"When you see the word ogre, what comes to mind?" Topic

I realized, while reading a post yesterday, that when I see the word ogre on TMP I immediately think of Steve Jackson Games' game OGRE and the eponymous cybertanks , not a large, brutish semi-giant.

When you see the word ogre, what comes to mind?

A) A cybertank
B) a large brutish humanoid
C) both
D) other (explain)

Both but you rarely hear the word out of context of one or the other.

Cybertank – specifically, the iconic Mark V.

Both but you rarely hear the word out of context of one or the other.

I have an ex who still refers to me as an ogre, but I suppose that would still be definition B. :)

Unless I see it written as OGRE, or with other context-based clues to suggest it's going to be about cybertanks, my default assumption is that the word refers to B.

Shrek.

C and D. D being my friend Brian who plays an ogre at Renaissance.

This:

In a gamer's context, it is the tank (and eponymous game) hands down. I don't use ogres much in my fantasy games. Outside that context, I would use it to describe a person of repellent character.

Ron

B. I think of the 'Wormy' comic in the back of late 80s Dragon Magazine.

I think of B almost exclusively. Specifically these days I think of the GW plastic ones as I have an army of them.

C, in context.

Well, there was this famous ogre from Corsica. I usually think B first & then the "Corsican Ogre". I rarely think of the big tank unless I see the word in all capital letters.

-Elaine

the movie "Revenge of the Nerds". Actor Donald Gibb played Fred "Ogre" Pawlowakski

D, a guy I used to work for.

Outside that context, I would use it to describe a person of repellent character.

Hey, I resemble that remark. :)

D) mother in law

Pretty much like everyone else…fantasy, a brutish humanoid…science fiction, a giant tank.

Ogre would accurately describe one of my ex girlfriends to a 'T', including the large, brutish aspect.

Shrek?

Without any context, the cybertank.

unless it's ALLCAPS, 'ogre' means a large, brutish humanoid. It's also used as an alternative phonetic for 'Oscar', for example: X-ray Ogre means the XO, Executive Officer, is going to take a bite out of someone's butt.

Allcaps 'OGRE' means excessively large, brutish cybertank.

When talking figures, brute.
When talking scenarios, the tank.
When talkin evil, my mother-in-… nah, its too easy.

What Desertscrb said.

Only when the word is fully capitalized, indicating an acronym, do I think of the fictional eponymous cybertank of the Steve Jackson game.

B

But I'm old-fashioned.

A

Shrek and also with David Manley: mother in law.

Cybertank

All capitalized, a big ass tank. Otherwise big ugly critter with no redeming features.

Owen

Otherwise big ugly critter with no redeming features.

Hey! I resemble that remark! (No, seriously. Even at my fighting trim, I stood 6 feet tall, 190lbs, had a 17.5" neck, and wore a size 48 suitcoat. If that sounds familiar, I'm the bulk of Spenser for hire, professional ogre.)

B, because I'v never heard of A until now.

B, because I'v never heard of A until now.

You should check it out. It's a simple, but elegant game, with a great deal of subtlety. I believe SJGames is re-releasing a simple version of it for $2.99 USD US (That's not a typo. The original price in the 1970s was $2.99 USD and they decided to re-release it at the original price).

2 headed ogre from warcraft II

Large tank , then check spelling and context to see if it is something else

B

A, even when not capitalised.

B

B, but as others have noted, that simply shows my age :)

B

Always B – I never think of the cybertank, in fact when I saw this topic I was expecting a discussion on what type of big brutish monster the word 'ogre' conjured up.

I read Keith Laumer's 'Bolo' stories and H.G. Wells''The Land Ironclads' before seeing the O.G.R.E. game so I don't think of Continental Siege Machines.

"What kind of boy are you?"

"I'm a good boy"

"For the honor of the regiment!"

You guys do realize that Steve Jackson's "Ogre" is a slang term for cybertank, not an acronym like G.E.V. is, right?

link

No periods, not properly ALLCAPS either.

It's a Hungarian, from Onogur, one of the Hunnish tribes.

I can't help it if I am more educated than you smelly oiks, can I?

B. Too much fantasy and folklore growing up.

And as T Meir states, Bolos define cybertanks.

B

D. This gruesome beast

First thought is the tank.

But I read Keith Laumer's BOLO many years ago as a youth, when I first chose the SF path over fantasy. :D

Only if you qualify it to add context would I think of fantasy – but I'd still think of an old gaming mate's mother first (well foster mother) whose nickname was "the ogre".

Commander for the win!

When I hear Bolo I think of the broomhandle Mauser pistol or the South American weapon.