Survivor Lexicon

[SVNBob]

When a show has been on as long as Survivor has, and has an established fan base that discusses the show regularly, like we do, some jargon and abbreviations are bound to be invented, and then become common parlance.  And while those of us that have been in the fanbase and discussions for a while can understand the jargon, it can sometimes be indecipherable at first to newcomers to the group, who will have to ask what certain things mean lest they be lost in translation.  (We saw this happen throughout the episode threads for S32.)

To help remedy some of that confusion, this thread is for us to define the jargon we use around here.

Let's start with one of the first:

Pagong \pä - 'go[ng]\ (verb) -ed -ing: The systematic elimination of one tribe/alliance by another in a post-merge situation. In Vanuatu, the women Pagonged most of the men, but Chris snuck through and won.

[SVNBob]

Now, some of the more common initialisms and acronyms.  Most are self explanatory.

RC: Reward Challenge

IC: Immunity Challenge

TC:  Tribal Council

F#: Final #, i.e., the last # of contestants remaining.

FTC:  Final Tribal Council

F#TC:  Tribal Council for the Final #. e.g., F6TC is the Tribal Council for the Final 6.

II:  Immunity Idol

HII: Hidden Immunity Idol

PRoD \'präd\ (noun): The Purple Rock of Death.  First seen in a tie-breaker in the Marquesas, in which it eliminated Paschal in a fit of irony.  Last seen in Blood vs. Water I, where it was white instead.

Edited July 16, 2016 by SVNBob

[phlebas]

A new one I've been hearing on RHAP is Intentional Matsing -- I guess that means tanking the pre-swap game in a three-tribe season so you're less of a target after the swap.

[Nashville]

RI: Redemption Island

[SVNBob]

Here's something I proposed around the time of One World.  I wish I'd remembered it for S31*, because it would have applied so well to a couple contestants.

Alpha Moron \ˈal-fə ˈmȯr-ˌän\ noun : A contestant, most likely male, with all their brains in their biceps, and not as much of either as they think. 

Survivor: One World had a pair of alpha morons with self-given nicknames of "Tarzan", but then, most of the men that season were alpha morons.

 

*Which reminds me:

S#: Season #.  Often used in place of the season location and/or gimmick.

[simplyme]

On 7/16/2016 at 7:10 AM, phlebas said:

A new one I've been hearing on RHAP is Intentional Matsing 

RHAP is what? Is that the podcast?

[azshadowwalker]

16 hours ago, simplyme said:

RHAP is what? Is that the podcast?

Rob Has a Podcast. It's a series of podcasts for Survivor (and other reality shows) created by Rob Cesternino, a former Survivor contestant. The podcasts can be found on Rob Has a Website at http://robhasawebsite.com.

Edited July 18, 2016 by azshadowwalker
Added URL

[phlebas]

I guess RHAP should be in the lexicon list too

[marys1000]

Did Mactor start with Survivor?  

My somewhat uninformed def:  A contestant who models and wants to be an actor.  Probably hanging around Hollywood and meets Survivor casting agents in bars.  Cast because they are eye candy.  Accept getting cast because they want the exposure for their careers.  

I see something like TPTB (this is my first time on the boards in months and can't remember exactly).  Context makes me think its ......Survivor executive producers or something?

[simplyme]

2 hours ago, marys1000 said:

I see something like TPTB (this is my first time on the boards in months and can't remember exactly).  Context makes me think its ......Survivor executive producers or something?

TPTB= The Powers That Be

Usually does refer to a show's producers. :)

Edited August 14, 2016 by simplyme
Grammar. I do know how to correctly use an apostrophe.

[Babalu]

9 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Did Mactor start with Survivor?  

My somewhat uninformed def:  A contestant who models and wants to be an actor.  Probably hanging around Hollywood and meets Survivor casting agents in bars.  Cast because they are eye candy.  Accept getting cast because they want the exposure for their careers.

I agree with your definition of Mactor. I've heard that it was started by Hera of Gus and Hera (Amazing Race, Season 6) as a description of many of the other reality show teams/contestants. I don't know if that origin story is true, but the term is certainly a valid description for many Survivor, Big Brother, TAR, etc., participants, most of whom seem to be recruited these days. For some, including me, the contrast with early seasons is especially jarring for TAR, which initially cast "real people" to a much greater extent than they do now.

[ratgirlagogo]

I first encountered the term mactor on Survivor Sucks, and pretty early on too IIRC - around seasons 4 or five?

TPTB - not unique to Survivor, in fact this one I first heard used in professional wrestling as far back as the late 90's (I mean on the TV shows themselves, not just on the internet fan boards).  The head writer for WCW at that time started a storyline in which he and the head fight booker were referred to on air as The Powers That Be and were villains in the storyline - money-grubbing corporate suits who deliberately prevented talented wrestlers from succeeding.  I don't remember which wrestler who couldn't remember his lines started calling them The Powers To Be, but this became one of the little jokes of the time period and to this day Mr Rat and I always call TPTB when it comes up in any context The Powers To Be.

Edited August 18, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[Daisy]

Let's not forget: Ulong: a team that loses all immunity challenges and is absorbed into the next tribe.
ie: Tribe A is pulling a total Ulong right now. 

Peachy: Jeff 

Blindside: a move where one faction/alliance/person pulls a move that surprises the other faction/alliance.  This does not mean how Jeff means it (ie: 1 person doesn't know they are going home). Examples of a great blindside/surprising move
----Natalie Andersen, San del Juan Sur (Idol to Jaqui)
----Edgardo in Fiji (the video says it all). 

---basically everything after Eliza's bootout in Micronesia (Fans vs. Favourites 1). Example Here. 

 

Eliza Face: Great Jury Reactions (because Eliza started it all, really)

Bitter Jury: Jury member(s) who berate the final 3. classic examples being Sue "Snake + Rats", Everyone in All-Stars, Jury in Vanuatu. 

3-2-1 Move OR Triple Play: the move that Cirie Fields made in Season 12 that is extremely complicated and hard to pull off.  You have the target you want to vote off (1). you get 2 people (or more) to vote for another person (2), and then you get the majority to vote off the target. (3).  that's the easiest to explain it. 

Swing-Vote: the person who has the ability to give the majority to one alliance.. depending on how the swing vote plays their hand (often, badly), this tends to get them voted off. (most successful Swing Vote was Jon + Jacqui - SdJS). 
-----Christy (Amazon), Dolly (Vanuatu), Sara (B-B-B#1) are the most memorable swing vote bootoffs

Black Widow Brigade: Cirie, Parvarti, Amanda, Natalie's alliance in Micronesia. 

Three Amigos: Malcolm, Reynolds, Eddie's ill-fated alliance in FvF2. 
 

 

[cherrypj]

Outstanding, @Daisy. The Edgardo boot always makes me laugh and laugh.

[LanceM]

Swapf***ed - a term used to describe when at a tribe swap a player who goes from a dominant position on his/her original tribe to a weak position in his/her new tribe and promptly gets voted out. There have been numerous examples over the years starting from the original victim Silas in season 3 to the latest casualty Anna in season 32.

[Daisy]

4 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Outstanding, @Daisy. The Edgardo boot always makes me laugh and laugh.

Thanks :)
Edgardo's is like.. my favourite. everytime something happens, and you're like.. yah... no. LOL I think that's why it drives me nuts when Jeff throws out "blindside" like it's a biscuit at Christmas or something. watch your own darned show, Peachy

4 hours ago, LanceM said:

Swapf***ed - a term used to describe when at a tribe swap a player who goes from a dominant position on his/her original tribe to a weak position in his/her new tribe and promptly gets voted out. There have been numerous examples over the years starting from the original victim Silas in season 3 to the latest casualty Anna in season 32.

yup. there's always one of those. 

There's also Rotu Four - (John, Zoe, Tammy and General) who thought they owned the game, showed their hand way to obnoxiously early, and got Pagong'ed.

[ratgirlagogo]

The Edgardo blindside is so perfect I almost feel like it ought to be its own category term,  like Pagong, especially since the term blindside has become so diluted.  "We Edgardo'ed that guy!"

Edited September 18, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[NutMeg]

I cannot help but think that "having Stephened oneself out of the game" has a very clear meaning and should somehow figure in the lexicon. Despite the term not being likely to be used much. Because you have to 1) get the ability to steal one vote, 2) blinders that only let you see one target, 3) an, hmm, let's say interesting, strategy that makes it seem like it's the best idea ever to use the vote you "stole" differently than yours, 4) an inability to read the room before the vote (i.e. just 5 min ago, you were saved from elimination by someone playing his idol for you). So 4 very specific things needed to make it possible to use your advantage to get yourself voted off.

I could also think of having been stick-idoled-out, having a Purple Kelly/any Kelly before KW/Brenda 2.0/... edit.

And wasn't the Aitu 4 called Aitu nano on TWOP? (iPod nano must have been hot stuff back then, and I don't think I knew any other iProduct; yes, I too think that technology does not look any younger)

But yeah, these are all terms you wouldn't use much, while Pagonged, Ulonged, etc. would be much more mainstream. Let's say they are the lime green and lemon yellow to my zinzolin blue, my alizarine red and my regular purple (because invisible edit is very much a thing most seasons, and my choice is made in honour of that one Kelly that wore purple in her hair and that seldom spoke - yes, she also quit, but that doesn't fit in my narrative today, so I'll disregard that)  

[SVNBob]

I was reminded of this initialization in another thread.

TH: Talking Head.  A Survivor contestant's solo interview when they appear to be talking directly to the camera/audience.  Named so because it fits into the definition of the trope.

[SVNBob]

A recently coined initialization, but I think it's going to get a lot of use.

 

BMF: Big Move Fever.  An affliction running through recent casts of Survivor that gives everyone catching it the impression that they must make "Big Moves" (i.e., something dramatic and/or splashy, but not necessarily smart) in order to win the game. 

While not Patient Zero, the best case study for BMF is Zeke Smith.

[kikaha]

Bob, I'd add Ciera to the list.  And JT as well. 

[cherrypj]

Since @Nashville and @KimberStormer agree to disagree, why not make "Big Move" into "Big Fucking Move," or BFM?

Too close/redundant with BMF? (Which is the new "resume builder.")

[simplyme]

3 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Since @Nashville and @KimberStormer agree to disagree, why not make "Big Move" into "Big Fucking Move," or BFM?

Too close/redundant with BMF? (Which is the new "resume builder.")

I like BFM. If people decide it's too close to BMF, maybe we can go with Big-Ass Move (or Big Arse Move) instead, shortening it to BAM.

That sounds like a comic book punch now that I'm typing it.

[Daisy]

I like that. 

BAM! vs. BMF!

[KimberStormer]

I vote for

[NutMeg]

I'll never remember these - at least not for another number of seasons... I don't know how long it took me to register what some abbreviations meant, even after knowing what they meant. For me, they just cut the flow of my reading. 

[Nashville]

On 5/30/2017 at 11:56 AM, simplyme said:

I like BFM. If people decide it's too close to BMF, maybe we can go with Big-Ass Move (or Big Arse Move) instead, shortening it to BAM.

That sounds like a comic book punch now that I'm typing it.

I'm good with BAM - if for no other reason than not all BAMs are BMs.  ;>

 

4 hours ago, NutMeg said:

I'll never remember these - at least not for another number of seasons...

Uhhh... yeah, isn't that why the Lexicon thread exists...?  :)

[Daisy]

MDQ: Million Dollar Quote - 
The quote that is said by the winner that stands out. 
Examples: Hatch saying why they are going to sign him the cheque for the million dollars. 

[SVNBob]

8 hours ago, Daisy said:

MDQ: Million Dollar Quote -

And its cousin: the MDM; Million Dollar Moment -

A non-verbal scene (or scene where what is spoken is irrelevant) featuring the winner that indicates that they will be the winner.

Examples: Earl on the mountaintop, Cochran's multiple THs from the stone throne.

[Nashville]

Destiny: a player who believes/plays as if winning the game is somehow their foreordained destiny.  Destinies tend to:

1. Alternate between playing way too hard and not playing at all, with no in-between gear.
2. Rub their hands together and cackle with glee “Everything’s going according to My Plan”,  even when they had zero input into or effect upon the current round of unfolding events.
3. Take inordinate offense whenever anybody else - ally or not - has the unmitigated gall to PLAY THEIR OWN GAME in a manner which does not directly benefit the Destiny’s own game.
4. Undertake personal vendettas based on the above #3, and nothing more.
5. Cannot acknowledge a simple adversarial relationship as “game”, and must instead paint the other player(s) as “wrong” or “evil”.

[SVNBob]

A new entry.

It's one I've been using a lot during GI*, and everyone's seemed to understand, but probably should still be added to the Lexicon.

Pocket Idol: (noun)  An HII that was found but never played.  In most cases, someone with a pocket idol should have used it but did not, thus taking the idol home "in their pocket" when they got voted out.  Technically, the compass Yul found in Cook Islands is a pocket idol, since he never actually played it.

*That also needs an entry on the initialism list.

GI: Ghost Island

[Nashville]

Nullifier: an Advantage artifact with the power to potentially nullify another player’s Immunity Idol at the Tribal Council vote.  When the player holding the Nullifier wishes to play it against another:

1. During the TC voting phase - in addition to casting their regular vote, the holder places the Nullifier in the vote run and specifies the name of the contestant upon whom the Nullifier is being played.
2. Probst collects the Vote urn and, before beginning tally of the votes, asks if anybody has an Immunity Idol they wish to play.
3. If a HII is played for the Nullifier-targeted individual, then that idol’s protection is “nullified” and any votes cast against that player WILL count towards expulsion.
4. If a HII is (a) not played for the Nullifier-targeted individual or (b) played for the targeted individual but the target receives no votes, then the Nullifier is “burned” - it is taken out of play without its existence being disclosed.

The Nullifier’s power extends solely to HIIs; it has no effect upon individual immunity won in an Immunity Challenge.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Nashville

[Kenzie]

On 4/27/2018 at 1:20 PM, Nashville said:

Destiny: a player who believes/plays as if winning the game is somehow their foreordained destiny.  Destinies tend to:

1. Alternate between playing way too hard and not playing at all, with no in-between gear.
2. Rub their hands together and cackle with glee “Everything’s going according to My Plan”,  even when they had zero input into or effect upon the current round of unfolding events.
3. Take inordinate offense whenever anybody else - ally or not - has the unmitigated gall to PLAY THEIR OWN GAME in a manner which does not directly benefit the Destiny’s own game.
4. Undertake personal vendettas based on the above #3, and nothing more.
5. Cannot acknowledge a simple adversarial relationship as “game”, and must instead paint the other player(s) as “wrong” or “evil”.

There's been quite a few of these - Angelina being the most current.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Goat: a player who is kept in the game (particularly brought to a Final Tribal Council) because that player is not thought to be a threat to get votes in a Final Tribal Council.

[Fiftyninth]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:46 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Goat: a player who is kept in the game (particularly brought to a Final Tribal Council) because that player is not thought to be a threat to get votes in a Final Tribal Council.

...As opposed to G.O.A.T., Greatest Of All Time. 

[SVNBob]

23 minutes ago, Fiftyninth said:

...As opposed to G.O.A.T., Greatest Of All Time. 

I think you mean The Queen Who Stays Queen. (so adios.)  ;)

[jhummerbird]

Quote

On 9/19/2016 at 1:28 PM, NutMeg said:

could also think of having been stick-idoled-out, having a Purple Kelly/any Kelly before KW/Brenda 2.0/... edit.

 

Just to give an official definition: 

Purple Kelly (PK) edit or being Purple Kelly'd (PK'd): a player whom the editors rarely give any screen time, don't show them strategizing or in TH's...AKA an "invisible" edit, possibly because the play has done something to piss off TPTB. Refers to S21 Nicaragua player Kelly Shinn, who was barely shown despite making the merge. There was another Kelly on her original tribe, so she was nicknamed purple because she had a streak of purple in her hair (and that was pretty much the only thing viewers would learn about her for 28 days). On day 28, after several days of heavy rainfall, she quit, along with NaOnka Nixon, but they were both allowed to join the jury because TPTB didn't have a rule in place regarding people who quit after the merge. It's rumored (or confirmed?) that TPTB edited both NaOnka and Purple Kelly poorly out of annoyance with them, but while NaOnka got screen time, albeit unflattering most of the time, Kelly got erased as much as possible. 

[Mark2]

OK, so I subtly asked this in a non-terminology thread and didn't see anyone jump in with the answer.  How did Jeff get the nickname Peachy?

[ratgirlagogo]

23 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

How did Jeff get the nickname Peachy?

Because in the initial seasons he always acted like everything was great.  Or just peachy!

ETA: I actually don't think this myself.  I don't mind Jeff most of the time.  Oh, and the whole Peachy thing is a carryover from TWOP. 

Edited November 28, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[SVNBob]

4 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Because in the initial seasons he always acted like everything was great.  Or just peachy!

Additionally; Just Peachy = JP = Jeff Probst. 

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, SVNBob said:

Additionally; Just Peachy = JP = Jeff Probst. 

Also Jiffy Pop on some occasions.

[Mark2]

On 11/27/2018 at 11:59 PM, ratgirlagogo said:

Because in the initial seasons he always acted like everything was great.  Or just peachy!

ETA: I actually don't think this myself.  I don't mind Jeff most of the time.  Oh, and the whole Peachy thing is a carryover from TWOP. 

 

20 hours ago, SVNBob said:

Additionally; Just Peachy = JP = Jeff Probst. 

Thanks!

19 hours ago, Nashville said:

Also Jiffy Pop on some occasions.

LOL haven't found that one yet.

[Nashville]

Meat shield: A high-profile character such as a physical competition ‘beast’ who is temporarily protected and/or carried through the game by other player(s), because s/he presents as a much more visible, tempting, and distracting  target.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Nashville

[MisterBluxom]

Is it worth making a list of all the seasons and abbreviations that define their names? For example:

HvV - Heroes vs Villians

I know that  "B vs W" prob means "Blood vs Water"

Here is the Wiki page:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_(U.S._TV_series)

It shows Season 35 as Heroes v Hustlers v Healers - I will now enter all the ones that look correct. I hope this is OK.

01 BorneoPulau Tiga, Sabah, MalaysiaTwo tribes of eight

02 Australian OutbackHerbert

03 AfricaShaba National Reserve, Kenya

04 MarquesasNuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands

05 ThailandKo Tarutao, Satun Province, Thailand

06 The AmazonRio Negro

07 Pearl Islands - Pearl Islands, Panama

08 All-Stars

09 Vanuatu

10 PalauKoror

11 GuatemalaLaguna Yaxhá, Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo

12 Panama Pearl Islands, Panama

13 Cook Islands Aitutaki, Cook Islands

14 FijiMacuata, Vanua Levu,

15 ChinaZhelin, Jiujiang,

16 MicronesiaKoror, Palau

17 GabonWonga-Wongue Presidential ReserveKiper4–3–0

18 TocantinsJalapão, Tocantins, Brazil

19 SamoaUpolu, Samoa

20 Heroes vs. Villains

21 NicaraguaSan Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua

22 Redemption Island

23 South Pacific Upolu, SamoaSophie ClarkeBenjamin

24 One World

25 Philippines Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines

26 Caramoan

27 Blood vs Water

28 Cagayan

29 San Juan del SurSan Juan del Sur, Rivas, NicaraguaPayne5–2–1

30 Worlds Apart

31 Cambodia Koh Rong, Cambodia

32 Kaôh Rōng

33 Millennials vs Gen X Mamanuca Islands, Fiji

34 Game Changers

35 Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers

36 Ghost Island

37 David vs Goliath

Edited December 2, 2018 by MisterBluxom

[Chicago Redshirt]

Flying under the radar or FUTR - when a player tries to do as little as possible in the game to avoid being a vote target.

[Nashville]

BOTH \ BOHH: refers to “Blood On Their Hands” \ “Blood On His/Her Hands” - figurative terms for the perception by remaining players or jurors of a group or individual’s personal culpability for overt moves against an opponent, especially those resulting in the opponent’s eviction.

[francath]

On 9/19/2016 at 1:28 PM, NutMeg said:

I cannot help but think that "having Stephened oneself out of the game" has a very clear meaning and should somehow figure in the lexicon. Despite the term not being likely to be used much. Because you have to 1) get the ability to steal one vote, 2) blinders that only let you see one target, 3) an, hmm, let's say interesting, strategy that makes it seem like it's the best idea ever to use the vote you "stole" differently than yours, 4) an inability to read the room before the vote (i.e. just 5 min ago, you were saved from elimination by someone playing his idol for you). So 4 very specific things needed to make it possible to use your advantage to get yourself voted off.

I could also think of having been stick-idoled-out, having a Purple Kelly/any Kelly before KW/Brenda 2.0/... edit.

And wasn't the Aitu 4 called Aitu nano on TWOP? (iPod nano must have been hot stuff back then, and I don't think I knew any other iProduct; yes, I too think that technology does not look any younger)

But yeah, these are all terms you wouldn't use much, while Pagonged, Ulonged, etc. would be much more mainstream. Let's say they are the lime green and lemon yellow to my zinzolin blue, my alizarine red and my regular purple (because invisible edit is very much a thing most seasons, and my choice is made in honour of that one Kelly that wore purple in her hair and that seldom spoke - yes, she also quit, but that doesn't fit in my narrative today, so I'll disregard that)  

Don't remind me of this moment! I was so depressed when he did that :(

[SVNBob]

Let's go ahead and get this added to the list in advance of the new season.

EOE:  Edge of Extinction

And one that was actually coined on the show.  It's fallen out of favor (the phrase, not what it is about), but it really needs to be more common:

Plan Voodoo \plan 'vo͞o-ˌdo͞o\ (noun):  A move to intentionally split an alliance's votes in order to counteract the opposition (potentially) playing an HII.  Originally dreamed up (literally) by Cao Boi in Cook Islands; now a basic Survivor strategy.

The epic TC in DvG at which John was eliminated was the first time we saw the minority alliance enact Plan Voodoo.

[Nashville]

TOHB: Target On His/Her Back - generally perceived as a player’s sum total of game liabilities likely to increase their chances of receiving eviction votes at Tribal Council.

[Artymouse]

I’m still a newbie, so here’s my question: players talk a lot about “sitting next to” someone at final tribal council. What is the significance of that? And are they speaking literally about sitting next to a specific person?