Fictitious Regimental/Geographic Names, Anyone?

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

So, I had an ongoing and bizarre conversation with my wife, Sonja, last night about all manner of things while she was trying to read through student papers, and I was paging idly through the latest issue of Battlegames, examining photos of the refight of Sittangbad at last May’s Partizan. Two words came up during the course of our exchange that might have a place in my imaginary 18^th century world centered on the Grand Duchy of Stollen and its arch enemy The Electorate of Zichenau. I like them at any rate. See what you think.

First, we have the word “auflauf” which is German for something akin to a casserole made from all kinds of ingredients, often leftovers that are thrown into the pot. When you get a good auflauf, it’s quite tasty. My wife makes quite good auflauf if I do say so myself. Conversely, a bad auflauf is something to be avoided at all costs – much like Chinese take-out food in Germany!

I think the word would make a good name for a ragtag unit of infantry in Zichenau’s army, for example The Honorable (Von Auflauf’s) Volunteer Regiment of Infantry. Alternately, Von Auflauf might become an inept and contentious general, in the fine tradition of Lord Cardigan, who commits his troops to foolhardy and bloody actions with little or nothing to show for their toils.

Next, we have the obscene-sounding “turducken’, something I first learned of in the run up to last Thanksgiving in late November ‘05. Seems my sister was casting about for something new and interesting to fix for her husband, who is 6’5” tall and has an appetite to match. What she decided to prepare for dinner was a boned chicken carcass stuffed inside a boned duck carcass, which, in turn was stuffed and sewn up inside a boneless turkey carcass! AKA – a Turducken!

Now, I don’t know how it turned out, but I think I’m glad that my wife and I live in Illinois, which is quite a distance from Phoenix, Arizona, where my sister and her husband reside!

At any rate, if one separates oneself from the crude appearance and sound of this word, I think it might make a highly useful imaginary, and vaguely Germanic-sounding, name for some feature in a fictitious wargames campaign. Imagine something like The 3^{rd (}Turducken) Hussars, who save the day by routing the final big assault by Stollen’s leading infantry regiments. Or maybe Turducken could become the name of a small city or town of great strategic importance because it straddles a river crossing along a major highway between Zichenau and its main ally Tauroggen-Fiebus?

Better yet, we could use the word as the name of a nefarious Flemish mercenary officer – one General Henrik Groot Van ter Ducken, overall commander of Zichenau’s projected three regiment cavalry arm. Think about it. The possibilities are endless!

So, what about you regular viewers of the Grand Duchy of Stollen -- 1768 blog? Have you dreamt up any good names for military formations or places in you imaginary wargame campaigns? I’m interested to hear your ideas. They can’t be any more half-baked than mine!