Author Topic: AT-AT or AT-AT?  (Read 4332 times)

Offline Phrubruh

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AT-AT or AT-AT?
« 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. ?
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Offline Diddly

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #1 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".
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #2 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.
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Offline Matt

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2008, 10:23 PM »
@-@
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Offline JediJman

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2008, 11:03 PM »
It is pronounced "Imperial Walker" I think.   ;)
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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2008, 01:19 AM »
AT-AT is pronounced Imperial Walker.  If you read it phonetically.   ;D
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #6 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...
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2008, 09:51 AM »
Order of preferred usage -

Imperial walker
At-At
A.T. A.T.
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Offline P-Siddy

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #8 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).

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #9 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.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #10 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.
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #11 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.
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Offline JediJman

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #12 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.
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Offline solrac

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #13 on: January 2, 2009, 03:07 AM »
It's AT-AT.  Chicken walker is the way they sway when they walk. like drunk chickens...
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: AT-AT or AT-AT?
« Reply #14 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.
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