Need help with a codename

[David Evil Overlord]

Take the phonetic alphabet names. You might call them Sierra (S for ship, or for steel fish), and make them Sierra One, Two and Three.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Wouldn't the context tell readers that they are talking about the three ships? (And if not, then why not?) If so, then I think it would make the most sense for them to use random code names that would totally baffle uninvited listeners.

 

[The Judge]

I agree it would make more sense for them to use random words, but perhaps in their arrogance they'd be more likely to choose something that gave a clue about the ships -- they'd be confident no one would be clever enough to see through the code, even if they were overheard, and it would amuse them that the clue was there and not seen.

 

[alchemist]

The trident.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I quite like the Trident but! i'm with Teresa - we should grasp it from the context and, in fact, think we do. It'd be quite cool to have the ah-ha moment when we link the two - the speakers and the boats - so I'm not sure how big a problem it is...

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Not sure how useful it is, but in WWII three British ships, the Exeter, the Ajax and the Archilles were sent out to hunt down and destroy the German pocket battleship the Graf Spee. I don't know if they had a fleet designation, but the names of the ships themselves may help.

Cheers Greg.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I agree that the codeword would have nothing to do with what is being discussed, nor even hint at it - if they were truly meaning to keep it a secret.

If on the other hand they were a bit over-confident and to make it a good story, how about Sentinels ?

Or maybe Naughty Children or Naughty Ones (from 'dreadnaught')

 

[paranoid marvin]

Or how about The Watch Dogs, or The Guard Dogs , or call them Bonzo (battleship) Caesar (cruiser) and Dingo (destroyer). Or how about 'the hounds'? "We had intruders last night, so we had to release the hounds"

 

[Droflet]

The Stooges?? As in Curly, Larry and Moe. Just spit-balling here.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

The thng is that the conversation isn't just the magic words in isolation. Therefore you can reference steel fish with clarification in the context.
I.E. The hero doesn't only hear the codewords but additional info which can clarify the surface nature of the craft.

In the morning the steel fish will fly their flags.

On Friday the steel fish will blow their black smoke.

kind of thing

 

[Foxbat]

I'd keep it simple and definitely wouldn't use a code that hinted at ships other than perhaps the number of them. Something like The Three Amigos

 

[tinkerdan]

How about the three figureheads
or
the three yards (or more obtusely the three meters)
Or if they are out there marking time until some event perhaps the three metronomes
or
three yardarms

 

[HareBrain]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. Lots of thought-food from which I hope the final answer will sprout.

 

[jastius]

what about womens names like they do with hurricanes?
famous valkyrie names?
i like using valkyrie for an attack vessel..
avenging angels?
more sea stuff?
sharks ?? they are mainly on the surface.. ever cruising ..deadly attackers
stingrays?
swordfish?.

 

[Dinosaur]

Tom,
Dick,
Harry.

For the traditionalist.

 

[Mirannan]

Again on the classical myth theme; how about the Gorgons - Stheno, Euryale and Medusa? Ought to be obscure enough!

 

[Sancho]

Maybe its a little simplistic but what about referring to them as the Sailfish?
They are the type of big-game fish that Ernest Hemmingway used to catch in Key West.
To those not familiar with big game fishing, the sail part would give them a clue and hopefully NOT make them think of a submarine.
To those who are, the sailfish's spiny dorsal fin and long (sword-like) bill evokes the menace of a swordfish.

 

[HareBrain]

Thanks again, guys.

I have a confession to make . I forgot a major plot point in my own book. It's essential that the one person who manages to eavesdrop on these conversations does twig that the codename perhaps refers to warships, because he passes this information to someone else who then sends other warships to defeat them. So I'm going to have to go with something more obvious after all, and justify (to myself) the speakers' laxness by their belief that their communications are secure as long as they don't use actual names.

I do like sailfish (though none of the ships have sails, so that might again cause misunderstandings).

 

[thaddeus6th]

Don't feel bad. A few weeks after my first book came out I forget the name of the second most important character.

 

[Sancho]

Thanks again, guys.
I do like sailfish (though none of the ships have sails, so that might again cause misunderstandings).

Not perfect maybe but Ships can still sail on the sea or sail through the water rather than having to have have sails