3839468
>Modern girls being proud to call themselves bitches
Teenagers. The word you're looking for is teenagers.

And by admitting that you're "lol just trolling xD" you're baiting for a reaction and not actually contributing any legitimate opinion to the conversation? So everything you've said up to this point is moot because of your own admission that you don't actually give a shit about the discussion at hand. I guess you really do live up to your name, Ignatius.

Someone wanna post that #rekt chart?

3839468
>furiously backpedaling once defeated by saying "oh I was just fucking around LOL"

3839487

3839015
"You don’t see anyone calling unicorns ‘hornponies’ or pegasi ‘wingponies’.”"
I use hornponies and hawkponies unironically. I have to thank some guy that got upset over me calling bat-ponies "bat-ponies" in AFO. It's always cute when people try to tell someone that had a huge hand in starting something and making it widely popular that they're wrong.
Mudpony is also a cute term for Earthponies. I'm gonna have to use that more often.

3839500

3839523
...I don't understand what that image means?

3839541
Speck being upset about having boxers on her head, since she doesn't know how they work. Also, "pants on head retarded."

ignore note of my previous comment, posted before I saw Nuke's.

3839548
I still don't understand why you posted that in response to me.

3839563
Because Whatshisname is pants on head retarded. It was more of a "this picture represents this situation, have a laugh with me."

3839523

It's always cute when people try to tell someone that had a huge hand in starting something and making it widely popular that they're wrong.

Yeah those can be annoying, seen people start complaining about an otherwise good story because it doesn't fit their headcanon, to which I generally say: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, they need not share your's, please respect that and don't go around forcing your opinions and headcanon on them, you just look like an asshole"

If you use batpony, Fine.
Thestral, sure.
Sarosian, be my guest.
any other name, or make one up yourself, go for it!

I'm sticking with thestral, if only because it's what I'm used to (though I do occasionally use bat pony as well), if I had known of the info Permanent Temporary gave earlier I might have latched on to a different word, but I like thestral, regardless of the origin.

Reads over text

I apologize if I come off as too soapbox-y or anyone gets annoyed by the mini-rant, got a bit carried away.

3839487
Well, I had already given enough examples on the fact that pejorative words do get converted into words of pride, but the guy continued to argue that I'm just wrong. Therefore, to continue to take him seriously was nothing but to freely raise my blood pressure. He's not worth the bother.

Besides, the thing about the word "bitch" is that it seems to define all the qualities of an assertive, liberated woman, so it moves miles away from whores or crazy teenagers. And, curiously enough, it is also a nigger-type word, taking vastly different connotations if said from inside or outside the group.

3839523

A list I compelled some time ago:

Slurs meaning pony:
*Geldos
*Kickstands
*Cathyfuckers
*Mooners (but from them not wearing pants and from having Princess Luna)
*big eyes, spotters, anime, manga
*motherbuckers, buckers, bucks
*mounters (from the presumed equivalent of a missionary position for ponies), mounties
*handies, no-handies, no-thumbers
*Technicolour (when taking groups of ponies)

Slurs against humans:
*unmagicals, unspecials
*chimps, monkeys, bald monkeys, bonobos
*clothers

Slurs against not-humans in general:
*Flashers
*Krishnas (especially so if said around non-ponies)
*Tails (to then call humans "heads")

Slurs against ponies and donkeys:
*confusing them with each other, or calling them all mules

Slurs against zebras:
*ponies with stripes, striped ponies
*strippers
*barcodes, codes, bars, lasers
*strip club (group of zebras)

Slurs against humanized ponies:
*skingrafts (supposedly about ponies wanting skin rather than fur)

Slurs against ponified humans:
*doggies
*bald mules
*stumpers (supposedly referring to humans wanting to cut off their hands)

Slurs against fliers in general:
*Flighties
*Featherbrains, featherheads

Slurs against thestrals:
*batponies (except that thestrals themselves use it, like blacks callign each other n-gger)
*vamponies
*suckers
*skin fliers
*nighters, lunars

Slurs against unicorns:
*horns, horners, hornets, stingers
*stickheads
*handles, joysticks
*to horn (a 'nigger'-status verb that can only be used between unicorns; means "to poke with one's horn" or "to exercise one's power against another's will or interest") (Taken from the story "Rainbigot")

3839636

Well, I had already given enough examples on the fact that pejorative words do get converted into words of pride, but the guy continued to argue that I'm just wrong.

Actually, I did not argue against that. As a matter of fact, I completely ignored it since the fact that pejorative words sometimes get converted into words of pride is by and large irrelevant. If you look back at the conversation and actually think about what we were talking about, you'd see that your point about some pejorative words becoming words of pride was at best a red herring or ignoratio elenchi, and at worst a hasty generalization fallacy.
• I am defining the word by what it actually means as of this very moment
• You are defining the word by what it could come to mean under specific circumstances
I am speaking of objective facts, while you are speaking of hypothetical suppositions. Those two are not and will never be equal.

It won't matter that you redefined "thestral" to be something positive if someone else uses it to describe something in a negative way—the original definitions won't go away just because you want them to.

Ultimately, the fact still remains that either the decision to call Bat-Ponies "thestrals" will be based on the depiction of the undead flying horses from Harry Potter (obviously the reason they were ever called thestrals in the first place) or the word as invented by John Gardener meaning "dark, dreary, grim, desolate, death-like". It doesn't matter if, hypothetically, bat-ponies (who are imaginary to begin with) accepted the name with pride—that possibility doesn't change the fact that they're named after something negative.

3841276
I think that I have already given enough relevant, valid Real-World examples to consider that I have made my point: words or concepts of abuse or ridicule can and do become redefined as neutral or even positive, even by those who were originally targeted by their previous meanings.

If you continue to deny it and simply call it wrong, then you are denied.

By the way, two more examples I thought of:

"Claude/Claudia": from Latin surname "Claudius", meaning "lame; with a permanent limp"

The USA flag: many flags of the world have long, poetic meanings, but the US flag only meant two things when designed:
1) The number 13.
2) High visibility.

To Loyal's point, I read about 'Third Sister' or his 'Honor Guard' (as examples) and I think 'Thestral.' Every time.
Not so much when I think of bat-ponies as a separate tribe of living, breathing creatures.

3836937
I started using "thestral" for these lovable, huggable creatures of the nights because I wanted something sounding more elegant than just "batpony" which, however accurate, is lazily descriptive in my opinion. I paid little attention to the origins of the word or what it represents in popular culture.

Yay! It's great to see your work mentioned somewhere! Thanks 3837031 and 3839015!

3845696
On the contrary; thanks to you. Reading that story was a pleasure.

Wow. I come back to this after a couple days and...

I want to apologize for starting this. I did not mean to cause so much violent jimmy rustling! I was just curious about the usage of the term since I couldn't pin it down. (And FYI I still don't think I am such a fan of the term being used for bat-ponies, but that's just personal preference.)

I had no idea that people would be so passionate about it!

So yeah, we have earth ponies, crystal ponies... bat pony just seems to follow the current nomenclature better than thestral.

I think what we have here, though, is two groups of people who have gone all-in on using the term or not using the term, and like those who hold certain ideologies of strong conviction, will not budge from their position. It therefore seems fruitless to try and change anyone's mind since those who are already invested in the term are going to run with it and try to get it accepted, while those opposed are going to oppose it.

And of course, there's people like me just trying to figure it out. I don't have a horse in this race, really. If the entire fandom suddenly started calling them thestrals, I'd certainly use the term since it would be widely understood as meaning what is currently called "bat pony" more widely.

3847431

I want to apologize for starting this

No need to apologize dude, no real harm has been done, and you couldn't have really expected things to go the way it did.

(And FYI I still don't think I am such a fan of the term being used for bat-ponies, but that's just personal preference.)

Personal taste, something that seems to be a problem in fandoms, some things people just cannot accept that people have different preferences. I prefer to just say live and let live, to each their own, etc.

I had no idea that people would be so passionate about it!

Yeah, can be a bit surprising how people can go huts over something as small as a name for a species of creature that has no official name.

So yeah, we have earth ponies, crystal ponies... bat pony just seems to follow the current nomenclature better than thestral.

Eh, I personally find "bat pony" to be a tiny bit lazy, nothing wrong with it specifically, but I prefer something like thestral or sarosian. Thinking about it, same could be said for earth and crystal pony, though that's there canon name, so not much one can do about that (I imagine there may be fan names, but I've never seen any).

3848166

Eh, I personally find "bat pony" to be a tiny bit lazy, nothing wrong with it specifically, but I prefer something like thestral or sarosian. Thinking about it, same could be said for earth and crystal pony, though that's there canon name, so not much one can do about that (I imagine there may be fan names, but I've never seen any).

OK, but what about crystal pony? If they're crystalline, why not something like golems? It's following a similar vein of logic. I don't know of any fictional or mythological crystalline or rock horses, though, so I went with golem.

I haven't been able to track down the origin of the word "sarosian" other than a D&D setting, which is where I must have heard the term before (Other than having read Austraeoh). It could very well be more suitable, depending. Even if it was pulled from thin air, it wouldn't remind anyone of thestrals from HP.

On a side note, I think I just have a problem with things being forced. Remember when Rainbow Falls/Equestria Games happened? People were PUSHING NAMES FOR THE BACKGROUND GRYPHONS! LIKE, HARD! And there were a bunch of names! Tags going up on derpibooru, people literally SHOUTING about what to name them, rather than doing something more orderly like discussing it somewhere visible and open like the way BG characters often get named via the MLP Wiki or even 4chan threads. Everyone not just wanting to suggest something but PUSH their idea through by force.

With the disagreements I see in this thread, I can't help but feel shades of that, somehow.

3848213 Golem seems like an interesting name for crystal ponies, and I can see a few possible uses for it any stories (just being their normal names, what they actually are <created by the unicorns to be used as servants before the three tribes joined together>, or possibly even a slur in the right conditions). might hang on to that and see if I can use it in the future (if you don't mind of course).

Sarosian I picked up from an anthro fic called "At Your Service", nice read if you don't mind anthro and/or OCXbackground character romance, also has some interesting lore for the bat ponies/sarosians

The Griffons... I actually have not heard of this until now , though it hardly surprises me, people on the internet have a habit of loosing their minds over minute little things. (though admittedly I would like it if hasbro did a bit more with griffons than just two episodes and then have the cast never really bring them up again outside of background characters, kind of missing the chance to do a bit of world building, show us places outside of Equestria)

3848410
Heh! Golem isn't mine, you can do whatever you want with it. I have no intention of using it.

And yeah. I want more griffons. A LOT.

BTW, one of those much-maligned griffons whom people were fighting about got an official name just a couple weeks ago with the release of the Crystal Games expansion of the CCG: http://mlpccg.wikia.com/wiki/Giselle,_Thrillseeker
(And to give a little background, in case anyone comes in and says that the CCG, or any product, can't really give "canon" names, just remember that the CCG had Bulk Biceps named in this card's flavor text long before he was named in the show, among many other names which later became canonized in the show itself. Enterplay works directly with Hasbro for naming cards, so the names on these cards are totally legit Hasbro names, with a few exceptions in order to make the fans happy, such as calling Sweetie Drops "Bon Bon".)

3860097
You are full of not only contradiction, but a lot of things that just make me sad. That said, you seem to think we're writing a technical manual, here. That's the best I can describe it while typing on my phone.

You view stifles creativity.

Lastly, my popular ongoing fic is S2 continuity alternate universe, but you just called it garbage, basically. Guess I should delete it, all hail canon. (Yeah right)

3860408 And thus the comment is deleted.

Good day.

3839523
Urk, too much... too much...

4165728

Snowbat cannot see your image!

4165734
Which one?

4165736

It has been fixed.

4165739
Still my reaction.

4165740

This my reaction.

4165744
To what?

4165745

To this.

Don't worry, it's a sign of affection.

4165750
NO NO NO NO. GODDAMN IT

4165751

This is how bats will wipe out all competing species.

4165754
Pfft. I won't compete, I'll willingly join them!

4165755

You're one of the good ones. You shall be spared.

4165902
WHAT? NO! WE MUST INJECT NEW SPIRIT INTO THIS GROUP!

383693 . Here's what I see:

Batpony is the most basic term. Although they don't typically use it in their own communities, when in the company of another species they dumb it down a bit so that their friends don't get confusedby more intricate terms. This is originally due to a bit of prejudice from both sides: Ponies thought batponies were dangerous, and batponies thought ponies were just plain dumb. It is also synonymous in the role of "peeps" in the sentence "Rollin' with my peeps", as a widely-used slang term.

Thestral is basically the equivalent of "powerful unicorn". It is unproven that there exist unicorn or earth batponies, but their skills are divided as such. HOWEVER, there are indeed different races: These are just known as other creatures. The earth variety is known as "Wolfponies", and the unicorns are said to be "Catponies". This is simply because their features are difficult to identify as bat: Wolfponies have claws and a furry neck instead of wings, and catponies have enlarged ears with the same extra glands and nerves as unicorn horns.

This is my personal headcanon, and it's clearly still a work in progress, but I'll figure it out...

3836937
Well I can't really explain exactly where J.K. Rowling got the idea for the Thestral, some think she was inspired by the Mare character in the 'Breton' story called "N’oun Doare" aka "The Youth who did not Know", featuring a protagonist named 'N'oun Doare'(which translates as "I Don't Know"), who buys a skeletal thin old mare that turns out to be magical(it is often referred to as "The Mare of Doom/Death"), the mare's bridle has a bunch of knots on the halter, every time N'oun undoes one of the knots, the mare with transport him to anywhere within 500 Leagues of his current location, after N'oun goes through a Huge Adventure with lots of Side-Quests, the Mare sheds it's skin to reveal that it was actually a Beautiful Princess who agrees to marry N'oun, and the story ends, but Rowling could have gotten the name of "Thestral" from the word "Kestrel" a bird similar to a Falcon, but who knows!

However, in Portugal Mythology they have legends of two similar creatures, one is named Cavalo do Pensamento aka the Thinking/Thought Horse, the other is called Cavalum, both are described as Horse-like creatures with Bat-Wings, breathes Fire, and could summon/control/manipulate Storms,
Cavalo do Pensamento is the nicer of the two, it appears in legends of the Enchanted Moors, and gets it's name from the fact that it is said to show up to people who Think about it hard enough, and is said to give people rides to where they need to be, it is said to live in caves up on very tall mountains, it's favorite pass time is flying around at great speeds, even though it's not Evil it has been known to destroy entire villages completely by accident due to the storms it creates because it is so powerful,
Cavalum is the more malevolent one, believed to be the devil in the form of a Bat-Winged Horse, in a legend from the city of Machico on Madeira Island, Cavalum came to the local church to challenge God, when God didn't respond the Cavalum decided to conjure up a Storm that could destroy the church, the longer God ignored Cavalum's little hissy fit, the worse the storm became, it would not only threaten the city, but the entire island, only when the church's crucifix flies out into sea did God finally intervene, he dispelled the storm, and then imprisoned Cavalum inside a set of caves, the caves became known as Furnas do Cavalum, and it is said that during storms, you can hear the Cavalum in all his anger and despair for being imprisoned in said caves, and it is said to devour those who travel & get lost in the caves.
So perhaps the Bat-Ponies could be like a Sub-Species of these two creatures or something, maybe we could start calling the Bat-Ponies Cavalum(which could work as both the Singular & the Plural, like Fish or Deer), and Cavalo do Pensamento could have been the Leader of the Cavalum, either in the Present or at one point in the distant past before they started to follow Princess Luna, it would be a decent way to expand on the Bat-Pony Lore, and Not get them involved with the Harry Potter Thestrals.

Batpony is the correct term. Thestral is something a middleschooler would think sounds cool.

To be honest, I've never read Harry Potter before, so my first encounter with the term was with MLP. Maybe that's why I feel comfortable using that term? I can understand the "racist" angle, to an extent, but the show also has races named "so-and-so Pony" like Earth ponies and crystal ponies, which creates a president that allows the term "bat pony" to exist without any negative connotations.

Maybe if I had read Harry Potter then I would have more of a preference for bat pony, but I simply enjoy the word thestral more. From a visual standpoint, the word looks more interesting than Bat Pony and rolls off the tongue nicely. Thessstralll. Thestral.

In the end, there are some stories with a darker tone that work well with using the term "thestral" while some more light hearted stories work better with Bat Pony.

7533073
You got gotten, my guy. This is necromancer turf.

7533102
Whoops. Just realized that the first post was from 2014. Just discovered the "Recent Thread" tab yesterday.

I'll try not to comment on old threads like this again. Thanks!

7533126
Beware the undead, my guy. They'll get you when least expected.