A GUIDE TO SCREED SPEAK, by Libby Singleton 

We take pride in the fact that no one can understand us.

We get away with more that way.




Below are a few of the Ratpack's more colorful terms and phrases with explanations. Included are some from the Forever Knight series we've put into regular use on-line.









 

  THE CREW:
  A "sub-faction" of the Ratpack for fans of "The Crew" (Screed, Urs, Vachon, and Bourbon as a group). There's something of a Forever Knight on-line joke in this as during "War time," the Ratpack is technically a sub-faction of The Mercs. Don't try to understand, we don't....
 

  DEFECTIVE KNIGHT:
  Detective Knight. (From the series, natch.)
 

  DROOG or DROOGSIE:
  We use this as both an affectionate name for each other, and an insult (depending on the context of the sentence).
 

  ENCYCLOPEDIMENTS:
  Greg Kramer used this term during an interview with Libby conducted in the fall of 1997. The article, called simply "The Article" in Ratpack lingo, can be found on the Ratpack's home page.
 

  FLAMIN' POPSICLE
STICK GNAWED TO A
FINE, SHARP POINT:
  		From a story in which Screed saves LaCroix from an evil carouche rat named "Raticus." Raticus nearly stabs LaCroix with a "flaming popsicle stick gnawed to a fine, sharp point."
 

  FORP:
  Friend of the Ratpack. These are folks who like hanging out with the Ratpack, or merely think we're a hoot, but can't bring themselves to admit to full Ratpackdom. 
 

  HIMSELF:
  Greg Kramer! Screed is Screed, Ratboy, Carouche or whatever, while Greg Kramer is "Himself" (or simply "Greg" if we aren't using Ratspeak in the discussion). Like most factions, we strictly maintain the difference. Partially due to Libby's interview, members of the Ratpack discussion loop have taken a very strong interest in Greg's other roles and pursuits. John Ewan coined the term shortly afterwards.
 

  LaCROW:
  LaCroix.
 

  LIL' RATSIES:
  On-line legend has it that we, in make-believe virtual terms, reside with and can (to some extent) control rats. Lots of rats (hey, we have to feed Screed, don't we?) The "Lil' Ratsies" will often stand up and cheer for certain things, for example, a particularly funny post ("All the lil' ratsies stand up and go 'yah!'") and were even bribed into singing Happy B'day to Libby last August.
 

  MALENKY or MALENKI:
  (There's really no standardized spelling as far as we're concerned.) We believe that this originally was an insult, but we tend to use it as what John Ewan has described as a "verbal hug."
 

  NUNKIES:
  Nunkies Anonymous is a tongue-in- cheek faction for women "addicted" to the "warm and fuzzy side" of LaCroix; Nunkies being a pet name for LaCroix. On-line legend says that the Ratpack has a "vacation home" in the kitchen of their headquarters because all the cabinets and pots are "shiny pretty" stainless steel. "Nunkies Types" and "Nunkies-Wanna-Nookies" are other Ratspeak terms. In the Addicts' defense, it should be pointed out Nunkies is LaCroix, NOT Nigel. They are very, very strict about that.
 

  POMPOUS GENERAL:
  LaCroix. A play on "Pompeiian General."
 

  RATPACK PILEUP:
  A group hug. All joking aside, the Ratpack is one group that never has argued with any of the other groups or amongst themselves. We know this is meant as fun, nothing more, so why get all hot and bothered about the differences among people?
 

  RATSIE SORT:
  Like a Ratpacker; either acting like one or a person who should BE one. If applied to a Ratpacker, it is a compliment, to any other person it's meant as an insult. We also use this term to alert other Ratpackers to movies, books, plays, music, and anything else that might interest others in our faction.
 

  THE RATSIE
WOT KILT SCREED:
  		The "chewed up" dummy white lab rat that Nick picked up at the crime scene in "Fever."  Libby bought it at auction during the Bridging the Knight charity fundraiser near San Francisco, California in January, 1997. She takes it with her when she attends conventions so that other Forever Knight fans can see it, even hold it if they dare. It is getting rather worn, but Libby says she'd rather share with other fans than fret over its condition.
 

   RATSUKO:
   Natsuko Ohama (Cpt. Cohen from 2nd season) was the unfortunateactress who happened to be on stage when it was time to auction the Ratsie Wot Kilt Screed at Bridging the Knight. She merely managed to scream, "Who ARE you people? You're CRAZY!" before Libby started shouting out her bid. In Natsuko's honor, Libby dubbed the ratsie "Ratsuko."
 

  SCREED'S BOXERS
or KNICKERS:
  		According to fannish legend, Screed's choice of what to wear beneath his trousers is a pair of well-worn, questionably clean boxers with the Forever Knight logo cross- stitched across the backside. It's a rather long, silly story.... :::giggle::: We admit the logoed boxers aren't nearly as dramatic as LaCroix's on-line purple thong, but we like it.
 

  SCREED-LUVIN'-NAT:
  Uhr, let's just say Libby, in an attempt to cause trouble, paired Natalie and Screed together in some rather... uhr... adult stories. This pairing is now an infamous legend.  In War 8, alternate versions of the established characters made appearances, and her Screed spent the two week period looking for his lost "Natsie Ratsie."
 

  SCREEDY SLURP:
  A kiss from Screed (or being drained by him). For some reason, when "he" offers a slurp to a non-Ratpacker, the recipient gets all upset. We can't imagine why. :::snicker:::
 

  SCREEDYPOO:
  Pet name for Screed.
 

  SHINY PRETTY(IES):
  Although Screed was  never shown to have an attraction to shiny, pretty objects on the show (unless you count the bombs he mistook for telephone transponders), the Ratpack is well known for helping themselves to items they claim to be homeless or mistreated.  The joke is that you can mesmerize the entire Ratpack (and Screed) with Christmas lights or any other bright, speckling object.
 

  TEW:
  To
 

  THINGEES:
  A bit of "Southernism" Libby brought into Ratspeak. Naturally, it is just about any object. As a side note, she used this term in front of Nigel Bennett at a New Orleans convention. She was very amused when he immediately started imitating her. A good effort, but he never could put enough "twang" into "thingee" to lose the British accent.
 

  THROMP:
  Hit. The Ratpackers are constantly being hit with rolled up newspapers and the like. Always pickin' on the Ratpack, the other factions are! :::boo-hoo:::
 

  VAPOR SCREED:
  John Ewan's War 8 character. A bit of vapor/ghost which smelled rather pungent, John dug him up and had to deal with this cloud following him around for the rest of the War.
 

  WOT:
  What






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