S. J. Dudley for NorWesCon NeoFan 1995 used by permission
Why don't these people speak English?
It seems that every group develops its own specialized slang words. Often the slang word is an abbreviation of a longer more complicated title, event, or description.
Slang helps a group to create an identity for itself and binds the individual members together within it. For them, the use of slang that only members know the meanings for creates a sense of belonging.
Conventions are no exception to this. Like most other groups, people who attend conventions use special (and often oblique) meanings for everyday words and slang abbreviations. This helps to create an atmosphere of "different" and "exciting" as well as the other reasons that groups use slang.
Our purpose here is to give those new to attending conventions a basic guide to the more commonly used titles and expressions. There are others, but you should be able to figure them out within the context used.
Convention Terms
- Con: short for Convention
- ConCom: Convention Committee, the people who organize and produce the convention
- ConDom: Attending Conventions or those who attend conventions.
- 'nym: an alias, 'nick name' or character name. This was popularized by electronic Bulletin Boards.
- FanName: same as above.
- GOH: Guest of Honor. The featured guest at the convention.
- Guests: The speakers or presenters of programming.
- Pros: Short for Professionals. Experts in a field who have been invited by the convention. Usually the speakers at, or presenters of, programming at the convention.
- Member: Someone who has paid a membership to the Convention.
- PreReg: Someone who has paid their membership in advance.
- Registration: The place where PreReg members pick up their badges and information packets and where people go to pay their registration at the door.
- Programming: The scheduled events that take place at a con
- Panel: A one or two hour discussion, workshop or lecture on a specific topic.
- Persona: The character a person plays and/or dresses up as during a convention.
- In Character: The act of playing a role, or the actions that affect the imaginary person or character.
- Ghost: Someone wandering around the convention who has not paid a membership. They are a source of concern to Convention security. Generally they hang around the hotel lobby and halls, as no one can be admitted to Convention functions without their convention badge (as proof of membership.)
- Operations / Ops / ConOps: The convention office where requests for materials are processed and emergencies are handled. Generally Convention Security is dispatched from there as well.
- Video: The area set aside for viewing video tapes. Also, the channels broadcasting tapes during the convention and the listing of tapes to be shown.
- Hospitality (also called Hostility): An area set aside for convention members to relax, talk and consume food and drink. Snacks and soda pop are available.
- Kitty: The donation jar or dish in the hospitality suite. One is expected to make a small donation for the munchies they consume there. Hospitality is run off of these. The more donations, the more munchies.
- Green Room: Functions as a private hospitality for the Convention guests. Also where they may meet to discuss upcoming panels and events they will be taking part in.
- Gaming: The area of the convention set aside for playing games.
- Dealers or Hucksters Room: The area set aside where one may purchase Science Fiction and Fantasy merchandise, collectibles and memorabilia.
Some Food Names
- Mushies: A sweet, marshmallow confection popularized by Battle Star Galactica
- Ambrosia: A fruit cream and liquor desert popularized by Battle Star Galactica
- Atomic Jello: Gelatin squares made with alcohol.
- Atomic Cherries: Usually brandied cherries, sometimes just any fruit soaked in any strong alcohol
- Romulan Ale: An alcoholic beverage, blue in color. Popularized by Star Trek
- gagH: From Star Trek, a Klingon delicacy (live worms). In fandom gagH is made from noodles or occasionally from cooked squid.
- Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster: From Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, a strong alcoholic beverage composed of many different alcohols.
General Stuff
- S/F F or Sciffy: Science Fiction / Fantasy. The term SciFi has fallen out of favor)
- Genre: The style or setting of a particular story or series. Examples: SF, Sword and Sorcery, Hard SF, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery and Horror.
- RPG's: Short for Role Playing Games.
- Magic: A card game produced by Wizards of The Coast Inc.
- Fan: Originally the short form of Fanatic, now an admirer of a particular person, activity or thing.
- Fanboy: Somewhat derogatory.
- Fen: The plural of Fan
- Fanzine: A not-for-profit amateur publication with original stories, art and poetry written by fans. Based on a pre-existing universe such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, or Ring World. Generally from a visual media such as movies and TV but not always. Fanzines are published without the creators' written permission, usually without their knowledge, and often skate the grey area of copyright infringement.
(see: "The Enchanted Duplicator")- 'zine: a fanzine
- Filk / Filksongs: Generally parodies of folk or popular songs with science fiction or fantasy lyrics. Sometimes original songs on these themes.
More info here.- Filking: Sitting around singing and / or writing filksongs.
- GAFIATE (Get Away From It All): To leave the convention circuit for a while. Usually applied to major volunteers and organizers.
- NeoFan; Neo: Someone new to Science Fiction conventions
- SCAdian, SCA, Society: the Society for Creative Anachronism
- SMOFS: Short for Secret Masters Of Fandom. People you go to conventions to meet and talk with. Convention Organizers and Pro Guests.
- Rotsler's Rules: A list of common-sense rules that tend to apply at most costume competitions at Cons. IE: "No costume is ..... no costume!"
Courtesy of the Klingon Diplomatic Corps - I.C.B.
