For more information on Titan see my Titan Home Page.
Send comments or suggestions for slang terms to Eric Pass.
TITAN SLANG
(Edited by Eric Pass (epass@nyx.net)
Here's a compilation of some game slang. The person submitting the
name is in brackets after the jargon.
Last update: 09/03/2001
GENERAL SLANG
BASIC BACON: Tower creatures (Jfilko@aol.com)
BASIC BREEDERS: Tower creatures (gshowman@princeton.edu)
BEEF: Any piece recruited to defend the stack rather than to improve
recruitment. (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
BIG BROTHER: A large stack defending a new stack.(wildman@athena.mit.edu)
BLACK PIT OF DOOM: The outer track of the board. (Chris_Connolly/AEBS.AEBS@SMTP.aebs.com)
BREEDING: Mustering (gshowman@princeton.edu)
BUNNY: Anything that recruits more of itself in a lot of places:
"ranger bunnies," "gorgon bunnies," "brush bunnies" (mahk@lglass.com)
BUS: The outer track of the board.(mahk@lglass.com)
BUS STOP: A space on the bus where you have the option to leave.
(mahk@lglass.com)
CHEESE: Wimpy pieces you don't mind getting killed in a battle (Normally
tower pieces).(wildman@athena.mit.edu)
CHUMPIES: Creatures that have become obsolete. (Jfilko@aol.com)
CLAUSWITZIAN TITAN: A Titan that wants to win the game by personally
stomping every enemy stack himself. Usually will be found stacked with
Warlocks, Angels and maybe Rangers or Gorgons. (gilbertk@ix.netcom.com)
CONGA LINE: A string of stacks in the outer ring (mviola@ngs.org)
COOKIE: a small creature stack just waiting to be eaten. As in,
"Mmmmm! Cookie!" the ritual chant as your Killer Stack (q.v) moves
onto a pair of Rabbits (q.v).(chendrix@manznet.com)
(EVOLUTIONARY) DEAD END CREATURES: Brush creatures (bneal@techinter.com)
DEFY THE LINE: Moving a stack in front of a Conga Line (q.v) (mviola@ngs.org)
DETOUR: Stacks placed on Hill or Woods that lead downstairs to
obstruct the hydra-recruiting stacks (or the ones trying to go
to the mountain-tundra entrances).(c-goetze@u-aizu.ac.jp)
FLUSHING: Heading to a woods, hills or jungle that dumps your legion on
the outer ring. (mattruby@earthlink.net)
FOLKS: Tower creatures (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
FODDER: Units that no longer have value. As in "Fodder for slaughter".
(ballroom@primenet.com)
GIMME: Any recruit or combat which will obviously improve the player's
standing. (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
GOON SQUAD: An army that no longer has summaning potetial (dead ends)
or you consider expendable because you have that tree covered by a
better army. This army sits in the path of equal or weaker oppenents
armies that are trying to summon. (shubenig@hotmail.com)
GREENERY: Creatures summoned in Brush and Jungle (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
GROUND POUNDER: Any creature with a skill factor of 2 (mswift@efn.org)
GUTTER/SUCKED DOWN THE DRAIN: Outer ring/being in a spot forcing you
to move into the outer ring. (nanner@medaille.edu)
HELL/GOING TO HELL: Outer ring/being in a spot forcing you
to move into the outer ring. (nanner@medaille.edu)
HOLD THE LINE: When the Conga Line (q.v) chickens out and refuses to
attack someone Defying the line (q.v). (mviola@ngs.org)
HUNTING: This is what you go do when you get a 'suicide stack'(q.v.).
(b-goodman@tamu.edu)
QUARTERBACK: Any piece that needs to be defended in battle.
(wildman@athena.mit.edu)
LOOT THE BODIES: Counting points after winning a fight
(aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
LUNCH: A small stack just waiting to be crushed (pwg7175@acs.tamu.edu)
PISSERENDEN (Danish): outer track of the board (translation: piss ditch)
(hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
PSYOPS: Psychological Operations to convince some other player their
intended course of action is wrong (quasar@gte.com)
RAT TRACK: Outermost clockwise ring (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
SCOOBY SNACK: A small stack stuck in an unpleasant place to tempt important
stacks into bad recruitment positions.(wildman@athena.mit.edu)
SEWERS/SUCKED INTO THE SEWERS: Outer ring/being in a spot forcing you
to move into the outer ring. (nanner@medaille.edu)
THE SINISTER BRANCH OF THE BREEDING TREE: Brush and Jungle (gshowman@princeton.edu)
SPIN or SPIN CYCLE: A legal move that ends up in the space where you
started, such as starting from the brush next to any tower and moving
six through the tower in a full circle. 'Spin for a Gorgon' (mahk@lglass.com)
SUN TZU TITAN: A Titan that believes: 'The Acme of Mastery is to win
the war while Never exposing your Titan to Battle.' Manuever, and the
proper placement of supporting stacks is all important. Usually takes
the long view and tries to recruit a stack of Colossi.
(gilbertk@ix.netcom.com)
TAKING OUT THE GARBAGE: When you (stupidly) kill creatures which should
have been left alive to prevent either recruiting or recovery of a
desperately-needed legion marker. (jeboyd@on.bell.ca)
THWARTING: putting a stack that's too strong to attack on another
stack's square-block exit (quasar@gte.com)
TRAIN: The outer track of the board. (mattruby@earthlink.net)
TWO MINUTE WARNING: This is when the game comes down to a final Titan
vs Titan battle between the last two players. You know the game is
ALMOST over, but the various delays for planning tactics and figuring
moves means you still are looking at twenty minutes or so of 'real'
time before the game is over. (gilbertk@ix.netcom.com)
WARM BODY: What recruits in a tower (pwg7175@acs.tamu.edu)
YUM!: a warning to someone in a friendly game they're moving a stack in
such a way as to get it killed (quasar@gte.com)
INDIVIDUAL PIECES
ANGEL (ANG)
Angle (quasar@gte.com)
Flying Unicorn (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Winged Assassin (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
ARCHANGEL (ARC)
Archie (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Gabe (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Luke (brucejr@direct.ca)
BEHEMOTH (BEH)
Beam-up (brucejr@direct.ca)
Beamer (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Bedemaatte (Danish): (translation: prayer mat)(hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
Bee Hee (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Beemer (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Beeheemies (mattruby@earthlink.net)
Beermat (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Bejemoths (mattruby@earthlink.net)
Furry (goodman@netactive.co.za)
Moth (quasar@gte.com)
CENTAUR (CEN)
Bullet (chendrix@manznet.com)
Kenny (hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
Newton (of course)(eric@cs.ualberta.ca)
Rabbit (chendrix@manznet.com)
COLOSSUS (COL)
Big Thing (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Colossoi (2 or more Colossuses)(Chris_Connolly/AEBS.AEBS@SMTP.aebs.com)
Uncle Karl (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
CYCLOPS (CYC)
"The backbone of any army" (bneal@techinter.com)
Bonehead (melvin@cdsinet.net)
Clops (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Cycle (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Cykke (cutification)(hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
Cyclopians (peterro@microsoft.com)
Cyclopod or cyclopi - plural of cyclops (superdave007@earthlink.net)
Mondo-man (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
One-eye (jshowman@atlas.odyssee.net)
Trondle-Thud (sound fx it makes as it moves along)(dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
DRAGON (DRA)
Huff 'n' Puff (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Puff (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
GARGOYLE (GAR)
Bar Flies (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Bar Girls (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Flap-flap (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Giggle (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Goyle (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Groggle (quasar@gte.com)
Gurgle (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Sock (as in Argyle sock)(brucejr@direct.ca)
GIANT (GIA)
Big Thing (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
John Henry (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
GORGON (GOR)
Black Cow (emuchiefs@aol.com)
Flying Beef (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Flying Cow (bneal@techinter.com)
Gokke (Danish): (common Danish pet bird name)(hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
Puge (from "pugilione", the Latin word for "thug") (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Sisters (peterro@microsoft.com)
Super Cow (eric@cs.ualberta.ca)
GRIFFON (GRI)
Chicken (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Shirt - This comes from the official football (soccer) song for the
England team for the Euro96 championships - "Three Lions on a Shirt".
Usually used when recruiting - Three Lions for a Shirt. (david@ellought.demon.co.uk)
GUARDIAN (GUA)
Blob (joltman@apk.net)
Bouncing Beef (bp14+@andrew.cmu.edu)
Carpet (joltman@apk.net)
Clouds (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Doormat (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Flappers (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Flying Carpet (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Flying Ghost (bneal@techinter.com)
Gas Bag (melvin@cdsinet.net)
Grauniad (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)(This is so bizarre, Steve adds
an explanation!)
One UK national daily newspaper is "The Guardian". It used to
be renowned for misprints - they once reported that Queen Victoria
pissed over Westminster Bridge, for example - and outdid themselves
by printing their own name as "Grauniad". The name stuck.
Jelly Doughnut (joltman@apk.net)
Pillow (jshowman@atlas.odyssee.net)
Rug (joltman@apk.net)
The Wall (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
HYDRA (HYD)
Big Rabbits (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Popcorn (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
LION (LIO)
Liar (brucejr@direct.ca)
Lie-runs (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Liontaur (it seems a shame that there is a non-taur in the mustering
sequence)(quasar@gte.com)
Prime stock (gshowman@princeton.edu)
MINOTAUR (MIN)
Higher stock (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Mindless tar (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Minty (brucejr@direct.ca)
Minustaur (quasar@gte.com)
Pat Minotaur (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
OGRE (OGR)
Super-Ogre (due to the tendency of an ogre to roll 5 or 6 hits when
facing a giant or other opponent which it should lose easily to)
(brucejr@direct.ca)
RANGER (RAN)
Airborne Rangers (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Bunny (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Joe Rangestrike (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Puge (from "pugilione", the Latin word for "thug") (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Quarter Pounder (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Rabbit (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Rangoons (mattruby@earthlink.net)
SERPENT (SER)
Hiss (brucejr@direct.ca)
Hissing Sid (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Hissy Things (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Slither (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Snake (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Staple Guns (p00421@psilink.com)
TROLL (TRO)
Bonehead (melvin@cdsinet.net)
Prime stock (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Super-Troll (due to the tendency of a troll to roll 5 or 6 hits when
facing a giant or other opponent which it should lose easily to)
(brucejr@direct.ca)
UNICORN (UNI)
Coathook (david@ellought.demon.co.uk)
Enforcers (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Flightless Angel (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
God/Lord That Walks (brucejr@direct.ca)
My Little Pony (dbachman@quasar.unm.edu)
Virtual Angel (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
WARBEAR (WBE)
Beast (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Care Bear (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Higher Stock (gshowman@princeton.edu)
Peacebear (quasar@gte.com)
Smokey (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Teddy (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Teddy-Bear (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Warbeast (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
Warbler (brucejr@direct.ca)
Warteddy (Steve.Thomas@isltd.insignia.com)
Woof (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Wopper (hhs@cbs.dtu.dk)
Wussbear (kohr@mcs.anl.gov)
Yogi (aamp@alumni.caltech.edu)
WARLOCK (WAR)
Mr. Hocus Pocus (joltman@apk.net)
War Clocks (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Warmonger (brucejr@direct.ca)
Whizz-Lizards (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
WYVERN (WYV)
Purple Chicken (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
RITUALS
BATTLE
"I dare you!" When you arrange your creatures on the battle board so
that one enemy could attack your Titan, but they could be
counter-attacked by three or four creatures. (superdave007@earthlink.net)
"I see dead people!" A Titan vs Titan battle, often a mutual.
(joeneff@hotmail.com)
INDIVIDUAL CREATURES
Angel: When summoning, say "Friendly Angel come to me". The reference
is to a Star Trek episode and should be recognized by the Titan/Trekkie
overlap. (jeff@srl.caltech.edu)
Angel: "Counting your Angels before they Hatch": When a person reaches
for the angel cup only to find out the defenders were only worth 98
points!! (mviola@ngs.org)
Behemoth: "three eyes look for two" (3 cyclops get a behemoth) "Stay
clear of the brush where the Gorgon brings rue; Keep thee to the
jungle, where three eyes find two." (gshowman@princeton.edu)Cyclops: "four eyes look for one" (2 gargoyles get a cyclops)(gshowman@princeton.edu)
Minotaur: The first minotaur to go into Red's "Heartbreak" stack is
named Pat: because "Pat Minotaur is a Heartbreaker." (For the Pat
Benatar song, naturally!) (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Ogre: We all strive to get a hold of the "baseball bat ogre", the one
ogre counter who is holding the baseball bat. (bneal@techinter.com)
Ranger: "Bolo Ranger" - Quest to get the ranger depicted with a bolo.
(nanner@medaille.edu)
Ranger: Usually given various names as they died. The game was to come
up with a different name each time, like "Ranger Rick" (a National
Geographic cartoon character), "Ranger Smith" (of Yogi Bear fame),
"Ranger Mosby (the famous ACW commander), etc. (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Serpent: referred to as "Serpentor" and then we usually sing "the most
evil foe for GI Joe!" (mattruby@earthlink.net)
Troll: Begin singing "trollin' trollin' trollin', get them trolls
a-movin', trollhide!" (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Warbear: ""Aaahh! Warbear! Are you going to...crush me???" Said by
incredulous defenders when a Warbear rolls badly on an attack. From an
old SCTV skit. (bradyseverns@earthlink.net)
Wyvern: "When, in the swamp, three trolls give a wail, they seek a
winged master with poisonous tail." (gshowman@princeton.edu)LEGIONS
The guy who always had to have Black and would stick his Titan under
the Eye ,thus the expression, "Turning a baleful Eye upon you. Or the
other favorite "Band of the Hand". (mviola@ngs.org)
One guy in our group will not play unless he is Red, and always puts
his Titan under the "Jester Sceptres" legion counter.
(bneal@techinter.com)
The green legion counter that depicts the cauldron is often referred
to as the "sexual stewpot legion" or just the "stewpot legion".
(bneal@techinter.com)
"Bug": The gold scarab stack counter. (quasar@gte.com)
"The Craw": Any of the stack counters which has a claw or a claw print or
something like that -- from the old Get Smart episode. (quasar@gte.com)
"Perfume Bottle": The black stone arrow-head stack counter, which looks
kind of like a perfume bottle when viewed upside down. (quasar@gte.com)
"Spiky Die": The black, cubical mace-head stack counter. (quasar@gte.com)
"Tetraskelion": The Gold four-blade-wielding-arm stack counter.
(quasar@gte.com)
STACKS
@*&%$##@!!! - When a stack rolls several consecutive 1s to hop in and
out of the inner ring. Alternatively known as
NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAAAAAA! if you are the one rolling the 1s.
(superdave007@earthlink.net)
Assassin Stack (q.v. Kill Stack): Stack of strong, but dead-end creatures
whose purpose is to kill things (ericg@teleport.com)
Christmas Tree: Three rangers and three cyclops -- interlaced. Usually this
stack prefers to have a angel on top for decoration. (jyueh@ccs.neu.edu)
Enforcer: Stack of strong, but dead-end recruiting creatures whose purpose
is to kill things. (joltman@apk.net)
Fightin' Titan: Titan in a battle where he must take a major role in the
battle in order to preserve critical recruiting pieces
(joltman@apk.net)
Hammer and Anvil: When a player with two large stacks on the outer ring
flanks a player's weak stack in the outer ring. The anvil will refuse
to move, and the hammer will swing around to attack it from the
rear. (superdave007@earthlink.net)
Hanging out: When a player in the inner ring refuses to move until they
roll a 1. Also used when a stack won't move until it can get into a
Tower. (superdave007@earthlink.net)
Heavenly Host: A non-Titan stack with 4 or more angels. (jeboyd@on.bell.ca)
Hell on Wheels: Any stack that is around just to kill other stacks. Usually
refers to the biggest Kill Stack (q.v.) on the board. (jyueh@ccs.neu.edu)
The Herd: A stack with several Unicorns (wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Jungle Junk: Stack spawned from two gargoyle seed. Strategy involving
start split with two gargoyles. (nanner@medaille.edu)
Kill Stack: Stack of strong, but dead-end recruiting creatures whose purpose
is to kill things. (joltman@apk.net)
Ol' One Eye & the Wonder Worm: Cyclops & a Serpent (Chris_Connolly/AEBS.AEBS@SMTP.aebs.com)
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: Ranger+ 2 lions or 2 Trolls
(wildman@athena.mit.edu)
Suicide Stack: Usually a brush/jungle or ranger stack that is ready
to go do serious killing. (b-goodman@tamu.edu)
Tower Puppy: Titan in a very weak stack (normally devoid of any serious
recruitment potential) that belongs in a tower for the rest of the game).
(joltman@apk.net)
Zap Squad: When a stack of rangestrikers can attack a stack of
non-rangestrikers by sitting back and rangestriking.
(superdave007@earthlink.net)
SUPERSTITIONS
I always play the Gold units, and I like to reserve the Crown,
Eye-In-Pyramid, and Rod of Asculepius stack counters for Colossi,
Hydras, and Serpents exclusively, my theory being that by the point I
muster those units, everyone knows where they are anyhow. When
mustering one of those units for the first time in a game, (i.e. Hydra,
Serpent or especially Colossus) it should be accompanied by an ominous
"dun-dun-DUN" tritone of blaring trumpets or drums as simulated by the
voice of the mustering player. (quasar@gte.com)
If on the first turn you are able to build an Ogre and a Centaur, and
on the second turn you build a Minotaur and a War-bear, you are cursed
and will have bad luck, at least for stack movement, for the rest of
the game (We allow tower teleports on the first turn, so this is not
all that infrequent). (quasar@gte.com)
If you split a stack in the inner ring, you will inevitably roll a 5
and have to send one of the stacks to the outer ring jungle.
(quasar@gte.com)
If you wait for more than a couple of turns at the entrance to the
outer ring for either an even or an odd number, as appropriate, you
might as well give up and move away, because you will roll either odd
or even numbers, whichever is worse, for the rest of the game if you
don't. (quasar@gte.com)
If you check in advance to find out which is the worst movement die for
the most number of your stacks, you will inevitably roll it.
(quasar@gte.com)
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