Stenza Idioms

A pup shifted in her sleep, yawning and stretching her limbs to the four corners of the firmament before settling back in.

The phrase "the four corners of the firmament", also "the four corners of the sky", "the four corners of the heavens", is an English-Stenza hybrid phrase that has seeds in the Earth phrase "the four corners of the Earth". Used primarily by Ta'zhen, although it sees use among The Earth Fandom.

Stars watch over us.

— Ta'zhen

Stenza consensus theology holds that the gods fashion the stars to serve as their physical bodies, and this influences a lot of idioms, listed below and elsewhere. "Stars watch over us" is another of Ta'zhen's hybrid phrases (her "strange speech" has long been recognized by her blood brother Tzim-Sha).

Ùrpǒ râv!

Uniquely Stenza in origin, this phrase literally translates to "the body of god". In a strictly technical sense it refers to the physical star, but it idiomatically serves as an expression of disbelief over something, from a particularly egregious drunk idea to an unusual set of circumstances, particularly an unfortunate one.

Iradae, please talk to your wife.

Used in the Low Pass region most commonly, this refers to the mythic idea that Iradae serves as the cool-headed counterpoint to Lan'tha's passion, especially when that passion takes a turn for the dangerous and has an adverse effect on one's life.

Did this guy really need to live out beyond the rim?

"Beyond the rim" literally refers to the rim of mountains surrounding and protecting the Ice Flats and surrounding basin from the harsh environment of the Frozen Wastes. As such it connotatively refers to a particularly harsh and remote environment, particularly one where it appears the environment itself is intelligent enough to be wary of invaders. (This may be related to the idea that the Frozen Wastes are home to the Snow Warrior and his pups, who are thought to govern the local weather and climate.)

Stars in the sky.

This is another religiously-rooted expression of disbelief, often in aggravation at particular circumstances. It may be taken to mean asking the gods above, "Are you seeing this, too?"

Ṣai reṣaka.

Literally rendered as either "tiny has privileges" or "puny perks", this is an expression which sees a lot of use among Ship's Technicians and refers primarily to the ability of smaller individuals to reach particular spaces, such as for repairs. In military circles it also might refer to the use of one's smaller compatriots as a form of smaller projectile (lovingly, of course). It primarily indicates that everyone has a place among Stenza society, and for this reason it is one of the most popular sayings to convert into a name by some means.
Note: Technically, the word "paška" could be used as a swear word but the allegation is so serious that the term is avoided unless the person about to make it is certain the individual he or she is about to levy it against fits the bill.

Organs and all

Originating in The Lean Years, to say that one is going "organs adn all" means (somewhat negatively) that someone is going all in on a given position or task. It has heavy connotations of desperation and terror exhibited by the individual being discussed.

to pray to Lan'tha

On one hand, many Stenza do actively pray to Lan'tha for a whole host of purposes, and she is considered the mother of all life on the planet, so this is reasonable. However, the term has also come to mean something like a fit of passion or rage (similar to being beside oneself or incandescent).

set by Parevia

The Stenza equivalent of "a day [of the week] ending in Y"

Root Languages

• Military Slang
• Mudeweian Stenza