Terms for Enemy and Former Enemy Troops

[Raellus]

Belligerents tend to bestow nicknames on their opponents. In WWI, the Allies called the Germans "Boches" or "Huns". In WWII, they were "Krauts" or "Jerries".

In Vietnam, the VC became known to American troops as "Victor Charles" or just "Charlie". As for our opponents in the "War on Terror", "Jihadi" or "Haji" seem common and slightly more PC than some of the others I've heard.

What would Soviet and Pact soldiers be more commonly called during the Twilight War? I use "Reds" sometimes but it's a little too bland, IMO. One GM I know uses the term "Charlie Brown" in his game. Here's his explanation of how he came up with it:

Originally Posted by No Carrier

"As for the name "Charlie Brown," I took it from an awesome military terms glossary I found on the web, way back when. The Warsaw Pact soldier is nicknamed Charlie Brown supposedly because of his serious demeanor and his propensity for fucking up. I liked this colorful epithet so much I decided to use it in my game, much like "Victor Charlie" was used as a shorthand for the Vietcong in all those Vietnam war movies I've watched over the years."

It really works in his game. I don't want to use it, though, since it's sort of his thing now and Charlie is too evocative of Vietnam for me.

What do you call enemy troops in your T2K universe?

What would Allied troops call Soviet and Pact troops who'd switched sides (apparently a fairly common practice late in the war) or local levies? In 'Nam, turncoats were sometimes called "Chieu Hois" or "Kit Carson Scouts". I've seen "Indigs" used a few times as well.

[Targan]

The generic term the PCs in my campaign have used for WarPac soldiers (Russian or otherwise) has usually been "Ruskies". My campaign has moved back to the CONUS and the PCs haven't yet come up with any slang terms for CivGov or New America troops. Their usual derogatory slang term for Mexican forces (please excuse this un-politically correct term and I mean no offence to any Hispanic readers) has been "Greaser".

[kato13]

Originally Posted by Targan

(please excuse this un-politically correct term and I mean no offence to any Hispanic readers) has been "Greaser".

I think the nature of this thread make it probable that offensive terms may be used. As much as I am respective of users feelings IMO no one needs to pull any punches in this thread. I always thought it was sad that news reports refuse to use certain words as if the word itself is evil not the intent of use.

edit: There is a possibility the the forum software may automatically censor certain words within posts. I never checked the restricted word settings. If anything is censored it is not my doing and I will try to rectify it.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by kato13

I think the nature of this thread make it probable that offensive terms may be used. As much as I am respective of users feelings IMO no one needs to pull any punches in this thread.

Okay, no worries. Being an Antipodean I can never be sure if a given term might be considered horribly offensive in other parts of the world. Outside of RPGs I don't use derogatory racial terms in conversation.

[kato13]

It is actually kinda funny you used the word Hispanic. Some coastal Latinos consider that derogatory while its use within the Midwest US is standard. There are so many potential minefields here I just wanted to remove anyone's qualms about using any words. I think we all understand that the T2k world is a harsh one and if someone uses words to establish atmosphere I accept that. I don't swear in real life (or at least i did not until I started driving ) but I do swear in games, the discipline I have in my own speaking is not something I would expect every NPC to have.

[Rainbow Six]

I always presumed most common term for Warpac troops would be "Ivans". I believe that was how the Germans referred to them during WW2, and it seems reasonable to me that it might be used by the other Allied armies as the war goes on. I could see it being used as a generic term for all Pact troops, not just Soviets.

[kcdusk]

Ruskies i think would be fairly common.

What about "targets"? Or dropping the humour would "tangoes" be used? Maybe too SWAT-ish.

Bear?

Commies?

I think commies would be the term used most.

Another question might be what would sovpact troops call NATO forces?

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

Another question might be what would sovpact troops call NATO forces?

I think the Russians used "Fritz" to refer to Germans during WW2.

I guess "Yanks" would be a fairly common one for Americans...

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Raellus

What would Allied troops call Soviet and Pact troops who'd switched sides (apparently a fairly common practice late in the war) or local levies? In 'Nam, turncoats were sometimes called "Chieu Hois" or "Kit Carson Scouts". I've seen "Indigs" used a few times as well.

In WWII, Russian troops that switched sides were called "Hiwis" by the German troops. It was an abbreviation for the German term for "Volunteer Assistant" -see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiwi_(volunteer). So different armies may have different nicknames for the Ruskies!

One you forgot was Tommie!

For color, there would probably be nicknames for the different NATO and Pact troops. I could see former East Germans being referred to as Ossies by the Wessies (West Germans). Maybe "Lechs" for Free Polish troops, after their presumed leader, Lech Walesa. I can't think of any off the top of my head for the Polish, Czech and Hungarian troops...

[rcaf_777]

[QUOTE][/As for our opponents in the "War on Terror", "Jihadi" or "Haji" seem common and slightly more PC than some of the others I've heard.]

Haji is actually a term for someone who has gone to Meca

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

Haji is actually a term for someone who has gone to Meca

Yes, I'm aware of this. Some NATO troops still use the term for Islamic insurgents in Iraq (and maybe Afghanistan).

I purposely ommitted derogatory terms for enemy soldiers based primarily on race/ethnicity. I think we've managed to keep the lid on that can of worms so far.

Ivans! I remembered that one as soon as I shut down last night after posting the thread starter. Ruskie was pretty common too.

I just thought of this one for non-Soviet Pact forces. I like it so much, though, I may use it for the Sovs as well.

Rusty! Rust is a shade of red (the symbolic color of Communism) and it is also evocative of decay and dimishing skills ("my Spanish is a bit rusty"). It is also a name/nickname in some parts of the States. So, it's kind of like Charlie. So, it's sort of familiar and still a bit pejorative. Soviets could be Reds and other Pact soldiers could be Rustys.

I know we have a military slang thread, but I would kind of like to include our own made up terms and acronyms as well. It would be cool to have a T2K "dictionary" made up of acronyms and idioms invented by forum members.

[Matt Wiser]

In the First Gulf War, GIs referred to the Iraqis as Homers, after Bart Simpson's hapless dad.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

In a Morrow Project PBEM I'm in, we call the invading Red Chinese "Chins." My character was frozen in 1950 and woke up in 1999 to a United States that was invaded by Red China sometime after an atomic war back in the 1950's.

[Slappy]

I'd seen the Charlie Brown usage on the excellent Stalemate War threads and assumed it was a derivitive of Commie Bastard.

[natehale1971]

i remember the use of the term 'Buttercup' as a derogatory term for anyone that wasn't us.

[Raellus]

I just thought of a nickname for hostile Polish troops: "'Ski". It comes from the perception that "-ski" is a common suffix for Polish surnames. It's kind of like Ivan, in that sense.

Example:

"Our patrol got ambushed by a platoon of 'Skis about two klicks outside of Wrolclaw."

It fairly rolls off the tongue.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I just thought of a nickname for hostile Polish troops: "'Ski". It comes from the perception that "-ski" is a common suffix for Polish surnames. It's kind of like Ivan, in that sense.

Example:

"Our patrol got ambushed by a platoon of 'Skis about two klicks outside of Wrolclaw."

It fairly rolls off the tongue.

If you were French you would call them "Polacks". Then, Italians would be "Ritals" but that's also a name I heard in the mouth of people from northern Italy toward people from the South.

For Germans there is also "Teutons" or "Prussians".

Americans would be "Ricains".

Soviets would be "Les Rouges" (The Reds/Rusty) but that could apply to any one within the Warsaw Pact with the exception of the Poles.

Japanese are simply the "Japs". People from other Asian countries would be "les Jaunes" (yellows), a fairly racist name. An even more racist one will be "Les Bridés" (a reference to the shape of their eyes). That last one would include Japanese and many Russians as well. After all most Russians are looking Asians.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by chico20854

One you forgot was Tommie!

I'm not really sure what this one means. For us it applies to British troops.

[ChalkLine]

The West Germans in the cold war called the East Germans 'The Neighbours', and it sort of spread to any WarPact soldier. I use it a lot for my German PCs.

[jester]

I have used all common terms, slang terms and derogatory terms in the various campaigns that were set in Asia, the US, Europe and the Middle East. As a GM or a player it all depends on the age and social level of the character/NPC you are playing.

My current campaign, I have a German fieldgrade officer who is well educated and a decendant of Prussian Aristocracy. He sees the current conflict as a continuation of past conflicts and the presence of the "evil "Bolshies" on German soil as a personal afront. He does refer to them as Bolshies normaly.

Ivan, is a common one, Reds also, these are used by PCs who are leftovers from the Cold War. A more modern conscript who grew up after the evil empire fell may revert to "Ruskies" or "Russians"

Another term I have used is "W.P.'s" a throwback to the Cold War for "Warsaw PAct"

Speitzi's for Speitznatz as I used in my idea for a comando attack on Oz in that thread.

Oh yeah, I also refer to them as "The Bear" as well usualy when talking about a larger organization or nationaly. "Well, then the Bear went and rolled into Berlin."

Kraut and Hunn for Germans, Red Hunn is a term I used for East Germans.

Pole or Pollock for General Polish forces,

I also use the term,

"T-shirts" or "Red Berrets" or even "Blue" for their Paratroopers and Spetizis, and it is usualy followed by "T-shirt" or "striped T-shirt wearing MFers" or C-suckers" or similiar epitath.

Koreans and Chinese <in my T2K World the Chinese are our enemies as it is in the real world. And China is in another Civil War with a faction supported by Taiwan and the US. So the normal "Gook, Slope and Red" For the Chinese they also get "Chink and Chicoms" I also toss out "Moas Boys" or for Korea "Kims People" I have also used "Kims" to refer to Koreans. Although I have also used the term "Maoists" once for Chinese too, as well as PLA or "plas" <peoples liberation army> with an "s" for plural.

Mexican forces are the standard but I also use "Mexis" quite frequently, with the standard racial racial slurs to riendforcement. Sometimes they will be called "Federalis" to denote between bandits, mauraders and the Mexican Army or Government Forces."

And of course I also use the term Polar Bear or Southern Bear, Polar Arctic Forces and Southern or even "Lost Bear" to refer to the forces from Cuba or "Little Bear from Cuba" a line stole from the the TV Series "I Luv Lucy" when they bought a dinner. But it also denotes the small size of the force who will in all likelyhood not survive.

Middle East,
Hadjis, Achmed, Achbar, Camel Driver, Camel Jockey, Sand Niger, Carpet/rider/salesman, Sand People are all some terms of endearment for the wonderful peaceluving peoples of the middle east who are you enemy.