What would you be more offended by...

being called a petaQ or a Denebian slime devil?

 

The word "petaQ" was never spoken in TOS, so it wouldn't mean anything at all in that context.

Kor

 

Ehh, I dunno, slime devils ain't so bad....

 

How do we know petaq doesn't mean Denebian slime devil?

 

Neither. Sticks and stones, y'know.

 

I always thought that it was pronounced Petach or Petack not PetaQ!!!
JB

 

I'd only be offended if someone were to say that the Enterprise should be hauled away as garbage.

 

. . . and that's when you hit the Klingons?

 

In the orthography of Marc Okrand's Klingon language, it's "petaQ."

The etymology of "petaQ" in tlhIngan Hol is something like "you, weird."

That may not sound like much of an insult to us, but in a conformist society that expects everybody to act a certain way and doesn't tolerate any differences, the implication may be that the person is some kind of bizarre deviant who is way outside the norms of proper Klingon behavior.

Kor

 

PetaQ sounds more like a service a lady would receive at a manicurist than a Klingon curse!
JB

 

You know the Klingons. For them vaguely nice nails are dishonorable.

 

::single eyebrow raise:: Fascinating.

 

I somehow related it to our former governor here, George Pataki.

 

He gets seriously made fun of at social gatherings with Klingons.

 

There are theories that Michael and George Pataki were related. Both men are of Hungarian descent, so it's not impossible.

There are also theories, one of which is on Michael Pataki's IMDB page, that the insult is derived from his name.

 

As long as you have nice nails and no ridges or turtle bones you'll be okay, Jinn!
JB

 

I like the sound of a Patak rather than a PetaQ to be honest! And we all get the reference to Korax too! Well he had been in space for five months as well!
JB

 

Neither, It's being called a "Herbert" that would offend me beyond belief.

 

You reach!