Vocabulary and Slang
A requested glossary for Fae slang, swears, or common vocabulary the Fae grow up with. I included some additional worldbuilding such as the counterpart kinship terms and ceremonial preening phrases as well.
Some terms in here are Gaelic, some are pulled from myth, some are just made up fantasy words. That’s kinda how I roll.
Related: Vatajasa For Beginners | Fae Court Cases
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COMMON WORLDBUILDING VOCAB
Not the ENTIRE glossary, but these are common terms Fae would recognize that humans usually wouldn’t, though they’re not exactly “slang terms.”
Cloudlength - A unit of measurement between a mile and a kilometer.
Cloudcliff - The edge of a cloud; fall or jump from the edge and you can descend planes of existence until you hit another cloud.
Core Trait - The personality trait that a corresponding set of Faedivus, Faeumbra, and Faelumen inherently share; their “central drive.”
Core-Sync - A universal force or magic that causes Anti-Fairies to mirror their counterparts in terms of being injured and mating.
Damsel - The official term for a female Fae. Adjective form: “Damseline.”
Drake - The official term for a male Fae. Adjective form: “Drakian.”
Drone - A Seelie drake, usually small, who is highly susceptible to pheromones. They generally follow gynes around and are stereotyped as obedient to a fault. Historically they have been mistreated by Fae society, and the cloudlands are currently (as in “during my fanfics”) working to improve this. Despite the name “drones,” drones are most similar to worker bees, not drone bees.
Dysolfactya - An inability to properly read pheromone cues (Dyslexia but for smell). Rupert Roebeam and the pixie Keefe are both drones with dysolfactya, making it somewhat difficult for them to navigate Fairy society. Those with dysolfactya aren’t always treated well in Fairy society, as people tend to react to them with annoyance instead of finding ways to help them.
Faedivus - The genus of Fairies and Pixies. A baby Fairy or Pixie is called a nymph.
Faelumen - The genus of Anti-Fairies. A baby Anti-Fairy is called a pup.
Faeumbra - The genus of Refracts. A baby Refract is called a chick.
Field-Sight - Fairies or Pixies who have triggered field-sight (by briefly rolling their eyes back in their heads) are able to see the colors of magic in the world around them. Things like clothing and facial features won’t show up. Humans do not appear in the energy field unless they’ve recently come in contact with a magical item or magical being. The Unseelie lack this ability.
Gyne - A large, freckled Seelie drake who projects a lot of dominant pheromones; they’re the Fairy equivalent of queen bees. Gynes are especially territorial. They develop from Fairy children who consumed a lot of jelly in the first few months of life. The Anti-Fairy counterpart of a gyne is a pilot and is born with black facial fur resembling a mustache and goatee. The Refract counterpart of a gyne is a plume and is born with long, wiry “plumes” that curl from their head like antennae.
High Count / High Countess - High positions in Anti-Fairy World that make up the executive branch of Anti-Fairy government (the Anti-Fairy Council balance their political power). Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda are the current High Count and High Countess with Foop first in line as Anti-Cosmo’s heir. The camarilla court make up their council of advisors.
Honey-Lock Instinct, The - The all-powerful magical instinct that drives Anti-Fairies to mate with the counterpart of whomever their “host” does. In preadolescents, mere feelings of attraction can incite a “mini honey-lock” of affection in their counterpart.
Imprint - A magical being’s “personal signature” in the energy field; something like the magical version of facial features, but can be picked up on from anywhere within a close radius. Anti-Fairies use a similar system called a vocal signature to identify people.
Inrita - A chemical secreted through a gland at the roof of a brownie’s mouth. It holds no effect over them per se aside from helping them break down almost anything they put in their mouth, but inrita drains the magic from objects and some magical beings; a “closed circle of inrita” will cancel all magic in the vicinity, including causing Fairies and Pixies to “drop their lines” and start asphyxiating. Vendors often keep “inrita mud” near their wares to prevent people from magically stealing it. If inrita has any effect on genies, it’s a minuscule one. Brownies fall low on the social ladder due to how easy it is for them to kill someone. See also, Brownie-Kisser.
Instar - A Seelie Courter who still has their nymphhood exoskeleton. Typically someone under one year of age (give or take a few months) is said to be “in instar.” Poof is the exception to the rule giving how his body has been messed up by the frozen timestream.
Iris - An Anti-Fairy with a sexually-transmitted disease that makes their eyes match their counterpart’s eyes, as opposed to default red. The STD is highly prized in Anti-Fairy society due to a history of being associated with success, leadership, wealth, and cleverness, and generally it’s kept out of the reach of the commoners. Anti-Fairies are overwhelmingly more attracted to Anti-Fairies with colored eyes than one with “default red” eyes; it’s part of their cultural upbringing.
The STD itself is known as The Iris Virus despite being a magical bacteria and not an actual virus.
The virus comes with additional unpleasant side-effects, such as loose-hanging skin, sores in the mouth, and sores around the inner thighs; these sores flare up for a week or two around the anniversary of the day you got the virus.
In Refracted society, colored eyes are a sign of shame and can cause your flock to disown you even if you were born with them through no fault of your own.
Kiff-Tie - If two Anti-Fairies in close proximity are killed, they’ll regenerate together and be fused like one creature. They do not take on a unique new form; rather, their bodies are fused together like Siamese twins. In place of the typical Valentine’s Day celebrations, it’s popular sport among Anti-Fairies to use arrows to kill snuggling couples instead.
Kiss of Frost - Will o’ the wisp saliva has the ability to paralyze the limbs; a deep enough kiss will even freeze the body to the point where it stops functioning and dies.
Luz Mala - A Fae conceived with magical assistance or through totally magical means. They tend to be very powerful and emotionally unstable, with their emotions frequently affecting the world around them. Historically luz mala are looked down upon by Fae society because of this, though some people (notably Anti-Cosmo) have made an effort to fight for their acceptance. Poof, Foop, and Juandissimo are all luz mala.
P.A.W.S. / Previously-Activated Wand System - A simple wand used to perform simple magic. This type of wand records a lot of magical information and is usually required for children doing magical homework. Parents might also want their children to use these wands so their magic usage can be tracked.
Preening - The ceremonial exchange of pheromones between two or more parties, performed by licking one another’s necks and faces. When Fairies or Pixies settle business deals, preening is often involved. In that context, preening would be professional, but it can also be an intimate (though non-sexual) gesture between two people. Preening is usually performed by drakes, though damsels are sometimes taught the gestures. Preening with someone “for fun” on a regular basis would be a sort of “bromance” relationship and a sign that you two are close, devoted friends.
Preening features prominently in many of my works that feature Fairy culture. Read more about the 24 preening signals HERE.
>> Notoriously, H.P. feels very close with both Anti-Cosmo and Jorgen because they preen regularly for political and friendly reasons. Jorgen sees his relationships with H.P. and Anti-Cosmo as strictly professional while Anti-Cosmo is rather touch-starved and treats preening as a relaxing way to unwind but not necessarily as an attempt to form an emotional bond. On some level, you could argue that Anti-Cosmo sees H.P. as his casual friend with benefits while H.P.’s vision is more of a bromance where they respect and support each other.
Refracted, The - The third class of Fae that make up a third of a Fae soul (each Fae soul consists of a Fairy, Anti-Fairy, and Fairy Refract counterpart). The Refracted are gold and white bird people, and the Refracted class overview can be found HERE. Properly they are called Fairy Refracts. When speaking of their culture, the term is “Refracted culture.” When speaking of people, the term is simply “Refracts.”
Refracts are born the opposite sex of the hosting Fairy counterpart and are always born three months after the Fairy (as opposed to Anti-Fairies who are born the first Friday the 13th after three months have passed). Their names are framed Drake Wanda and Dame Cosmo instead of Anti-Wanda and Anti-Cosmo.
Seelie Court - An umbrella term encompassing Fairies (including subspecies) and Pixies. The term “Seelie” can be used alone, such as in the phrase “I’m Seelie.” That would be an example of a slang phrase since the proper way to say it is “I’m a member of the Seelie Court.”
Sharing Magic - Fae who are near each other can pick up on one another’s attraction signals in the energy field. Sharing magic is a way of sharing signals, directing them towards one another and feeling the touch of each other’s magic. It’s sort of like cuddling (in the sense that it’s something you might do with either a romantic partner in private or a friend in public depending on your comfort level) but with magic. Sharing magic normally coincides with physical cuddling or with preening. The term might also be used if you’re giving SHAMPAX (magical CPR).
Tomte - A Fairy without the ability to channel magic. If someone tries to “go tomte,” it means they’ve injured or are considering injuring their right hand, which is the “organ” of a Fairy’s body that really channels magic. Alternatively, it may also mean that they’re trying to “go natural” and not use magic, but without injuring their hand. Refracts and Anti-Fairies are not affected by their counterparts going tomte, and injuring their hands won’t have an affect on their ability to channel magic either.
Unseelie Court - An umbrella term encompassing Anti-Fairies (including anti-pixies) as well as Refracts. The term “Unseelie” can be used alone, such as in the phrase “I’m Unseelie.” That would be an example of a slang phrase since the proper way to say it is “I’m a member of the Unseelie Court.”
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LOCATIONS AND SPECIAL ITEMS
Other useful worldbuilding terms that don’t count as slang either.
Claímh Solais - One of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann: a magical sword that once belonged to King Nuada and is capable of severing the soul from the body. This treasure was bestowed upon the Fairies. It’s normally in the care of the Fairy Elder, though its theft from the Pink Castle was largely responsible for kicking off the May Blossom War. Foop is widely suspected to be the thief, though he and his family deny this.
Cloudlands, The - A term that encompasses all the magical Fae worlds. The cloudlands we see in the show are known as “The Fairy World colony” (even Anti-Fairy World falls under this term). The Fairy World (Earth) colony is distinct from the Red Retreat (Jupiter) colony, the Legend Peak (Mars) colony, and the Hawthorn Haven (Delk) colony.
Coire Dagdae - One of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann: the bottomless cauldron of The Dagda (also called Undry). This treasure was bestowed upon the Anti-Fairies and was in the care of the High Count and High Countess at the Blue Castle until Anti-Cosmo lost it during the War of the Angels.
Elphame - The original motherland of the Fae. Fairy World is a colony of Elphame. Many Fae search for Elphame as they travel the universe, though they have not yet found it. It exists only in stories and many people (especially Anti-Fairies) do not believe it exists. You can read more about Elphame and its colonies HERE.
Hy-Brasil - Anti-Fairy World’s official name; I named it after the mythical island said to be off the coast of Ireland, inhabited by “large black rabbits” and “a magician in a stone castle.”
Insula Solis Infintum - Anti-Pixie World’s official name; literally translated its name means “The Isle of Infinite Sunshine.” It’s an island prison and is technically part of Anti-Fairy World. Located above Rio de Janeiro.
Lia Fáil, The - One of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann: a magical coronation stone found in Ireland. This treasure marks a neutral zone for the Fae, who respect the truce with their utmost honor.
Sleá Bua - One of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann: Lugh’s magical peacekeeping spear. This treasure was bestowed upon the Refracts and is kept in a tower. Notably, Dame Artemis’s goal in the second half of Frayed Knots is to retrieve it.
Sprigganhame - Pixie World’s official name (shortened). Pixie World is a micronation located entirely within a single Fairy World region (the Central Star / Purple region).
Tír Ildáthach - Fairy World’s official name; “The Land of Many Colors.”
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CASUAL TERMS
Other terms that are commonly used as slang.
Abra-Bats - A slang term for Abracadabrium batteries: a rare portable power source controlled mostly by the Pixies.
Ah’kas - A slang way to refer to preening (specifically the ceremonial / intimate part of preening). See the Ceremonial Preening Terms section below.
Attraction Signals - Various pulses automatically put out by magical beings that allow other magical beings to detect their presence. These signals are named such because they attract the energy field.
Cú Chulainn - Not exactly a common slang term, but Cú Chulainn is a very famous mythical demigod. H.P. commonly refers to Talon by this as an affectionate pet name, parly because Cú Chulainn was a very strong hero and partially because the hero was famously fostered by several fathers (since the hero’s actual father was a deity who didn’t stick around).
Dazzled - A slang term from around the time Cosmo, Wanda, their counterparts, and the pixies were growing up. Replaced “jazzed.” It means “Cool” or “Awesome.”
Finella Reflex - The name for a Seelie’s instinct to destroy their Unseelie counterpart. Strongest when an Unseelie is in a Seelie’s territory (as determined by the strength of pheromones). Also known as “cold shoulder syndrome.”
>> A widely accepted theory slowly being discredited as time goes on. Poof and Foop’s ability to co-exist as roommates has confused a lot of people who used to believe in this reflex and used it to defend their racist beliefs.
Going Dusty - A euphemism for death among the Seelie. The Anti-Fairy equivalent is “gone to smoke” while the Refracted equivalent is “gone to mist.”
Gootie-Goggling - An old-fashioned slang term for checking someone out. This phrase is out of date in modern times.
Ivywish - A common word in Anti-Fairy society in reference to the Anti-Firebox v. Ivywish case. Saying something like, “They pulled ol’ Ivywish on me” or “They went Ivywish” means, “They discriminated against me on the basis of my being an Anti-Fairy.”
Jazzed - A slang term from the time when H.P. was growing up; “That’s jazzed” means “That’s cool” or “That’s awesome.” This phrase is out of date in modern times; it was replaced by “Dazzled.”
Jacked - A slang term from the time when H.P. was growing up; “That’s jacked” means “That’s dumb” or “That’s messed up.” This phrase is out of date in modern times; something like “That’s ridiculous” or “That’s stupid” would be more common.
Lines - Shortened from “magic lines” or “breathing lines.” When an Anti-Fairy damsel gives birth to lifesmoke, it rushes towards the primary “host” counterpart and envelops them. Poof’s counterparts (Foop and their Refract) “bound together” and “attacked” Poof at the exact same time, hence the giant cloud and the confusion of the Fairies; normally the clouds are much, much smaller.
Mint - A slang term that will crop up during Poof and Foop’s teenage years; “I’m mint” basically replaces “I’m awesome” in the future. It is also often phrased as “That’s minty.” This slang term is not used in stories that take place before Poof and Foop enter middle school, and it’s at its peak during their high school years.
Naiad - A wingless Fairy (both those born without and those whose wings have been cut off).
Prince of Destiny - A slang term for a gyne (Usually intended to be sarcastic or insulting).
SHAMPAX - CPR for the Fairykind; stands for “Sharing Magic to Prevent Asphyxiation.” Usually administered mouth to mouth, but can also be administered by mouth to an open cut in the skin.
Sugarblind - A slang term that basically translates to “blackout drunk.” Not used very often. “Sugarloaded” is more common, but if you need to specify the difference between “drunk” and “blackout drunk,” you would use this term.
Sugarloaded - The state of being “sugar-drunk” due to consuming too much candy and/or soda. The Fae are not affected by alcohol- only sugary products.
Tingle-Fritzy - A state of arousal in the Fairykind that can result from anxiety, feelings of attraction, or from being sugarloaded, for example. This term is named after the fact that a Fairy or Pixie’s magic lines will fritz in and out of contact with the energy field in this state.
Thinningcore - “Going thinningcore” is the Unseelie equivalent of going tingle-fritzy, since the Unseelie don’t have their own magic lines. Simply put, when they begin to stress, they can have difficulty “breathing”. It’s also a common side effect of Anti-Fairies being right-side-up too much. While tingle-fritziness can sometimes be associated with pleasure (“sugar high”), going thinningcore is generally considered unpleasant.
Wishbirthed - A nymph who skipped the birthing process and was wished out of their parent, and as a result ended up with a large glob of magic stuck to them. This process can be seriously risky if you don’t know your anatomy well or can’t channel sufficient power. Often used interchangeably with luz mala even though technically they shouldn’t be.
Year of Promise - The time between when fairy courtship officially begins and when one’s wings are notched; “the honeymoon phase.” In Fairy culture (mostly seen in the common fairy subspecies but sometimes seen in others), Fairies mate on the first night of official courtship and then spend a year “hands off” from each other and all other partners. When the year is over, the couple reunite and discuss their feelings. They either marry or break up (it’s very rare to continue courting without marriage after the year is up).
The common fairy subspecies takes the Year of Promise tradition extremely seriously. Ironically, despite believing in a tradition that allows the couple to freely and respectfully bail out if they fear the marriage won’t work, they are stereotyped as a subspecies that rushes relationships.
Traditionally both partners should wear a ceremonial apron and gloves in public for that entire year and should avoid touching people with their skin.
Notably, Wanda and Juandissimo had a Year of Promise. When it was over, Juandissimo enthusiastically requested Wanda’s hand in marriage and was shocked when she turned him down.
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PHRASES
Common casual phrases in Fae culture.
“Are you jitterlines?” - “Are you crazy?”
“As the dragonfly skims” - As the crow flies; measures distance by wing without taking the topography of the landscape into account. This term is used by Fairies; Anti-Fairies would say “As the bat soars” and Refracts would use the crow term.
“Don’t flap your wings dustless” - “Chill out”, “Calm down.”
“I’m only [Un]Seelie” - “I’m only human.”
“Lousy-lines” - A phrase that means something like “grumpy-gus” or “Debbie downer.”
“Sheathe your wand” - In this sense, it means “Hold your horses.”
“Who brushed the dust off your wings?” - “Why are you so grumpy?”
“Will a genie’s kiss fry your lines off for a week?” - Rhetorical question given as an affirmative answer; equivalent to, “Do chickens have lips?” Stemmed from the fact that genies have so much magic in them, kissing one long enough will overload the body and cause the Fairy to fritz all lines from the energy field.
“You’re fudging your wand waves” - “You’re exaggerating.”
“You’re twirling my lines” - “You can’t be serious” / “You’re making me anxious.”
“You’re yanking my wing” - “You’re pulling my leg.”
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TRADITIONAL TERMS
Special terms specific to Fairy culture. These terms are always italicized since they are words from an ancient language.
Aldra mór - The dominant gyne of the local area. A very dominant gyne who visits another gyne’s territory would be visiting an aldra mór, even if the visitor is more dominant than the host.
Ex: The Head Pixie is aldra mór of Pixie World. No gyne can be aldra mór of Fairy World because it’s simply too big, but they could be aldra mór of a neighborhood or estate property.
Chéad grá - The aldra mór’s alpha retinue drone (the drone in charge of leading the retinue and overseeing fellow drones). Although not the aldra mór, he generally holds authority and you might ask him questions if the aldra mór wasn’t around.
Ex: Sanderson is chéad grá of Pixie World; he’s sort of “head butler.” The term is tied to the aldra mór’s territory; you would not greet a drone by saying “Welcome to my home, chéad grá.”
Caisleán - The main building that belongs to the aldra mór and contains his sleeping quarters. These buildings were common in hive estates, though in modern times few gynes have estates so this term might simply refer to their house. To some people, it may be taboo to enter the building if you aren’t family.
Technically, H.P.’s penthouse - not the entire building - would be classified as his caisleán in modern times.
Mhaisci - A special room where preening is performed, usually but not always separate from the bedroom. Since the bedroom is considered private, it’s nice to have a separate place where it’s a little less awkward to discuss business deals. A mhaisci might be decorated like a bedroom, but is commonly decorated as an office with a couch.
You can see a modern mhaisci in my Sims 4 build of H.P.’s penthouse HERE.
Mhalaith-chéad - Special ceremonial clothing set aside for the chéad grá and ONLY the chéad grá to wear while preening. This clothing usually resembles silver silk pajamas, though there can be some variation. It’s very taboo for a lower-ranked drone to wear this.
Tháircha - A separate living area for drones, usually containing bedrooms, bathrooms, an office space, and a living area just like any other small house. It’s traditional for all drones to share one bedroom, however, which often cuts down on rivalry (usually 4 drones max to the same bedroom). Also commonly abbreviated “tháir.”
Tekti - A guest house, separate from the caisleán. If you’re staying on a gyne’s property, this is where you would be since gynes are territorial and generally prefer not to sleep under the same roof. Modern Pixie World features the Onyx Hotel in place of a traditional tekti, which would be a more humble building.
Yidreamu - A term that means “affection site.” Traditionally, Fairies don’t mate in the same beds they sleep in and in Fairy architecture you will generally see a smaller room connected to the master bedroom. This room is also used for snuggles or simply relaxing together while reading books or watching movies (not just mating). It is also very common for a couple’s yidreamu to be some sort of cabin, boathouse, or similar vacation home instead. I built a yidreamu in Sims 4 and talked more about them in the Fairy architecture post, HERE.
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CEREMONIAL PREENING TERMS
Phrases used in ceremonial preening; they appear in a few Origin of the Pixies and Frayed Knots chapters but are often glossed over elsewhere. They are usually referred to as “The ah’kas.” Some of these words also appear in Mother Nature and Father Time’s sacrificial shrine song.
These phrases should always be spoken in the correct order, in ceremonial conversation form, so they are listed in order and not alphabetically. In story, these phrases are always italicized. The use of these phrases can be seen in the Origin chapter “Senseless” and the Knots chapter “Tipping Scales.”
Again, preening is part of Seelie culture due to the fact that Fairies and Pixies share their DNA with insects; preening was specifically intended to be an anthropomorphized take on eusocial insect licking behaviors. Licking to show dominance and submission is instinctive for Seelie, particularly gynes and drones. Damsels are invited to preen for business purposes but are not usually taught the motions of the full ceremony (since damsels are based on drone bees and gynes and drones are based on queen and worker bees).
Anti-Fairies and Refracts do not normally preen. It isn’t instinctive for them and is not part of their cultures (in fact, in Anti-Fairy culture / bat instincts, licking someone’s face or neck is used to signal desire for sex... which is DEFINITELY not what a Fairy means to communicate). However, some might be willing to preen if invited to by a Fairy. For example, Anti-Cosmo is willing to preen with others due to his rank as High Count and his (often crippling) belief that he’s expected to do so; however, many Fairies are uncomfortable preening with Anti-Fairies due to the cultural gap between the races.
“Ah’ne ah’ne ah’ka, awa krei’ish cara” - “May I have your mountain?” (Body)
“Kalra kalra keiko krei’ish cara” - “If you will have me, you have my mountain.”
“Ah’ne ah’ne ah’ka, awa krei’ish lámha” - “May I have your hands?”
“Kalra kalra keiko krei’ish lámha” - If you will have me, you have my hands.”
“Ah’ne ah’ne ah’ka, awa krei’ish taná” - “May I have your lines?” (Breath)
“Kalra kalra keiko krei’ish taná” - If you will have me, you have my lines.”
“Ah’ne ah’ne ah’ka, awa krei’ish ri’apa” - “May I have your core?” (Soul)
“Kalra kalra keiko krei’ish ri’apa” - If you will have me, you have my core.”
Preening is a mutual exchange of pheromones and, in full ceremony, is combined with gestures and physical touch. After offering someone your body, you are giving them consent to move closer to you (possibly on top of you or any other way they’re comfortable with that allows them a better angle to lick your neck).
As the ceremony advances, partners gradually share magic with one another, aligning their magical signals until their breathing is in sync. After agreeing to the fourth level - the core level - partners consent to transition to a mutual magical state where they can meld minds. This can be seen in some of my works, such as the Origin of the Pixies chapters “From Straw to Gold” and “King Unconventional.”
In business deals, you can also ask a “fifth” question and would replace the last word with the request you are asking for. For example, “utwrisa” which means “your aid and concern.”
The submissive preening partner (the drone or person seeking aid) initiates the questions and movements; only they have the authority to advance the ceremony in order to signal consent and hopefully limit the chance of abuse. The submissive partner only advances the ceremony as far as they are willing to go. It is common to stop after the first question when preening for the sake of settling a business deal (if you even ask a question at all... in modern times, many business deals are settled with a handshake or a few quick and simple licks). Some professional relationships may progress to the second question (hands), and even to the third (lines).
It is rare to advance to the fourth question (core) in a professional relationship. Much of the confusion between H.P. and Anti-Cosmo regarding the status of their relationship comes from the fact that H.P. repeatedly insisted to Anti-Cosmo that preening is “strictly professional” but did not make clear that the melding mind stage is generally treated in Fairy culture as a sign of great trust, friendship, and intimacy.
Thus, H.P. tends to see their relationship as more intimate and trusting than Anti-Cosmo does (which plays into why H.P. teases Anti-Cosmo so much, believing he and Anti-Cosmo are very close although in reality, Anti-Cosmo is often flustered or offended by his jokes).
As another example, the relationship between H.P. and Jorgen constantly slides up and down, with both parties feeling comfortable with one another and happily progressing to the mind-melding stage of preening one day, but bitterly refusing to progress farther than the first stage the next.
Their comfort level changes rapidly, but is at least always clear to them unlike Anti-Cosmo, who is constantly confused and hurt if H.P.’s comfort with him doesn’t remain at max at all times.
Anti-Cosmo's self-esteem will take a hit if H.P. doesn’t allow him to complete the full ceremony every time they preen while H.P. believes he is simply communicating “I like you, I’m just not in the mood for going further.” Jorgen gets it because this is Seelie culture, but Anti-Cosmo is easily confused.
If you wish to stop the ceremony immediately (but respectfully), you would say “Shri'ana vi scintu.”
So, if someone asked “May I have your core?” you could reply with a phrase that roughly means “No thank you, the current situation feels right and I don’t want to progress” without the harshness of a simple “No.” H.P. is notorious for flat-out saying “No” instead of the proper phrase, which often insults or confuses the people he preens with.
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RUDE LANGUAGE
Swears, slurs, or otherwise unprofessional language.
Blitz - Not a particularly nice word at all and generally considered the ultimate rude term (though it can be combined with other terms to be even ruder). “Blitz” can also refer to mating, especially mating quickly or carelessly.
“Snatterblitz” would actually be the ULTIMATE rude term.
H.P. uses the word “Blitz” frequently, though he tries not to use it in professional settings. Despite his best attempts, it commonly slips out when he’s around Jorgen or Anti-Cosmo, who sometimes sit in awkward silence.
H.P. becomes flustered when he hears young children (pixie children in particular) use this word. If your kid overhears him and begins repeating it, it’s one of the few things he’ll immediately and sincerely apologize for.
Though it’s frowned upon to use this term in Fairy World, it’s EXTREMELY frowned upon in Anti-Fairy World. Anti-Fairy culture is rooted in the idea that friendship and passion, not selfish personal pleasure, should be the reason you engage in sexual activity.
“Blitz” implies very casual behavior with the goal of quick personal pleasure, and clashes harshly with Anti-Fairy values. An Anti-Fairy who states that he or she enjoys “blitzing” would be shunned.
Brownie-Kisser - A slur with its roots in the idea that brownies as a race are naturally dumb and shy and easily taken advantage of. Someone with a brownie for a significant other is often viewed as not being able to “get anyone better”; a “brownie-kisser” is often viewed as desperate, slutty, or even a rapist.
Despite the fact that this term is blatantly racist and cruel, it’s unfortunately still quite common in Fairy society (and so is bias against brownies in general). A more extreme term is “brownie-blitzer.”
This slur is practically non-existent in Anti-Fairy World. Anti-Fairies don’t mind brownies and it would only be used as an insult to a Fairy’s face, not as gossip behind anyone’s back.
Dust / Smoke / Vapor - Fae turn to either dust, smoke, or vapor when they die. These terms are sometimes used as exclamations, such as “Smoofing dust,” “Good smoke,” or “Dear vapor.” Fairies use “Dust,” Anti-Fairies “Smoke, and Refracts “Vapor.” These terms are considered very mild and are usually used in place of “Curses!” or “Drat!”
Fez - A mild exclamation in Genie culture. May also come in the variation “fezzing.” This term is rarely used by non-Genies. If you hear that word, someone nearby is probably a genie in disguise or hangs around genies often. Despite being a mild Genie word, Happy Peppy Gary considers it to be worse than it is and tends to use it if he’s frustrated and his usual “freaking-deaking” doesn’t cover it.
Fritz - The state of magic lines rapidly disconnecting and reconnecting to the energy field.
“Fritz” is less extreme than “Blitz” and “Snatter” but more extreme than “Smoof.” I would say it’s equivalent to “Damn” if used as an exclamation. It can also be used in casual conversation when referring to breathing lines, since that’s the appropriate context to use it in.
Knotted-Lined - A very cruel way to call someone an idiot. Widely considered a slur that should no longer be used at all.
Even H.P. (who is known to use “Blitz” regularly) avoids using this term unless he is EXTREMELY upset with someone.
If I recall correctly, this term is only used in the Origin of the Pixies chapter “The Makings of Greatness.” It probably slips out when he’s drunk with his friends though.
Smoof - Mild curse word; Norm and Sanderson have both used it in canon. With smoof canonically being a reference to hemp, I’ve headcanoned it as being a plant that can be used for various things, such as making burlap sacks. Notably, Happy Peppy Gary uses this term since he’s spent so much time around Pixies, which often earns him strange looks from humans.
This is a very mild term and is the equivalent of “Shoot” or “Darn.” If you can catch yourself then it would still be better not to use this term in a professional environment, but most people probably wouldn’t bat an eye if they heard it. It is commonly used as an adjective to emphasize frustration with a situation (“Smoofing”).
Snatter - Not a nice name to call someone; sometimes strung together as “snattersmoof.” The exact definition falls somewhere between “brown-noser,” “cheat,” “submissive partner,” “lovable scamp,” and “female dog.”
Both Sanderson and Anti-Sanderson tend to use this one a lot. It’s more extreme than “Fritz” but still not as extreme as “Blitz.”
A similar word, vlakrina, exists in the traditional Anti-Fairy language (Vatajasa). However, Anti-Fairies view a vlakrina as “a person who humbly intends to dote on you to express genuine apology as though they were your devoted sexual servant” rather than the Fairy view of a snatter which is something like “a person who is alluring or submissive because it turns them on or because you hired them to act this way.”
Calling someone “snatter” is pretty much always meant to be insulting while calling someone “vlakrina” could be a compliment akin to “You are extremely humble.”
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KINSHIP TERMS
The traditional terms used to describe relationships with counterparts, from Gaelic kinship terms.
These traditional words fell out of fashion in the cloudlands during the War of the Sunset Divide (causing most Fae to use terms like “Niece” and “Nephew” to refer to their counterpart’s children) but the terms make a comeback as Poof and Foop enter adulthood. You would put a possessive word like “My,” “Our,” or “Their” in front of these terms, which are lowercase and italicized in story.
These words are very useful for Fae who regularly have contact with their counterparts’ families. Poof understands them because Wanda’s side of the family is firmly rooted in Fairy traditions, including language, though he rarely uses them because he’s still reluctant to acknowledge Foop’s family as “his” family. Foop, being a smug know-it-all, likes to use these terms but has a hard time remembering what they mean and tends to mix them up.
“My counterpart(s)” - Mhuintir
“The brother of my counterpart” - Deantháir
“The sister of my counterpart” - Deirfiúr
“The spouse / committed partner of my counterpart” - Ceathar
“The partner of my counterpart” - Muirnīn (Generally used for a boyfriend, girlfriend, or similar partner who can’t be called a spouse)
“The counterpart of my father” - Uncail
“The counterpart of my mother” - Aintin
“The son of my counterpart” - Nia [Generally implies the child was raised by them; might not apply to a blood child who was given up for adoption but definitely applies to anyone adopted into the family]
“The daughter of my counterpart” - Neacht [Same as above]
“The grandson of my counterpart” - Garmhac
“The granddaughter of my counterpart” - Gariníon
“The father of my counterpart” - Athair
“The mother of my counterpart” - Máthair
“The grandfather of my counterpart” - Seanathair
“The grandmother of my counterpart” - Seanmháthair
“My biological son raised by my counterpart” - Mac
“My biological daughter raised by my counterpart” - Iníon
“The children of me and my counterpart(s), collectively” - Leanbh
Those are the kinship terms; on some level, these people are considered your extended family even if they are a different species. Fairies believe that counterparts share a soul, making them closely related. Because of this, Fairies shun romantic relations with anyone in the above kinship list (though it is widely agreed that it’s natural to develop a crush on your counterpart’s love interest).
Anti-Fairies, however, traditionally believe themselves to be a completely separate species who were originally shapeshifters but later took on forms to resemble people they grew fond of. They believe they are not related to Fairies by blood or soul, but are akin to “guardian angels.” Because of this, most Anti-Fairies would consider it acceptable to have romantic relations with their counterpart or their counterpart’s relatives.
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