica - Writers Guide, transcribed by Chris Pappas