Slang and Colloquialisms

Many language conventions and slang words and phrases exist in Nodd to refer to various aspects of Noddish life.

Here are some common words and phrases within the Noddish vernacular.

Arcanogram

Magic symbols imbued with the concept they represent. The reader can understand the meaning of the symbols without ever having seen them before.

Ambulant

Refers to furniture or an artifact that moves too much or otherwise exhibits undesirable behavior. Occasionally kept as pets, but often euthanized.

"Blessed"

The few who have interacted with a citygod and somehow lived to tell of it (or had their story told) were affected in strange, dramatic, and lasting fashions. Any who contact a citygod and are thusly affected are known as "blessed" or to have received a citygod's "blessing". As a result this term is also used for someone acting in an extremely strange or unusual fashion - even for Nodd.

Chamber Bugs

Parasites that feed off of buildings. Usually aggressive.

Chambers

One's private residence.

Chimera

Any hybrid of mixed species; usually one in which parent species cannot easily be identified.

Chosen One

Any outsider. Used formally by the Council, and often sarcastically or casually by citizens.

Citygod

Refers to any one of the six corrupted cityspeakers who make up the major Council.

City’s eyes

An expression uttered in horror, disgust, or exasperation.

Cityspeaker

Senses the will of the City; a seer.

Council Creep

Derogatory slang for any council attendant, often shortened to just "creep."

Corruption

Refers to the progressively chaotic effects of using magic. Generally implies a monstrous appearance.

Ditch Fodder

This term is used as a general term for someone new to the city, inexperienced, weak, or otherwise seen as below the speaker in social or general status. It refers to the tendency of individuals to end up sprawled in the ditch, often dead, as a result of the trials of the city.

Dusting

Usage of the substance known as featherdust.

Ego bracer

A bracelet or other artifact made for storing one's gloam, accessing one's ego file, and contacting other citizens and establishments.

Ego file

A hologram on one’s ego bracer that contains information about one’s life, including gloam use.

Familiar

A mage’s bestial companion. Generally implies a close bond; not all pets are familiars.

Final Death

The term for the death of a citizen from which they do not resurrect.

Gloam

Chaos magic; the main energy source of Nodd. Also used as currency.

Godling

An extremely powerful mage. Usually implies a victory in GodGrinder, but not always.

Gutter grog

The excrement from a building, usually a greenish-gray slurry.

Gutter rung

A juvenile citizen.

Haze

The luminescent, teal-colored vapor that appears as a byproduct of gloam use; spent magic. Often appears around buildings and is more visible at night, where it can be seen being slowly drawn towards the Conduit at the top of the Council Spire.

Hybrid

The offspring of two identifiable species, such as a slyne and ravel.

Insider

Any organism that originated in Nodd. Usually connotates sapient species, but technically includes beasts, plants, and everything else.

Immortal

A citizen who will be infinitely resurrected by the Council.

Kaiju

A word used to describe a destructive or feared macrocitizen.

May the City speak your name

A phrase intended as a blessing and farewell. Used by the Council, though many citizens have adopted it as well.

Macrocitizen

Any citizen too large for average doorways and amenities.

Meat

When used alone, this term usually refers to the flesh from the Abattoir, which is usually a ground mix of sapient citizens, beasts, ambulant furniture, and whatever else gets scraped off the streets.

Microcitizen

A small citizen, usually between 1 and 4 inches. May be any species, insider or outsider.

Microdosing

A practice in which a microcitizen is filled with or soaked in an intoxicating substance, and then used orally or rectally.

Mossy

Describes a lazy petrid.

Moss out

To relax. Used mostly among petrids.

Nodd-along

A derogatory term describing a citizen that seems content living in Nodd, and condones the cruelty of the Council.

Noddish

Of or relating to the city, its citizens, or its aesthetic.

Pawn

A low-ranking Council Attendant, often seen patrolling the streets and standing watch near entryways.

Pillow-Humper

A derogatory term to describe someone who fucks their furniture.

Sapient

A noun describing any creature determined to be intelligent and socially aware. Usually implies verbal ability.

Snoodish

A term used to describe stereotypical ravel behavior; can have either positive or negative connotations depending on context. Used by ravels themselves as well.

Spawning Haze

Refers to the mental fog following spawning or respawning from death and resurrection.

Spirelicker

Derogatory slang for anyone who works in the Council Spire.

Sporeling

A juvenile building, furnishing, or other non-animal structure.

Suffertarian

Refers to anything relating to the slyne's diet. Usually composed of live tenderlings and a means of torturing them.

Supper for the City

A grim and solemn phrase uttered in response to grisly or unfortunate scenarios.