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chaos0xomega wrote:As for the comment about German physiology etc. nothing. Kraut came from the perception that all Germans ate Sauerkraut... Other names have similar connotations.

Which is exactly the point I was making and one you seem to have missed. Real life examples of such terms (like the ones I provided in the OP) rarely have anything to do with the recipient's physiology. Therefore giving the Tau fish-related slang names is just as feasible as giving Germans "kraut". Any that are related will no doubt focus around their facial features and/or skin colour.

Joey wrote:Nicknames aren't made up by people sitting at computers...
Maybe the tau get a nickname from the shape of their water containers (jerry cans), or the way they say "human" sounds like the name of a popular entertainer, so they adopt his name.

This. We need to try and put ourselves in the mindset of a Guardsman, fighting them on the battlefield, and what kind of slurs they would use, which in turn would catch on. Also, how do they say "human"?

Anfauglir wrote:
This. We need to try and put ourselves in the mindset of a Guardsman, fighting them on the battlefield, and what kind of slurs they would use, which in turn would catch on. Also, how do they say "human"?

I believe it's Gue

Human tau auxiliaries are Gue'vesa and Vesa means something else, I forget what exactly.

Hmmm....

Orks; Greenskins
Necrons: Toasters (BSG lol)
Tyranids: Bugs
Tau: Slit-heads (from OP)
Chaos Cultist: Pointies (Because of the chaos arrows)

Eldar: Spooks, Ghosts
Daemons: Devils, Warpspawn, Beyonders
Orks: Numbskulls, Green Meanies, Fightin Fungus
Necrons: Tin Men, Iron Sides, Tinnies
Tyranids: Bugs, Pests, The Swarm

Squidmanlolz wrote:

I believe it's Gue

And the popular entertainer . . .

Anfauglir wrote:

Squidmanlolz wrote:

I believe it's Gue

And the popular entertainer . . .

Former action holovid star turned planetary governor Arnholt Blackhead, or as he is known to the Tau "The Gue'Vernator"...

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

squidhills wrote:
Former action holovid star turned planetary governor Arnholt Blackhead, or as he is known to the Tau "The Gue'Vernator"...

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

I was wondering to whom Joey was referring, but thanks for that.

"Slot-machine" is still my favourite so far. I can proper imagine it now . . .

Tau POWs are filing past some IG lines as they move in the opposite direction towards some occupied position or whatever, and one of them sullenly bumps into a Guardsman:

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you fething slot-machine!"

I sortof like the sound of fish-stick.
It's goofy and sounds a little derogatory.

"A whole mess of those fish-sticks are picking us off from those hills,"

"Fething fish-stick!"

Squidmanlolz wrote:I sortof like the sound of fish-stick.
It's goofy and sounds a little derogatory.

"A whole mess of those fish-sticks are picking us off from those hills,"

"Fething fish-stick!"

So you like fish-sticks?

I think pretty much every attempt at this thread has failed aside from slit face/slit head. Thats the only one thats really derogatory or spiteful... I mean Green Meanies? Fighting Fungus? Iron Sides? Sounds like nicknames for Imperial Navy Aero Squadrons...

Who doesn't like fish-sticks?

I mean, come on now, let's be serious.


For the average Guardsman, who probably can't even read, the fact that the Tau, as a people, have no relation to fish is wholly irrelevant. The Tau vehicles are given fish-names, so the flat faces and large eyes of the Tau will, to the uneducated Guardsman, be fish-faced goons. Put two and two together, and you get fish-slang for the Tau.

I think fish-stick is pretty logical as a good racial slur for Tau. I still think slit-face is nice and venemous too, but that's just me.

Blue Imps
Greater A******s
Frisbee Heads
Cover Dwellers

Sword pratice and ranged target practice?

Orks - Moss, greenskin

Necrons - Tinheads

Eldar - Coneheads

chaos0xomega wrote:I think pretty much every attempt at this thread has failed aside from slit face/slit head. Thats the only one thats really derogatory or spiteful... I mean Green Meanies? Fighting Fungus? Iron Sides? Sounds like nicknames for Imperial Navy Aero Squadrons...

Try those terms in a British accent... Many of the WW2 terms for the enemy are no longer offensive to our ears and many aren't offensive as words, but hold significant insult.

Also, fighting fungus for a Lightning squadron? wtf?

Goatshanks, Long-guns, Three-fingered-blueberry-goat-people, faun-folk, hoofy-heretics, red-dot-reapers (markerlights), gash-face, three-fingers are all I can think of.

I like Goatshanks...

Gooeys. (Gue-ys)

Tau = Cows, Cattle, Livestock, Leather Goods.

Handbags.

Na'vi

if we're going to do physiological slurs why not try something as simple as short-a*se.

maby; squishy or squidgy (there about the only thing squishyer than a guardsman)

eggies (hard shell and goopy in the middle)

slit head his probably the best; easy to pluralise, sounds vaguely similar to we have the swear filter for a reason, please don't try to bypass it. , definitely derogatory.

I could think of a couple more but the mostly involve conotations about genetalia on the face :S

anime fan!

Edit: stupid text filter!

that has a nice ring to it

"Slit-Heads on the north ridge!"

One problem with "slit-head":
Tau typically wear helmets, the common, uneducated guardsman would hardly ever face a helmet-less tau close enough to see its face, and even then the name has to catch on with other common uneducated guardsmen who probably never saw the real face of the Tau. Not to mention Tau-Imperium encounters are very rare.

Goat-runts.
Comments on both their cloven legs, and their diminutive stature. Would be better if it rimed though.

Lord Commander Phyrus wrote:if we're going to do physiological slurs why not try something as simple as short-a*se.

Are they really that small compared to Guardsmen? Speaking of their height, I find it quite amusing on their lex page . . .

Fire Caste:

they are taller and stronger than the members of the other castes

Air Caste:

the tallest and most slender of all Tau

Water Caste:

tend to be tall and slender when compared to other Tau

. . . umm, huh? So which is it? Also, come on Earth Caste! Surely you can't be the only ones not taller than all the others!

Lord Commander Phyrus wrote:maby; squishy or squidgy (there about the only thing squishyer than a guardsman)

Hmm, I'm doubt that they are, fluff-wise. They're more heavily armed and armoured warrior-for-warrior, I'd say. Going by both Cadians and Catachans IG are fatigues with a flak jacket and helmet (not even that for the jungle fighters), which is more comparable to the Pathfinders, the Tau light infantry/scouts. Their FW look much more like heavy infantry to me. For this reason I very much doubt the IG would regard them as "squishy", especially if they face them alongside Vespid and Kroot (things that are squishy).

slit head his probably the best; easy to pluralise, s

I could think of a couple more but the mostly involve conotations about genetalia on the face :S

Agreed. Things like "slit-head" and "flat-face" are among the most probable, to be honest. As for genetalia, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever in the average Guardsmans ability for crudeness and vulgarity!

Squidmanlolz wrote:One problem with "slit-head":
Tau typically wear helmets, the common, uneducated guardsman would hardly ever face a helmet-less tau close enough to see its face, and even then the name has to catch on with other common uneducated guardsmen who probably never saw the real face of the Tau. Not to mention Tau-Imperium encounters are very rare.

I honestly don't think it would be much of a problem. It only takes one dead Tau to fall into Imperial hands and their physiology is going to get leaked. Not to mention on the models there are some with no helmets on. Another thing, what better way for the Imperial Cult's propaganda machine to work its xenophobic magic than to exaggerate and diseminate the Tau's physical differences at each and every opportunity? No, I don't think the IG finding out about their enemies hooved feet and ugly, nose-less and slitted faces is going to be a problem.

Jimsolo wrote:

blazinpsycho&typhooni wrote:
I remember hearing slit face one time and blueskins.... but that's about it...

Wow...slit face sounds nice and offensive. I'd go with that...

Lol was that sarcasm or for reals.... It's hard to tell in text...

Tau: Grey-skins(Dark Crusade), Slit-faces, space cows

Orks: Greenskins

Eldar: usually just Eldar

Nids: Bugs

blazinpsycho&typhooni wrote:

Jimsolo wrote:

blazinpsycho&typhooni wrote:
I remember hearing slit face one time and blueskins.... but that's about it...

Wow...slit face sounds nice and offensive. I'd go with that...

Lol was that sarcasm or for reals.... It's hard to tell in text...

Lol, sorry about that. Quite serious. Slit-face? I don't care how much Orwellian space communist brainwashing propaganda/pheremones/chemicals I've been subjected to, if someone called me slit-face I'd flip the hell out. That's all kinds of horrible.