• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Gaming Lexicon: Paddle or Controller? Is this a region thing?

The_Afroman

The_Afroman

Member
Hey GAF.

So I grew up down south (Texas) and when i moved up to the NE, i realized that fellow gamers my age used older terms when describing gaming related things.

I used "controller" others here use "paddle"
Another one i heard was "board" instead of "level", i also use "lives" instead of "men"

What other gaming terms do you use that other might not use? For curiosity sakes.
 
The board/map/level seem to be pretty much synonyms around here except in obvious cases (minimap, XP level etc.).

The only thing that truly weirds me out and occurs from time to time is referring to ALL wireless controllers as remotes (noun).
 
Your NE phrases and words are nonsensical. Where the Hell did you move?

I have never heard anybody refer to a controller as a paddle. I am from New England and have lived here my entire life. New England is weird too, because there is language within New England that is not consistent in the entire region. And don't get me started on accents.

Where did you move to that uses this nonsense language?

I was born in Massachusetts and use controller, lives, and level. I've never used or heard the variations you describe. I live in Maine/New Hampshire now.
 
I hear "pad" as in "gamepad" occasionally (usually to differentiate from arcade sticks for fighting games) but definitely "controller" 95% of the time. Never heard paddle to refer to anything but those Atari remote-control-with-a-joystick things. Don't think I say any unusual things.
 
sticks and controllers for arcade sticks and controllers

fighting games are played on stages

stage 8 level 1 for mario 8-1( said as 8-1, but it's stage then level not world or board or whatever)

Dota 2 has 1 map (not fucking boards)

3 lives left (sometimes you get to play the 0)
 
We are eagerly awaiting more information, Afroman. There's a good chance the town you moved to is actually an alien simulator that can only approximate normal human behavior. Do not eat the "dirtbird" or drink the "clear syrup." These are not real things.

Find the nearest "wall iris" and flee into the "pole farm." We will meet you there and rescue you.
 
shiftplusone said:
sticks and controllers for arcade sticks and controllers

fighting games are played on stages

stage 8 level 1 for mario 8-1

Dota 2 has 1 map (not fucking boards)

3 lives left (sometimes you get to play the 0)
Click to expand...

You actually say stage 8 level 1? Everyone around here would just say 8 1.
 
Veritigo_X said:
Uh, did you move to northern Maine or something? I'm from NE and I use the same words as you, same with everyone I know.
Click to expand...

CNY for me. Syracuse. My kids babysitter is like 22 and she said .. "oh i hate this board.." a few days ago while i was playing New Super Mario Bros on the Wii U.. i was like what ..is a board..?

Finale Fireworker said:
Your NE phrases and words are nonsensical. Where the Hell did you move?

I have never heard anybody refer to a controller as a paddle. I am from New England and have lived here my entire life. New England is weird too, because there is language within New England that is not consistent in the entire region. And don't get me started on accents.

Where did you move to that uses this nonsense language?

I was born in Massachusetts and use controller, lives, and level. I've never used or heard the variations you describe. I live in Maine/New Hampshire now.
Click to expand...

My good friend that lives here in Syracuse is from NYC, and he uses "Paddles" for controllers. He will say "yeah i got a new paddle for my Xbox.". or "hey can i borrow an extra paddle for the weekend." I'm used to it now.. but MAN so weird.. like i remember Atari Pong and Tennis paddles.. but i never called gamepads/controllers "Paddles"
 
Board? Men? Paddle? Never heard of either of those. Level (or map depending on the game), lives, controller. In French we say tableau, vies, manette.
 
Anyone who refers to 'controllers' as remotes needs shooting. Drives me nuts.

Also, it could be levels or worlds. Depending. Pretty sure Mike Matei bitched about people being snobby about using the word board in reference to a video game section :D
 
The_Afroman said:
CNY for me. Syracuse. My kids babysitter is like 22 and she said .. "oh i hate this board.." a few days ago while i was playing New Super Mario Bros on the Wii U.. i was like what ..is a board..?



My good friend that lives here in Syracuse is from NYC, and he uses "Paddles" for controllers. He will say "yeah i got a new paddle for my Xbox.". or "hey can i borrow an extra paddle for the weekend." I'm used to it now.. but MAN so weird.. like i remember Atari Pong and Tennis paddles.. but i never called gamepads/controllers "Paddles"
Click to expand...

That's pretty strange. I wouldn't consider CNY (or any of NY really) to be in NE though. Do people there consider it to be?
 
I've heard controllers and controls. I'm not sure the latter is entirely accurate.

Lives and levels (worlds) are all I've heard. Your alternate examples sound like old arcade terminology. Paddle seems too descriptive to use for any and all types of controllers.
 
I have heard these
xboxonevsps4.jpg

called:

Controllers
Pads
Sticks
the 'do' button
 
done-atari-paddle_1000.jpg


Never heard it mean anything else in 40 years, and I have lived in the US and Europe... including Massachusetts
 
I've never heard paddle being used for anything than describing pong style controllers. And I've been gaming since 1980.
 
one thing that i've noticed in spanish countries and that annoys me a lot is that consoles and handelds are referred to with female pronouns.

i'm like "man, that's worse than public waifu talk" and yet people see it as normal.

i prefer to use neutral pronouns but spanish is iffy in this regard since neutral is hard to do (it's usually male or female pronouns)
 
I lost my Atari 2600 paddles. Can't play Warlords any more.

Never ever heard that word used to describe anything but actual paddle controllers.
 
Madao said:
one thing that i've noticed in spanish countries and that annoys me a lot is that consoles and handelds are referred to with female pronouns.

i'm like "man, that's worse than public waifu talk" and yet people see it as normal.

i prefer to use neutral pronouns but spanish is iffy in this regard since neutral is hard to do (it's usually male or female pronouns)
Click to expand...
It's weird. Here in Québec consoles have masculine pronouns. Le Playstation, le Wii, le Super Nintendo, le Sega Genesis... and in France, they often use feminine ones. La Playstation, la Wii, though I think they say le Xbox?

Anyway, French people are weird. And wrong. :D
 
controller: 'ohjain' = "driver"
level: 'kenttä' = "field"
life = life ('elämä')
complete (the game/a level): 'vetää läpi' = "drag through"
 
"Board" makes sense to me when you're describing a single-screen game.

One thing I never hear anymore is "I flipped that game", referring to have beaten it. I flipped Super Mario 2 using Toad all the way through!
 
Oh no its 'soda' and 'pop' all over again!

Seriously though, as others have said the only paddle I ever heard of was the old Atari 2600 controller you used to play stuff like Kaboom.
 
I say lives I guess, because that's what games have called them....but do games still have those?
I think I use "men" jokingly, because it seems like a term for someone who doesn't understand that when Mario dies, another man doesnt come in, but rather it's the same dude.


Never heard paddle outside of the dial used for pong, arkanoid, and tempest.
Controller is the term that I use.....if you go to any retail site, they will sell you controllers rather than paddles. The PS4 has a "controller settings" menu but nothing about paddles.
 
thechristoph said:
"Board" makes sense to me when you're describing a single-screen game.

One thing I never hear anymore is "I flipped that game", referring to have beaten it. I flipped Super Mario 2 using Toad all the way through!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I use "board" for describing maps in smaller games, or single screen if they're 2D.
 
thechristoph said:
"Board" makes sense to me when you're describing a single-screen game.

One thing I never hear anymore is "I flipped that game", referring to have beaten it. I flipped Super Mario 2 using Toad all the way through!
Click to expand...

I used to say flipped, because in my day, it means you flipped the score over to zero again.... there really was no such thing as beating a game. You played until you ran out of lives or the game broke.
 
DarkConfidant said:
I say lives I guess, because that's what games have called them....but do games still have those?
I think I use "men" jokingly, because it seems like a term for someone who doesn't understand that when Mario dies, another man doesnt come in, but rather it's the same dude.


Never heard paddle outside of the dial used for pong, arkanoid, and tempest.
Controller is the term that I use.....if you go to any retail site, they will sell you controllers rather than paddles. The PS4 has a "controller settings" menu but nothing about paddles.
Click to expand...

i mean i think everyone knows the proper terms. like on the box it says controller.. and in the settings it says controller.. i'm more interested in the daily lingo used. My friend KNOWS it's controller, but he still uses paddle.. as that's what they were always called when he was younger.. so i'm wondering if this is a age thing or region thing.
 
Finale Fireworker said:
Your NE phrases and words are nonsensical. Where the Hell did you move?

I have never heard anybody refer to a controller as a paddle. I am from New England and have lived here my entire life. New England is weird too, because there is language within New England that is not consistent in the entire region. And don't get me started on accents.

Where did you move to that uses this nonsense language?

I was born in Massachusetts and use controller, lives, and level. I've never used or heard the variations you describe. I live in Maine/New Hampshire now.
Click to expand...
this, though I do have a cousin from Unity that used to say board instead of stage or level, but he was never really into games.
 
The_Afroman said:
i mean i think everyone knows the proper terms. like on the box it says controller.. and in the settings it says controller.. i'm more interested in the daily lingo used. My friend KNOWS it's controller, but he still uses paddle.. as that's what they were always called when he was younger.. so i'm wondering if this is a age thing or region thing.
Click to expand...

He was wrong when he was young also, then. Even on 2600 it would specify whether it required either a joystick or paddle controller right on the box and cartridge. Nintendo made it a game pad... but it was mainly because it was missing the stick we were all used to.... maybe he mistook that as being short for paddle.

He is just using it as some sort of whimsy at this point...hardly lexicon worthy
 
controller, level, extra life/lives/1up

paddles and boards make games sound like corporal punishment, so I feel bad for kids who grew up saying that
 
Mihos said:
He was wrong when he was young also, then. Even on 2600 it would specify whether it required either a joystick or paddle controller right on the box and cartridge. Nintendo made it a game pad... but it was mainly because it was missing the stick we were all used to.... maybe he mistook that as being short for paddle.

He is just using it as some sort of whimsy at this point...hardly lexicon worthy
Click to expand...

So what your saying is.. he is trolling me.

This does not surprise me IN THE LEAST.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Is this gaming laptop good?
13
243
Guardian Monkey replied
The worst thing about PC gaming is....
2 3 4
182
3K
Puscifer replied
Will this controller work with my iPad Pro?
10
243
cormack12 replied
There is one tiny thing MS could do that would be ver big for Helix and PC gaming...
12
182
cireza replied
Shpeshal Nick: "Super Mario Maker 3" is a thing
Opinion Rumor 
10
377
Hudo replied
Top Bottom