My Old Time Radio Rating List

My Old Time Radio Rating List

Old Time Radio #1

Old Time Radio #2

Old Time Radio #3

Old Time Radio #4

Old Time Radio #5

This page will include pages for all those great shows, info on the stars, lists of the broadcasts and air dates, and tonnes more i'll eventually get around to.

The following is a compilation of idioms, quotations, curses, blessings, boasts and so on in common circulation in my campaign broken down by geographic region and race.


Humans:

Waterdeep and the North:

*That hound won't hunt.*
--Of an ill-conceived plan or scheme, a mild insult.

*Counting Coin.*
--Thieve's cant expression meaning to size up or case a particular potential victim, particularly for a cut-purse job.

*To sell slaves in Silverymoon.*
--To do something that violates local law/custom in a particularly outrageous and obvious way and then say: >I didn't know any better.

*When the walls fall down.*
--In Waterdeep, to mean *When Hell freezes over.*

*To miss the tide.*
--In Waterdeep, to miss out on a wonderful opportunity because of bad planning.

*Auril's Kiss.*
--A sudden realization of something terrible; a cold slap in the face.

*Beshaba's Bad Breath!*
--Oath/Curse meaning that things just couldn't get any worse. Also sometimes as *It stinks of Beshaba's Breath*, meaning that a given course of action seems unlucky.

*Between the Dragon and the Desert.*
--As in *Between the Devil and the Deep*; to be caught between two equally unattractive possibilities.

*Cyric's Sword!"
--A curse and a double entendre. It is generally frowned upon and considered bad luck to mention the Dark Sun's name.

(Note: History/Literature are replete with examples of curses and oath's by the genitals of various deities. The best example is the common shakespearism: 'od's Bodkin, that is: God's Dagger.)

*Gond's Gears!*
--A curse, something unnecessarily complicated and unlikely to work.

*Helm's Hemorrhoids.*
--A jest, irreverent, to deride a necessary but unappealing task.

*By the light of Lathander.*
--An oath or blessing by priest's thereof.

*Leira's Lamentation(s).*
--Something that is not what it seems, particularly feigned grief, a double entendre when spoken because Lliira (Our Lady of Joy) is pronounced the same way as Leira (Lady of the Mists).

*Loviatar's Caress.*
--Something that hurts, also *Loviatar's Lash,* for those less given to subtlety.

*Mystra's Miracles!*
--An exclamation of surprise, as when something happens by unexpected magic, also note that >Miracles *Fool's Gold,* or *To take Fool's Gold.*
--An adventurer's watchword meaning to take on an adventure so dangerous that only the god Torm (The True, the Foolish) would attempt.

*Great Stinking Balls of Tempus!*
--A battle cry, shouted with much gusto.

*Tymora's Smile*, als *The Lady's Smile.*
--A blessing or fond farewell. Good luck.

*Bane's Black Blood.*
--An oath/curse, actually more common these days that the Black Lord is considered .

Cormyr:

Many of the oath's and curses found in Waterdeep and the North are also found here with the following additions:
*By the Dragon!*
-->By the King, *When the Throne Topples.*
--*When Hell freezes over.*

*Keep your Peace Knot tied.*
--Don't go getting all upset over nothing.

*The difference between an adventurer and an idiot is difficult to determine,* sometimes it is added: *until you draw weapons.* Also: *The difference between and adventurer and an idiot can be tested by time: idiots live longer.*


Elves:

*Before Selune began to cry.*
--In the beginning; a damn long time ago.

*Shardae* (SHAR-day), "Winds blow."
--A neutral elven greeting indicating that chance has brought you together.

*To walk familiar paths.*
--A metaphor, to remember, to dwell in the domain of elven memory.

*The way of sword and bow.*
--The warrior's code; it is said of an elf who does something dishonorable: *His bow is broken, his sword grown dull.*

*The way of harp and song.*
--The minstrel's code; it is said of a minstrel who has done something dishonorable: *His harp is unstrung, his song's forgotten.*

*To see the wind,* also *To hear the starshine.*
--Euphemisms of this sort (sensory contradictions) are used when speaking of the recently . *When I heard the stars shine on my Father's house, I wept bitter tears, for he was a blessing to the People.* (When my father died....)

*Est eionivan ei tie Myotha.* (Until the stones forget.)
--A green elven curse, pronounced in all seriousness on those who have done some great harm to the People. Based on the idea that all things have an anima or spirit which the People can speak with and that the stones have the longest memories.

Note t lves are not given, as a rule, to casual cursing or oathmaking. One of the worst things in elven society is to be an oath breaker, therefore such things are not done in jest or exasperation, but only in earnest. Adventuring elves sometimes pick-up human expressions which shock other elves; if such expressions are translated back into elvish it is considered vulgar in the extreme.


Dwarves:

*By my beard!*
--I'm being VERY serious.

*His beard is long.* or *...longer than his years.*
--He is wise/wiser than his youth would make him.

*His axe is sharp.*
--Said of a good strategic thinker.

*Under the Mountain.*
--Safe, well protected.

*Open to the sky.*
--Unsafe, unprotected.


Adventurers:

*That's why archmages are at the top of the food chain.*
--Annoying comment, pointing out the obvious after the fact.

*Bring extra bowstrings.*
--Come early and bring help.

*You check with the sage, I'll check with the barmaids.*
--Warrior's watchword.

*As luck would have it.*
--Annoying comment, especially by priests and followers of Tymora.

*No more Firewine for the barbarian (wizard/dwarf, etc.).*
--Said of someone going too far with a jest or scheme.

*Orcsnack.*
--Nick-name often given to green recruits.


Gamespeak:

*Looks like a job for an NPC.*
--Said when walking into an obvious and unavoidable trap.
trepper@aol.com

*You old guys are always on with the doom and gloom. If I had a copper piece for every time I was sent out to save the universe, I'd be drowning in coins.*
--Flavious Deximoor
Conversation with Elminster
Year of the Shadows


Entererd October 25, 1995 1