Cyberpunk Terms and Definitions

This will explain terms and slang used in the Cyberpunk universe

2020 Hindsight

The wise act of watching your back.

A-Boys

A type of boostergang whose motif is a specific animal.

Ace

1. An expert in the field. 2) Friend, buddy, pal.

Aces

The very best

Ace of Spades

Solo term for death in combat. To "draw the ace" is to die in battle. "Drawing the ace" is a short-hand expression with the same meaning.

Aesthetics

Simple cosmetic surgery.

AI

Artificial Intelligence. A computer or network-based entity, originally designed to solve complex problems, that has achieved self-awareness. Usually under the control of a megacorp, but not always.

Alien

Derogatory grounder term for someone who lives in space.

AMF

"Adios, ". Good-bye. Typically derogatory.

Angel

A benefactor, especially an unknown one.

AniMan, AniMen

Derogatory term for a body sculpted individual who resembles an animal form.

APC

An abbreviation for an Armored Personnel Carrier, eg. an Ares Citymaster, or LAV-93 "Devil Rat."

Arc, Arco

An arcology. A self-contained living environment, usually pyramidal or domed. May belong to a corporation, government agency, or non-profit organization.

Artist

An extremely professional hit-man, who usually has a signature.

ASIST

"Artificial Sensory Induction System Technology." The industry name for simsense.

AV

Pronounced "Aie-Vee", shorthand term for a variety of hover-vans.

Avatar

Decker slang for a personal Matrix icon. Also called, a persona.

BA

Pronounced "Bee-Aye", shorthand for either Bad-Ass or Black Agent.

Badge

Police or corporate security.

Bagged and Tagged

To die.

Bagman

Street slang for a criminal courier.

Bakebrain

General purpose derogatory term indicating someone with limited or damage mental faculties (frequently due to excessive use of neural cyberware.)

Ballerina

A reflex boosted female assassin in the employ of a major corp.

'Base

Database.

B.B.

Either "Big Brother" or "Boys in Black".

B-D

Breakdown.

Beenie

An out-of-towner.

Berserkide

Any combat drug, particularly dancers.

Biff

The modern equivalent of the archaic term, "bimbo."

Bioroid

A full-body conversion cyborg.

Bioware

Any biological enhancement or replacement.

Bithead

Slang for a decker or "nerdy" computer enthusiast.

Bit Jockey

Programmer.

Bitty Box

A primitive, underpowered, or generally useless computer or other electronic device.

Biz.

Street slang for crime. From, "business."

Black, Big Black

Space. The final frontier. Where no man... well, you get the idea.

Black Agent

An illegal operative.

Black Ops

Any unofficial, corporate shadow-operations, either in-house or hired-out.

Black Ice

Illegal countermeasure software which causes physical harm or death to an intruder.

Black Clinic

A medical facility which specializes in the implant of illegal or unregistered cyberware.

Blade

1. A professional soldier or fighter, specializing in edged weapons. 2) A surgeon or doctor.

Bleed

To attack, injure, or kill.

Blood Money

Income from the illegal sale of organs to a body bank.

Blowing Code

A decker term for inputing or uploading information.

Blue Moon

An honest NC police officer.

Body Sculpt

The process of having the body totally re-molded by vat-grown tissue & advanced plastic surgery.

Booster

1. Any gang member who displays a strong affinity for cyberware. 2) Gang member that uses cyberware, leathers, and violence as a way of life.

Boostergang

A gang that uses cyberware, leathers, and violence as a way of life.

Bopper

A robot

'Borg'ed

Excessive use of cybernetic body modifications.

Bount

Bounty hunter.

Bosozuki

A "street samurai."

Brain Potato

A Blue 18 addict.

Brandy

A highly popular, off-the-shelf, female avatar, with customizable body attributes & facial expressions.

Breeder

One who has sex without thought to the ramifications of nuclear radiated DNA being passed on.

Bronze

slang (usually derogative) term for law enforcement officials.

Breetva

Razor. Anyone with combat-oriented cyberware.

Bruce

Pronunciation of the hacker acronym BRS (Big Red Switch). 1) To deactivate a machine. 2) To kill someone or render them senseless. To schythe.

Buck Rogers

Derogatory phrase for an individual (usually a Solo) obsessed with high-tech weaponry.

Buff

To attack viciously with intent to maim or kill.

Bug-Out

To flee from a situation or area.

Business, "Biz"

In slang context, crime.

Buzz

Buzz off. Go away. Leave.

BWANT

A NeoChiacgo term meaning, to attack all out for no apparent reason.

Bwant

Decker slang for a very untrustworthy employer, likely to be selling a death wish.

Cat

A cat burglar.

Catalog

A Class-A information dossier. Public Records.

Causing static

Starting trouble.

Cement poisoning

What a person dies of after being pushed off of a multi-story building and hitting the sidewalk. Also known as deceleration trauma.

Chalk outline

A recently deceased person, or to one who expected to die soon. The reference is to the chalk outline drawn around a dead body at a murder scene by the police.

Check out

To die.

Chilled

A hip term meaning, to be cool, together.

Chinese Take-out

Anything extremely jumbled or messy.

Chip-truth

The absolute truth.

Choombata, Choomba

Friend. Buddy. Neo-African slang for a friend/family member. Roughly equivalent to chummer.

Choob

Jerk, nerd, weirdo.

Chop

A credstick.

Chop shop

A black clinic

Chromatic

1. Heavy Metal music. 2) Of or relating to Heavy Metal music 3) Anything wild, fantastic, or bodacious.

Chrome

1. Flash, glitter, bells and whistles, tinsel. Material used to spice up the appearance of something. 2) Sexy features on a program, not needed for functionality but radiating style (e.g. a guillotine instead of a trash can icon). 3) Generic reference to cyberware.

Chrome-Bangers

Derogatory term for the C-SWAT team or "psychosquad".

Chromed

The state of being equipped with obvious offensive augmentations.

Chromer

1. Metalheads, heavy metal fans. 2) A member of a gang dedicated to hard (chromatic) rock music (usually a specific band) and mindless violence. The original "party animals".

Chuck

Caucasian person. Usually derogatory.

Chummliechen

The German form of chummer.

Chummer

"Pal" or "Buddy". May be used sarcastically.

Chunking

Eating on the run, eating as a secondary activity.

Cinema

A movie or simsense, usually in tri-d.

CIRS

Cybernetic Implant Rejection Syndrome: a psychotic aberration suffered by excessive users of cyberware.

Cleaner

An assassin (or team) used to eliminate all traces of a mission, including the participants.

Clint

The male counterpart to a Brandy, but handsome & cragy, with chisled features & limited facial expressions.

Collar

A white-collar worker, usually a low-level employee of a megacorp.

Combat Drugs

Designer drugs for military use.

Combat Zones

Areas of urban decay in major cities, characterized by high crime rates, unmaintained streets and buildings, poor police coverage, high concentrations of homeless people, and frequent outbreaks of (often gang-related) violence.

COM-INT

An abbreviation for COMmunications INTelligence, ie. bugs & wire-taps, and their users.

Comm

Short form of Complant.

Config

To arrange something.

Corp

1. Corporation. 2) Of or relating to a corporation, its assets, personnel, or anything corporate.

Corpse

1. A corporate executive, a CORPorate Sleaziness Expert. 2) A corporate assassin, CORPorate Security Expert.

Cortex bomb

A small, implanted explosive device (usually in the skull) that detonates in response to a timer or remote signal. Usually implanted against the wearer's will to keep them in line. Most cortex bombs will detonate automatically if tampered with.