Someone asked me why I kept calling Henri Metier “le Crapaud”.
Blame the fact I was once a British reenactor. Just as Americans of the Revolutionary War era called the British “Redcoats” or “Lobsterbacks”, the French got what is literally “the Toad” or “John Toad”. You may wonder why not “Frog”…The toad comes from a reference to the ancient heraldic device of the kings of France, consisting of “three toads erect, saltant.”
So, Awnree Crapaud came up in chat.
Now you know…
((It’s of no consequence Miss Jedburgh, I’ve never minded. It does beg the question what Babbagers are called in other nations when speaking disparingly of them. Lemmings comes to mind.))
Separatists, I think, would be what they call us. “Bunch of noses-up-their-bums, only concerned with their own sooty little city, oblivious to the happenings of the world around them. Let them keep their machines…”
Since you asked…
Back in the day, in naval circles, Babbagers were called ‘Smokes’, because of our gray uniforms and the reputation for soot we seem to have.
We called the Caledonians “Steubings”, because they had such large clean white ships that looked like “The Love Boat”, and the Steelheaders were “Hooeys” because they do love that damn animation so much.
I called the Steeltopians “Steves” because they follow Blue, but that’s only funny if you had kids the right age (Blue’s Clues).
*typist is having fits of giggles over “Steubings”*
(( I am now banging on the side of my head trying to dislodged the Love Boat theme song before it takes up permanent residency for the afternoon… thanks Jed.))
Just for you (and it isn’t the Love Boat)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr6H1a7YUac
Yes, that is me before the red-rimmed glasses and grey hair. I had to change my name from Edison to Emerson after an unfortunate incident in the Haight-Asbury district.
I have a strangified vocablulary from my American Civil War reenactment days (nearly twenty d*mn years! Sheesh). One you might find interesting is our word for an 1860’s soldier in polyester. Farb. Etymology is problematic, but one source claims it stands for Fairly Authentic Resembling British; that one seems too contrived. I kinda like the “Far be it from me to criticize, but…” explaination.
I gave up the War of Northern Aggression for Lent in the late 80’s. It’s always been explained as the Far Be it for me… explanation.
There are 3 states of reenactors, Stitch Nazi Button Pissers, good fellas, and farbs, those states being someone who cuts fewer corners than I do, those that cut the same number of corners as I do, and those who cut more corners than I do.
For those of you not in the hobby, er, ‘avocation’, some of the really serious ‘hard-core’ reenactors are rumored to pee on their buttons so they have the right level of oxidation and patina…
Well, I prefer the term “Thread Counter” to Stitch Nazi which comment identifies my state, I imagine. In fact I personally kniw, but did not participate with, the button pisser types. Met some boys who took innoculations so they could be flea infested. I can sympathize with suffering for ones art, but that’s but not being outhouse rat crazy about it.
My time devoted to the War of the Late Rebellion has withered greatly. There are only so many times you can re-enact Chickamauga, for example. Telling work you would be gone for a week makes one unpopular. And sleep apnia makes sleeping outside highly problematic. But, hey, now one has tons of materials to devote to the Steamy Arts. And those mask for apnea? They jist cry out for a coat of brass paint when done with; and so it goes…
Since we had a guy in our group who did WW2 Russian, we used the term ‘Stitch Commisar’.
…I never ran with the uber hardcore types, but I did go as far as to have my own blood drawn to make bloody bandages, since we all know nothing looks like old blood but real blood.