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- I am the Antmaster
Quietly affirming a position of authority.
- Secret origin: Developed by Jonathan Davies from YOU ARE THE ANTMASTER, coined by Cam in his review of Ants.
First used: AP49.
Alphabet
- I am the master in my world of X
Grandiosely affirming a position of authority.
- Secret origin: Coined by James Leach upon buying a splendid dessert in France. (Brandishing the pastry he bellowed, "I am the master in my world of cake.") Brought to AP by Cam Winstanley.
Note: The X must always be a singular noun.
Alphabet
- Idiolect
Noun. A really neat way of describing the IDIOsyncratic diaLECT of any place or group of people.- Secret origin: A word which inexplicably doesn't really exist. First used by an early publisher, the term stuck, and we're currently engaged on a campaign to have the word included in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. No, really.
Alphabet
- Internal misunderstanding
A local failure in communication; a fatuous error.- Example: "If you're after the definitive Amiga beat-'em-up, you'd have to be suffering from a pretty major internal misunderstanding to buy Elfmania."
Secret origin: Coined by Amiga Action as an excuse for having reviewed a PC game as the Amiga version and being found out. Adopted by AP for the famous confusion over Arcade Pool.
First used: AP39.
Note:See also Oh no! What an internal misunderstanding!
Alphabet
- Inverted commas
(1) A typographical device indicating quotes. (2) A typographical device indicating colloquial English or jargon. (Archaic.)
- Example 1: 'The best case I can see is that you're dead by next year.'
Example 2: "Use the 'bumpers'."
Secret origin: Traditional.
Note: Desperately overused by Jonathan Nash. Alphabet
- (It says here)
(1) Distancing oneself from obvious foolishness. (2) Deflation joke.- Example 1: "Shooting the nuns will increase your popularity rating. (It says here.)"
Example 2: "Pay homage to us, for we are the mighty beings ever to conceive a computer games magazine! (It says here.)"
Secret origin: Traditional. Alphabet
- It's X and there is Y in it
Joke on adjective/noun game titles.- Example: "Risky Woods: it's risky and there are woods in it."
Secret origin: Coined by Matt Bielby (© 1992).
Note: Later to evolve into the far funnier "It's X and there is a Y of it." Alphabet
- It's X - but on the computer
An item or event particularly unsuited to such adaptation has been turned into a game.- Example: "It's lawnmowing - but on the computer."
Secret origin: Unknown.
Note: A phrase of great flexibility, used specifically ("It's X - but on the Amiga"), inversely ("It's X - but in real life"), sartorially ("It's a hat - but on a head"), etc etc. Alphabet
- It's X! It's Y! It's X and Y! It's X Y!
(1) A joke on self-explanatory game titles. (2) A joke on game titles containing And.- Example 1: "It's soccer! It's pinball! It's soccer and pinball! It's Soccer Pinball!"
Example 2: "It's Bubble! It's Squeak! It's Bubble and Squeak! It's Bubble And Squeak!"
Secret origin: Coined by Tim Norris.
First used: AP16.
Note: One of Tim's first captions (it was the issue he joined as Prod Ed), it fell on the urgently-needed final page of the mag. Necessity is, eh? Alphabet
- It's more important to me than being the editor of a computer games magazine
A stern reminder that no one cares about computer games. As it should be.- Example: "I'm leaving to become a pop journalist. It's more important to me than being the editor of a computer games magazine."
Secret origin: Coined by Mark Ramshaw when leaving AP.
Note: Used for at least a year afterwards in jibes at Mark's expense. ("Mark Ramshaw was seen stacking shelves at Tesco. "It's more important to me than being the editor of a computer games magazine," quipped the wacky joof edit'a." Etc.) Alphabet
- It's not a proper job, is it?
Self-deprecating interjection when working for a magazine is belittled.- Example: "Acting like you're doing us a favour or something - all you do is play computer games all day. (Thanks, Jim. Of course, it's not a proper job, is it? - Ed.)"
Secret origin: A cunning reversal of the well-known attack. Like verbal judo, almost.
Note: In fact it isn't. Alphabet
- It's so hard to tell with these modern haircuts
Strongly indicating similarities between two items.- Example: "Ninja or samurai? It's so hard to tell with these modern haircuts."
Secret origin: Developed by Dave Green from the original establishment complaint of the Sixties, both celebrating - and satirising! Alphabet