Tech slang?

Ezra Newman

Member
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.
 
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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"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.
 
"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.
@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
 
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
 
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. :stumped:
 
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.
 
@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.
 
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. :stumped:
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.
 
"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!"
I recall Xrays as a brand/model name, Altman?
I think the brand name predates Altman.

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