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Community => Watto's Junk Yard => Topic started by: Phrubruh on December 30, 2008, 08:12 PM

Title: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Phrubruh on December 30, 2008, 08:12 PM
I got in this discussion at work about how an imperial walker name is pronouced. Is it At-At or A.T.A.T. ?
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Diddly on December 30, 2008, 08:26 PM
The only place I've ever heard the name be spoken was in the Rogue Squadron video game series, and they pronounced it "At At".
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Jesse James on December 30, 2008, 09:52 PM
It was also pronounced in other games as well...  I believe the radio dramatizations simply referred to them as "walkers", as the movies did.  Force Commander, Rogue Squad, and I believe other games spoke the name out as At-At...  I've never ever heard it spoken in a game or anything as A.T.A.T.

So I go with At-At myself...  It sounds like a military nickname almost, which adds to it I think.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Matt on December 30, 2008, 10:23 PM
@-@
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: JediJman on December 30, 2008, 11:03 PM
It is pronounced "Imperial Walker" I think.   ;)
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 31, 2008, 01:19 AM
AT-AT is pronounced Imperial Walker.  If you read it phonetically.   ;D
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Keonobi on December 31, 2008, 09:36 AM
Does that mean we should start referring to the "Chicken Walker" as an "Atst"?

My vote is A.T.A.T., but it sounds like the continuity dorks at LFL have decided its At-At if it was that way in a couple games...
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Darth_Anton on December 31, 2008, 09:51 AM
Order of preferred usage -

Imperial walker
At-At
A.T. A.T.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: P-Siddy on December 31, 2008, 10:18 AM
I would go with At At personally. I think we have some military guys on here so they'd provide some insight as well. I just think At-At is quick and to the point instead of spelling it out (Alpha Tango-Alpha Tango).
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 31, 2008, 01:02 PM
Does that mean we should start referring to the "Chicken Walker" as an "Atst"?

I never heard the term "Chicken Walker" when either ESP or ROTJ came out.  It was always Scout Walker.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Jesse James on December 31, 2008, 01:09 PM
At-At from a military perspective is the fast way to pronounce it...  "Imperial Walker" is simply a generic term that could apply to any number of pieces of armor on the field.  It's a generic, "Holy **** I see armor!" kind of comment...  It gets specific to the point of saying you see armor that's on legs, not hovering, tracked, or wheeled, but it's still generic.

A.T.A.T. is longer to say...  Maybe more "official" but takes longer to say.  It's likely military personnel wanting to identify walkers quickly would cut them down to "TE, ST, PT, OT, AA...", etc. to identify specific pieces of walker armor on the field with some speed.

The soldiers on Hoth that said, "Spotted IMperial Walkers" probably are identifying armored columns of some kind too...  More than just AT-AT's.  The films show of course AT-ST variants of course with the AT-AT's, and EU says other walkers were there but "off camera".  

I'd say the "technical" name of an AT-AT is A-T-A-T, and the quick identifying name of them is At-At, just as AT-ST would likely be shortened to "ST" for speed's sake.  And of course you can limit things to just "walker" or "armor", but that's highly generic and knowing what you're facing is obviously important for a variety of reasons.

And this is one dorky conversation.  I love it.  I should move this to the Classic Trilogy section I suppose, but...  eh I'm tired.

Matt, "Chicken Walker" was used by ILM crew for the AT-ST's...  Lucas used it too.  It doesn't appear in EU that I'm aware of, and honestly I've never cared for the term myself as I don't think they really look like chickens and stuff, but I guess the ILM guys called them that all the time.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Keonobi on December 31, 2008, 01:48 PM
Matt, "Chicken Walker" was used by ILM crew for the AT-ST's...  Lucas used it too.  It doesn't appear in EU that I'm aware of, and honestly I've never cared for the term myself as I don't think they really look like chickens and stuff, but I guess the ILM guys called them that all the time.
A bit of a side note, but when my Wife and I were dating and we were watching all the movies, she used to ask what this ship was called, or what that guys name was, etc.  One of the models was the AT-ST, which I called a "Chicken Walker", due in part to how the legs are jointed, (I can't recall where I had read it, but I know other people have called it that, its not a Keonobism).  Well, when we were next at a Walmart (or Target or something) she made sure to point out the "Chicken Wing" LEGO kit.  I had to laugh, as she was clearly trying to impress me.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: JediJman on January 1, 2009, 11:10 PM
Does that mean we should start referring to the "Chicken Walker" as an "Atst"?

I never heard the term "Chicken Walker" when either ESP or ROTJ came out.  It was always Scout Walker.

Ditto, though I'm more apt to call it an AT-ST than a scout walker.  I'm going to blame that on the AT-ST Driver vintage figure.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: solrac on January 2, 2009, 03:07 AM
It's AT-AT.  Chicken walker is the way they sway when they walk. like drunk chickens...
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Darth_Anton on January 2, 2009, 11:36 AM

I never heard the term "Chicken Walker" when either ESP or ROTJ came out.  It was always Scout Walker.

I think I read the term in Starlog way back when Jedi was first coming out and they posted a teaser image.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Phrubruh on January 2, 2009, 05:07 PM
So we are mostly saying At-At instead of spelling it out. Do you think that is because we are toy collectors and the toy commericals always said At-At? I'm seeing on other sites that younger people call it an A.T.A.T. while us old farts call it an At-At.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Jesse James on January 2, 2009, 05:36 PM
I've always called it an At-At before I really "thought" about it much.  I could easily see it being referred to in some fictional training session as an "A.T.A.T. class heavy Imperial Walker" or some **** too.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: JediJman on January 3, 2009, 11:03 AM
So we are mostly saying At-At instead of spelling it out. Do you think that is because we are toy collectors and the toy commericals always said At-At? I'm seeing on other sites that younger people call it an A.T.A.T. while us old farts call it an At-At.

What other sites are you referring to where young people are saying it verbally different than we old schoolers do?
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Phrubruh on January 3, 2009, 06:42 PM
The Force.net
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: iFett on January 3, 2009, 08:54 PM
Who really cares  ???    Not me.....
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: jedi_master_sal on January 4, 2009, 12:35 PM
I usually say at-at. Almost never A.T.A.T. Though what about "Snow walker?" That's what I called it for many years and on occasion still do.

Strangely though I call the AT-ST just that A.T.S.T. I think it's because it's easy to say at-at, but not at-st. Really, who would understand the "st" sound. Though I still call this a chicken walker on occasion as well.
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: 12501 on January 4, 2009, 03:38 PM
I've always gone with "A.T.-A.T.". Not sure why, I suppose its just because that's how it's spelled....
Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: name on January 5, 2009, 12:27 PM
As long as G. Lucas continues pronouncing Dough-koo, Geo-Gnaw-sis, Nay-boo, Hoth (rhymes with Both), Han (rhymes with Ran), and lightsaber (rhymes with lazer sword) despite what he directs his characters to say on screen, I don't think we have to worry much about it.

I like AT-AT though, for the record.

Lucas probably refers to them as "iron dinosaurs".

Title: Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
Post by: Keonobi on January 5, 2009, 12:35 PM
Walk-a-saurs?