tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Feb 13 12:05:29 2001
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Re: Klingon WOTD: toppa' (n)
: Klingon word: toppa'
: Part of Speech: noun
: Definition: [topah]
: Additional Notes: KGT. A type of animal.
In TNG "The Chase", a Cardassian ship fires on the USS Enterprise and IKS
Maht-H'a. Capt Nu'Daq, who is aboard the Enterprise conferring with Picard,
hails his ship:
"Maht-H'a, status?"
"Minor damage to starboard nacelle. We will be operational in less than one
hour."
"WHAT! You incompetent *toh-pah*! You were supposed to be prepared!"
[It seems that Nu'Daq was using the common Klingon simile {tlhIb; toppa' rur}
"incompetent as a *topah*" (KGT) which his subordinate would understand.]
Later, on the planet where the genetic puzzle is finally solved, the Cardassian
gul who tried to deceive both the Klingons and Federation materializes with an
armed landing party. Nu'Daq shouts, "You dishonorable *toh-pah*!"
[Curiously, Here the epithet {toppa'} seems to mean the same as {petaQ}
*p'tak*, at least as we've frequently heard it used in the episodes. Perhaps
this is Nu'Daq's favorite insult.]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons