- Joined
- Aug 13, 2009
- Messages
- 5,929
Just for fun this one:
We're all familiar with estate agent (that's "realtor" across the Pond) jargon & euphemisms. Stuff like "plenty of potential" = run-down / "conveniently located for local amenities" = backs onto a pub car park / "investment opportunity" = condemned etc. etc.
But leafing through a back issue of MM earlier today it occurred to me that we have a veritable treasure trove of euphemisms ourselves in the hobby that we see all the time in modelling mags and on forums (but not here of course … perish the very thought!!!
) when guys review some ho-hum release and try desperately to find something positive to say about it - either out of politeness or because they got the thing as a freebie from the manufacturer, and so feel honour-bound not to call it out for the soul-destroying festival of plastic, resin or metal mediocrity that it really is.
Some of these are good for figures, some for plastic kits, others for both. So without further ado ...
"A nice result can be obtained with some TLC" = It'll take you upwards of 1000 hours and you'll need to spend the same again plus some on filler & aftermarket
"The only game in town" = Total crap, but your only option
"Perhaps lacks the fine detail you'd expect" = Looks like a child sculpted the master from Plasticine
"Good basic shape" = Toy-like, and most of the details are wrong, bad or missing
"A good starting point" = Forget it unless you're a master scratchbuilder
"A vintage classic" = A laughable approximation from the 1960s
"Fondly remembered from my childhood" = A laughable approximation from the 1970s
"Needs a little clean-up" = Flash, mould slippage and pitting everywhere
"Soft detail" = Seen sharper detail on a melting ice cream
"Recommended for the experienced modeller" = Rubbish engineering, bad fit, baffling instructions
"Recommended for the novice modeller" = A Lego set has better detail
"Company XXX have raised the bar with this one" = An improvement on the garbage that they usually churn out
Also these by companies themselves:
"Special Edition" = 30 year-old kit reissued with tiny etch sheet & new decals
"Limited Edition" = We'll do another run if it sells well
"Collectors' Edition" = Four times the price but comes in a fancy box
"New tooling" = Mistakes from the original corrected and price doubled (or trebled)
If anyone has any more, by all means feel free to add.
- Steve
We're all familiar with estate agent (that's "realtor" across the Pond) jargon & euphemisms. Stuff like "plenty of potential" = run-down / "conveniently located for local amenities" = backs onto a pub car park / "investment opportunity" = condemned etc. etc.
But leafing through a back issue of MM earlier today it occurred to me that we have a veritable treasure trove of euphemisms ourselves in the hobby that we see all the time in modelling mags and on forums (but not here of course … perish the very thought!!!
) when guys review some ho-hum release and try desperately to find something positive to say about it - either out of politeness or because they got the thing as a freebie from the manufacturer, and so feel honour-bound not to call it out for the soul-destroying festival of plastic, resin or metal mediocrity that it really is.Some of these are good for figures, some for plastic kits, others for both. So without further ado ...
"A nice result can be obtained with some TLC" = It'll take you upwards of 1000 hours and you'll need to spend the same again plus some on filler & aftermarket
"The only game in town" = Total crap, but your only option
"Perhaps lacks the fine detail you'd expect" = Looks like a child sculpted the master from Plasticine
"Good basic shape" = Toy-like, and most of the details are wrong, bad or missing
"A good starting point" = Forget it unless you're a master scratchbuilder
"A vintage classic" = A laughable approximation from the 1960s
"Fondly remembered from my childhood" = A laughable approximation from the 1970s
"Needs a little clean-up" = Flash, mould slippage and pitting everywhere
"Soft detail" = Seen sharper detail on a melting ice cream
"Recommended for the experienced modeller" = Rubbish engineering, bad fit, baffling instructions
"Recommended for the novice modeller" = A Lego set has better detail
"Company XXX have raised the bar with this one" = An improvement on the garbage that they usually churn out
Also these by companies themselves:
"Special Edition" = 30 year-old kit reissued with tiny etch sheet & new decals
"Limited Edition" = We'll do another run if it sells well
"Collectors' Edition" = Four times the price but comes in a fancy box
"New tooling" = Mistakes from the original corrected and price doubled (or trebled)
If anyone has any more, by all means feel free to add.
- Steve
