Slang Flashcards
burrow (v.)
To make one’s haven outdoors or underground; to dwell like a vagrant or make haven in an insecure, often public, location, such as a subway tunnel or city park. (n., slang) Any haven, usually but not always temporary, or site where a vampire burrows. “She’s been spending her days under old bottles in some Southside burrow for the past year.”
dead emperor (n.)
A lord whose power has waned or become obsolete; a lord whose vassals are dead, lost or disloyal. “When tonight is done, Edgar will be a dead emperor and we’ll have the Duke by the throat.”
gat-errant (n.)
A gunman (or sometimes any thug), whether mortal or Kindred, who serves a lord without vassalage to motivate him; a violent minion who resides outside the feudal structure. In use, this term sometimes implies a basis for service outside of money or material compensation (such as fear or idolatry), but not always. “Romeo’s another one of Culver’s gat-errants keeping wannabe witch-hunters off the royal lawn.”
grippe (v.)
To cause or allow a domain’s mortal population to fall sick or otherwise succumb to infirmity. To spread, or allow to spread, a disease or drug epidemic. Often paired with gutter (q.v.). “Call it what you want, but if you let the cattle grippe themselves with STDs and smack, the Prince is going to call it you been gripping them.”
gutter (v.)
To cause or allow a domain to fall into financial or social ruin. To drive down property values, to break up families, run stores out of business or render families homeless. “You want to let your childer run rough over the place, then you’re going to have to gutter it so it don’t look so suspicious to the police when people get cut and robbed in there.”
knight up (v.)
To arm oneself, dress impressively and prepare to intimidate, posture impressively and possibly do violence, especially in service to one’s lord; to summon one’s courage and poise. This is a low-class expression calling the listener to prepare for a more high-class kind of violence (or the threat thereof). “As long as they think we weak, they ain’t going to stop coming here, so shut up, knight up and let’s show them we’re not boys.”
mobcap (n., adj.)
A lord whose territory is completely granted out to subordinate vassals such that none of it remains under his direct control. (In the 17th century, mob meant “slut” or, later, “prostitute.” A mobcap is a kind of hat once associated with such persons.) “Can we even call that mobcap a lord anymore if he doesn’t even know what’s happening on his own turf?”
pigeon (n.)
A layabout; a homeless vampire; derogatorily, a vampire who travels the city via “uncivilized” means, such as by climbing or swimming. “I’m not going to Edgeville, man, that place is nothing but pigeons and peasants.”
plastic bottle (n.)
A cheap, disposable vessel for feeding, whether animal or kine. Often, the corpse of such a vessel. (Sometimes also called an “empty can.”) “Get this plastic bottle out of here before we make the papers again.”
serf (n.)
A low-ranking paravail (q.v.); a tenant who pays a corvée to his lord; a mortal or ghoul who knowingly serves a Kindred lord; any unappreciated vampire in the feudal hierarchy. “You’re making a fucking serf out of yourself, running all these errands for him.”
shadowgraft (n.)
Money paid by a mortal subordinate to a vampire lord, especially by a mortal who does not know the lord is a vampire. Also, any money or material paid in secret by one lord to another, regardless of status. This word seems to be an example of malapropism — among London Kindred in the 1800s, evidence of illicit behavior between lords (or indeed any evidence that could potentially result in a violation of the Masquerade) was sometimes referred to as a shadowgraph. Shadowgraft may be a derivation from that term. “He’s been getting shadowgrafts from Councilman Thompson for close to a decade now.”
sluice off (v.)
To draw kine from another Kindred’s domain through deception, persuasion or bribery, especially in secret and usually for purposes of feeding. For example, bribing a gang to move its makeshift headquarters out of a rival’s domain or luring homeowners into new properties over a period of many months would both be sluicing off another’s territory. Moving kine by force is not. “The Duke still thinks those people have been moving out on their own, but when he finds out that Benedict’s been sluicing off from his fields for a year, there’s gonna be fire, trust me.”
squire (v.)
A ghoul. Derogatorily, a lackey or toady; any obsequious kine or Kindred in the feudal hierarchy. “On your feet, you squire.”
statuary (n.)
Unflatteringly, any Sanctified congregation. Also, any vampire who attends Lancea Sanctum ceremonies without truly contributing to the covenant. “Let’s get to Elysium before all the statuary gets out of mass.”
turnstile (n.)
Any vampire who spends much of her time underground, especially a tunnel-dweller or subway rider. Among surface-traveling Kindred, this term is faintly derogatory; among those vampires who might likely be called turnstiles, it’s a common informal form of address. “Where you been, turnstile?”
