Tamarian language has a number of in-universe phrases, with “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra”, “Sokath, his eyes open”, and “Shaka, when the walls fell” being probably the most popular.
Which phrases would be in the language, if Star Trek was used the source for myths and metaphors? Here are a couple of examples that I’ve either seen somewhere else or came up with myself.
- “Sisko, his plan thwarted.” – when something is fake (scene from “In the Pale Moonlight”).
“Q’s present to Data”“Q’s gift to Data” – laughter (from this scene)- A bunch from the root beer scene in DS9 (a favorite of mine):
- “Quark’s Kanar” – useless merchandise
- “Garak drinks root beer” – disgust
- “Quark and his cousin’s moon” – envy
- “Pulaski calling Data” – mispronunciation (scene)
- “Kira Nerys and pottery” – about a vocation or a hobby that is imposed on a person (from her D’jarra in DS9 episode “Accession”)
- “Picard’s four lights” – resiliency under pressure/torture (scene)
- “Data is fully functional” – sexual proficiency (scene)
- “Lieutenant junior grade Picard” – lack of ambition (TNG episode “Tapestry”)
What do you think of these? I’d love to hear more examples. I’d also appreciate improvements in wording, because some of the above are pretty awkward.
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Troi, her mother aboard.
Nice. How do you understand this one? Simply “embarrassment”?
Not op but surely it’s acute embarrassment tinged with apprehension, verging on fear. With a bit of exasperation mixed in. It’s a hell of a complex emotion to fit into four words.
This about covers it yes.
O’Brien, his suffering unending.
Adding another. Mariner, daggers seeking her shoulder.
Sorry, one more. This is kinda addictive. Shaw, his response negative.
Mariner, daggers seeking her shoulder.
I like this one, could just mean “a running gag”.
O’Brien, his suffering unending.
Shaw, his response negative.What would these two mean? There isn’t much of a metaphor, both seem too literal to me.
- For Mariner, sure or it could mean experiencing uncommonly bad luck.
- O’Brien’s can describe an unfortunate ongoing problem or describe someone who is frequently finding themselves in trouble.
- Shaw’s can be applied as denied approval, disappointment over a venture, or a simple emphatic “NO”
O’Brien, his entire life
“Shax ejecting the warp core” overwhelming delight/lifelong achievement (Star Trek Lower Decks)
I’d be remiss if i didn’t point out we have an actual, canon phrase (“Arnock, on the night of his joining”) that we know is appropriate for such an occasion though.
You wonder if Tamarian kids pick up new slang to confuse their elders? Or preserve some stories for inside jokes/ciphers?
How many different ways do we have to say things in English?
Do Tamarians have poetry?
The Cube at 359, Hansons fleet at 359, The redshirt on an away mission. =(
I love this idea!
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“Kirk, marooned by Khan” - anger in the face of cruelty
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“Montgomery in the presence of whales” - wonderment at majestic beauty
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“Pine, his visions” - a sense of foreboding doom
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“Locutus, released” - rocky recovery after a severe illness
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“Riker’s trombone” - an instrument or tool, improperly used
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“Spock, untethered” - when you’ve been biting your lip for a long time but finally snap
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“Tuvok, his eyebrow raised” - restraint
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"Odo, when the Great Link was sick " - making a sacrifice for the good of the many, especially if they are your enemies
I could literally do this all day but have to get back to work
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I love Q’s present to Data, but it should be gift, not present. It flows better. Q’s gift to Data.
Thank you. I’ve edited the original post.
And, god, how I love Brent Spiner. Such a gifted actor.
Spock in the Warp Core - Tamarian version of “The needs of the many…”
Kirk, his voice broken - An uncharacteristic display of emotion.
Picard, hand on face.
Picard and Riker, hands on faces.
Worf, when the threat appears.
Worf in the infirmary, screaming.
Worf in the holosuite, listening to a song…
Sisko’s mother, her son born…
Kirk, his scream heard by the stars.
- When Kirk yells Khan’s name.
Galen and Riker, friends who must play enemies.
- When Picard, undercover as Galen, and Riker must work together by hating eachother.
Jake, by the window. The wormhole opens.
- Quark, his logic flawless
When someone makes a surprisingly good point
Ortagas, I drive the ship! - That fulfilling feeling from knowing your purpose in life. u/Stamets and their memes is another way of saying it
Aight let’s put some from some of the unmentioned series here:
- Osyraa, as she was rejected by Vance (Disco, calling out hypocrisy)
- Christopher, the crystal grasped firmly (Disco again, duty in the face of suffering)
- Solum, the wormhole collapsing (Prodigy, defiance in the face of insurmountable odds)
- Una and Spock, together on the turbolift (Short Treks, the sharing of embarassing personal secrets)
- La’an, as she stares at her watch (SNW, despair from holding in a secret)
Osyraa, as she was rejected by Vance (Disco, calling out hypocrisy)
Christopher, the crystal grasped firmly (Disco again, duty in the face of suffering)I haven’t watched last season of Discovery, so I forget what these are referencing.
Solum, the wormhole collapsing (Prodigy, defiance in the face of insurmountable odds)
Una and Spock, together on the turbolift (Short Treks, the sharing of embarassing personal secrets)
La’an, as she stares at her watch (SNW, despair from holding in a secret)Love it. I should have though of SNW phrases myself. There’s also one about Ortegas:
Ortegas, I drive the ship! - That fulfilling feeling from knowing your purpose in life.
Disco S3: Admiral Charles Vance had the option to sign a peace treaty with the Emerald Chain which would essentially merge it with the Federation, putting the Chain’s hegemony over the alpha quadrant with the Federation’s political legitimacy. Vance looked over the terms and (with a gun metaphorically to his head) conceded they were actually pretty good, he asked for only one concession: that Minister Osryaa be prosecuted for her many (and well documented) crimes. She wasn’t keen on this, so Vance rejected the treaty because he considered the UFP’s ideals worth dying for. Basically, Osyraa put on the face of a reformer but Vance correctly noted she just wanted the Federation brand.
Disco S2: Captain Christopher Pike needs a time crystal for Story Reasons™️. He meets with a Klingon monk named Tenavik on Boreth and, while inspecting a crystal destined for him, sees his tragic future. Tenavik says that Pike can get out of it if he leaves the time crystal. Because Pike is a moral pillar/absolute chad of a captain he steels himself and takes it. IMO Pike’s finest moment, and obviously the catalyst for his SNW characterization.
