# 75 SF words you should know.......



## Pyan (Feb 10, 2008)

Came across this page in TechRepublic ....anybody get (honestly) a perfect score?

75 words every sci-fi fan should know | Geekend | TechRepublic.com

And to make it up to the round 100......

25 more words every sci-fi fan should know | Geekend | TechRepublic.com


----------



## gully_foyle (Feb 10, 2008)

Lots of words missing. Shall we start our own list? Me first.

*Sublime*_ v._ When a civilisation collectively transcends its physical form and goes on to theoretically god like status. Not dissimilar to the fate of humanity in Asimov's *The Last Question*,  but referred to constantly in Iain M Banks' Culture novels and the concept also appeared in  *Revelation Space *by Alastair Reynolds.


----------



## Omphalos (Feb 10, 2008)

If this is a topic that interests you, you should check out this book.  Its got some problems (Ive personally already sent in five suggested changes and a few suggested additions), but its a right good crackin' start.


----------



## Dave (Feb 10, 2008)

That book Omphalos mentioned is actually a result of this project:
SF Citations for OED

And that Techrepublic article is commenting on the book.

I already sent some citations myself some time ago. At that time, they were especially looking for the first citation of "Cloaking Device" - yes it is 'Star Trek', but being concerned purely with the published written word they needed an actual written example, which for some words from films and games might be quite a problem.





Omphalos said:


> Its got some problems (Ive personally already sent in five suggested changes and a few suggested additions), but its a right good crackin' start.


Is that where you sent the corrections and suggestions to, rather than the publishers?

Some of the words have made it into the full dictionary:
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/25471-oxford-english-dictionary-to-sport-new-st-words.html
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/25383-oxford-english-dictionary-question.html


----------



## Pyan (Feb 10, 2008)

Felicitations, Dave! Eleven *thousand *posts!

_"We shall not see his like again.....he will pass into history, and then into myth. And children will be told tales by old men, that once they posted a reply to *The Dayve*......"


_


----------



## gully_foyle (Feb 10, 2008)

Truly, I have read his book, and wetted my lips upon the lager of Dave. He is an exalted one.


----------



## Dave (Feb 10, 2008)

Actually, I've had more posts before, and if I move some more of the games from the General Media Forum into Playrooms, then I will have less again.


----------



## Omphalos (Feb 14, 2008)

Dave said:


> That book Omphalos mentioned is actually a result of this project:
> SF Citations for OED
> 
> And that Techrepublic article is commenting on the book.
> ...



Were you asking me where I sent them?  Each was sent after publication.  IIRC, on the authors website, and/or in the book there is a request for help in correcting mistakes or omissions.  I sent in three or four very small ones, and one big citation on the term "Plasteel."  I don't think I sent it to Prucher though.  I followed a link on his page and sent it there.


----------



## Dave (Feb 14, 2008)

Okay, I didn't know about the book until I had read this thread, but the OED Citation website has been around for at least 7 years, and probably longer. They are always looking for new SF words, and for earlier citations of existing SF words.


----------



## dustinzgirl (Feb 15, 2008)

You know, I talked to an American in chat the other day who had never heard of the Borg. I could understand a foreigner not knowing the Borg.


----------



## Rodders (Apr 10, 2009)

What about words like Dren, Frelling, Frak etc. Sorry, it's my potty sci-fi mouth.


----------



## Team 2012 (Apr 12, 2009)

Missed "karass" and "trafalmadorian", which I'd consider a lot more useful concepts than "grok".


----------



## j d worthington (Apr 12, 2009)

Team 2012 said:


> Missed "karass" and "trafalmadorian", which I'd consider a lot more useful concepts than "grok".


 
As a side note, "grok" made it into common parlance. While not used quite as frequently as it once was, I still hear it occasionally; the most recent being a call-in television show I was listening to the other day. Besides that, with the meaning the word has, it has much broader application in society than either of the two mentioned above... though it would be interesting to hear people actually using "karass" in discussing such issues where the term would apply....


----------



## Omphalos (Apr 12, 2009)

j. d. worthington said:


> As a side note, "grok" made it into common parlance. While not used quite as frequently as it once was, I still hear it occasionally; the most recent being a call-in television show I was listening to the other day. Besides that, with the meaning the word has, it has much broader application in society than either of the two mentioned above... though it would be interesting to hear people actually using "karass" in discussing such issues where the term would apply....



I took a job with a large law firm here in Sacramento several years ago (not there any longer).  The managing partner did the introduction for the several of us who were hired at that time and he used the work "grok" during that session.  I don't remember the context, but I remember thinking I had made the right choice of places to work.


----------

