List of terms (TOS)

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This is a listing of terms in the Original Series. For terms seen in the Original Series' spin-off, Galactica 1980, see List of terms (1980). For terms used in the Re-imagined Series, see List of terms (RDM).

Acronyms[edit]

Military jargon[edit]

  • "flash inspection": an inspection of military assets that is performed without prior notice by a superior officer (Saga of a Star World)
  • "four-point peel off": a maneuver performed with a group of four Vipers (War of the Gods, Part I)
  • "free flight jump": an infantry parachute landing, having jumped out of a shuttle (The Living Legend, Part II)
  • "maximum G-climb": a maneuver done near a celestial body, which may cause the pilot to blackout; Starbuck orders C.O.R.A. to perform this maeuver, which causes the pursuing Raider to crash into the loading docks on Proteus (The Lost Warrior)
  • "stand alert": Colonial term for "attention" (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I)
  • "stripped and moduled": a consequence of severe infractues in military law, likely similar to being stripped of one's rank and thrown in hack; Greenbean expresses a fear of this happening as Giles asks where he got the alcohol from (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I)
  • Warrior: an all purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot

Sayings[edit]

  • "laser in their side": analogue to "thorn in their side", Starbuck uses this term to describe how the actions of Megan's surviving children have kept their father alive at Cylon hands (The Young Lords).

Other colloquialisms[edit]

Battlestar Galactica specific terms[edit]

Units of Measure[edit]

BSG Unit Earth Unit
Time measurements
yahren year  
quatron month
secton week
time cycle day
centar hour
millicenton 10 minutes
centon minute  
micron second
microcenton second
Distance measurements
parsec 90 Million Miles
hectar 9 Million Miles
sectar 9 Million Miles (?)
metric kilometer
maxim 10 meters
metron meter
Scientific measurements
ergon unknown
megon megaton
radion rad
volton voltage
wavelon wavelength

Table notes[edit]

  1. Yahren may be only about 2/3 of a year; see note.
  2. In episodes such as "Saga of a Star World" and "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I", centon is used as the Colonial equivalent of a week before being retconned in later episodes.
  3. Microcenton is likely another term for "micron"; Starbuck uses this term when he says "switching off of you for a microcenton to scan ahead" (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II)
  4. A sectar is an unknown unit of measure, measuring either distance or time.
  5. "Metron" is used in a deleted scene as Serina approaches the starboard landing bay (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II); likely similar to a meter, which is known as a "metric" in other episodes.

See also[edit]