Open main menu

UESPWiki β

Lore:Exclamations

There have been numerous exclamations throughout the history of The Elder Scrolls. These phrases give insight to the culture, beliefs, and the execution of vulgarity among the people of Tamriel and beyond.

RacesEdit

AltmerEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Auriel"
  • "By Auri-el"
  • "By Auri-el’s hand"
  • "By Auriel’s grace"
  • "By Syrabane's sacred ring"
  • "By the Firmament"
  • "By the Fixed Center"
  • "By Xarxes"
  • "By the Highest One"
  • "By the White Crystal"
  • "By the Wood of Elborn"
  • "By the Blue Divide"
  • "By the Otherworld"
  • "By the First Spirit"


ExclamationsEdit

  • "Auri-el's breath"
  • "Blade of Cassimoran"
  • "Lorkhan's doom!"
  • "Nebarra"
  • "Stars above"
  • "Three-and-five venerations"
  • "Thrice-damn"
  • "Y'ffre's bones!"
  • "Faerielight"
  • "First Spirit of Tamriel"
  • "Blade of Cassimoran"
  • "Crystals of Sumurset"
  • "Auri-el strike me blind"[1]
  • "Auri-el's bow"[2]



Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Only a fool trusts a sea snake"[3]

ArgonianEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By bark and birth"
  • "By bark and bite"
  • "By the Egg"
  • "By the Gods"
  • "By the Throne of Aphicles"
  • "By the Blades of Fate"
  • "By the Lonely One"
  • "By the Swamp Spirit"
  • "By the Mother-goddess"

CursesEdit

  • "May he burn in the glare of a thousand suns"[4]
  • "May their spirits never find dirt"[5]

ExclamationsEdit

  • "As mud is my mother"
  • "Hist guide me"
  • "Host of Stormhold"
  • "Xuth!"
  • "Mire of Murkwood"
  • "Bogfire"
  • "Kaoc"[6]
  • "My doubt-spine quivers"[6]
  • "My knowing-tree is barren"[6]
  • "My tail sinks"[7] (an expression of disappointment)

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Lay the facts onto the stones"[8]
  • "I was hatched ready"[8]
  • "Bristle your war-spines"[7] (get excited for battle)

Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Swamp Devil"
  • "You hilarious deek-beeko"[8]
  • "Mammal-licker"[9]
  • "Limp-fin"[9]
  • "Flat-toothed"[7] (a demeaning reference to those without the sharp teeth of the Naga)
  • "Tail-lifting savage"[7]

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "The river has brought us here for a reason"[4]
  • "Taking a life closes more doors than it opens"[6]
  • "Fools and maniacs both bleed red"[10]

BosmerEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By the Green"
  • "By Y'ffre"
  • "By the Elden Grove"
  • "By the Timber Spirits"
  • "By the Lore of Wood"
  • "By Mistria's Curse"
  • "By Caliron's Heart"
  • "By the Root"
  • "By the Fire"

CursesEdit

  • "Thrice-blasted son of a dreck-sifting, root-munching, bread-baking sot! May your ears be stuffed with whirlifly larvae, your bow-hand bitten by a rabid stoat"[11]

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Baan Dar's toes!"
  • "Bug shells!"
  • "Spirits of the Wood"
  • "Faeries of the Grove"
  • "Fire of Eldenroot"
  • "Rabbit dung!"
  • "Yffre's bones!"[12]


Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "The boggy end of the swamp"[13] (describing a situation involving difficulty, complexity, and uncertainty)


BretonEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Sheor's beard"
  • "By Starfall's Waters"
  • "By the Crypt"
  • "By My Lady"
  • "By the Mists"
  • "By the Wolf"
  • "By the Dark Lord"
  • "By the ArchDruid"
  • "By Pelagius"
  • "By the Dragon"

CursesEdit

  • "Tides swallow (you)"[14]

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Bless My Lord"
  • "Death Be Damned"
  • "Spirits of High Rock"
  • "Madness"
  • "Damn the Dragon"
  • "Dibella's legs"[15]


Colorful AdjectivesEdit


ChimerEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By the Avenger"




DaedraEdit

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Oh fathomless Prince"[17]



DunmerEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Almalexia"
  • "By Almsivi"
  • "By dawn and dusk"
  • "By the fires of Red Mountain"
  • "By the Three"
  • "By Vivec" (sometimes “B’vek”)
  • "By the Black Isle"
  • "By the Dark Ones"
  • "By the Fires of Dagoth-Ur"
  • "By the Mad Queen"
  • "By the Black Maw"
  • "By the Night"
  • "By the Soulless One"
  • "By Malacath's toenails"
  • "By Malacath's hairy knuckles"

CursesEdit

  • "To Red Mountain with you"

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Dagon's eyeballs"
  • "Fetch"
  • "F’lah"
  • "Dark Goddess Protect Us"
  • "Soul of the Black Knight"
  • "Fireblood"

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Three protect you"[18] (a blessing and hope for protection from harm)

Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "N'wah"
  • "S’wit"
  • "Scaleskin"[19] (an explicitly racist epithet about Argonians)

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Sharp as a barrel bottom, you are."[20]

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "My basket is already full"[21] (an Ashlander expression reflecting that someone already has a lot of problems they're dealing with, and can't spare the time for new problems)
  • "You harvest from the seeds you plant"[22] (which means you get what your labors deserve, in both a positive sense of reward and negative sense of punishment)
  • "Better to be turned into a guar than to serve the Clockwork God"[23] (a warning as to how difficult it can be to work directly for Sotha Sil)

ImperialEdit

Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Ignominious corpse-herder"[24]


Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "The farmer doesn't thank the cow when it voids itself on the field, but it still makes the crops grow taller."[24]

KhajiitEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By the Rat-god"
  • "By the Sands of Elsweyr"
  • "By the Blessed Water"
  • "By the Hand of Ibrahad"
  • "By the Dry Heart"
  • "By the Water of Life"
  • "By Alkosh's scaly nethers"[25]


ExclamationsEdit

  • "Whore of Alizahad"
  • "Dust of Orcrest"
  • "Desert Sun"
  • "Devil of the Sands"
  • "Kes kridesi"[26] (an exclamation of incredulity; something unthinkable)
  • "Kra"[27] (a mild curse)
  • "Ziss"[26] (a mild curse)
  • "Hahl Fajh'na"[27] (a strong curse)
  • "Kss"[27] (a sound of exasperation)
  • "Var, var"[27] (expressing a sense of being humble or demure)
  • "F'ah"[27] (a term of exasperation or distaste)
  • "Moon's mercy"[27] (invoking the sacred link of the Khajiit with the moons)
  • "Moon Mother be praised"[27]
  • "Jode's light"[28] (an exclamation of alarm)
  • "Jode's Chariot"[29] (an expression of exasperation)

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Bright Moons guide your steps"[30]


Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Sand between my ears"[27] (a description of feeling dazed)


KothringiEdit

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Z'en's blessings"[31]

Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Dung-guzzling Worm Cultists"[31]
  • "Lousy mushroom-nibblers"[31]
  • "Miserable toad-lickers"[31]
  • "Moss-gargling cultists"[31]
  • "Torchbug-gobblers"[31]


MaormerEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By all the gods"[32]


ExclamationsEdit

  • "For King Orgnum!"[33]
  • "Satakal, grant me your shadow!"[34]

Colorful AdjectivesEdit


Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • " You can't cross the strait just by staring at the water."[35]

NordEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Thorig's Beard"
  • "By Olfor's Hammer"
  • "By Shor's shiny arse"
  • "By the White Wolf"
  • "By the Frozen Wastes"
  • "By the Hoarfather"
  • "By the Cliffs of Solitude"
  • "By the Northern Sea"
  • "By the Beard of Thorig"
  • "By the Whale"[36] (technically from old Atmoran totem worship)

CursesEdit

  • "Born under a bad star"[37]

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Mother of the Ice"
  • "Frostfire"
  • "Shor's Blood"
  • "Shor's Bones"
  • "Troll's Blood"
  • "Herma-Mora's wagging tongue"[38]
  • "Orkey's gullet"[37]
  • "Arkay's beard"[38]


Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Skeeving horkers"[38]
  • "Milk drinker"[37]
  • "Steely-eyed blighter"[37]
  • "Western beard-pullers"[39] (referring to Nords from the western end of Skyrim)

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Mad as a box of frogs"[38]
  • "Happier than a hairy skeever in the larder"[39]

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "If you avoid all of life's abrasions, you'll never be polished enough to shine"[40]

OrcEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By all the snot in Malacath's right nostril"
  • "By the Bloody Curse"
  • "By the bloody fangs of Mauloch"
  • "By the First Forge"
  • "By the stench of Mauloch's gaping maw"
  • "By Yashnag's axe"
  • "By the Twelve Holds"[41]


ExclamationsEdit

  • "Malacath's nethers"
  • "Malacath’s rage"
  • "Malacath’s teat"
  • "Malacath’s tusk"
  • "Malacath’s wrath"
  • "Mauloch's fang"
  • "Mara’s crotch"[42]


Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Son of a troll"

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "That's when the troll dung hit the horker."[43]

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Conquerors name the wars"[44]
  • "The past is a wolf. The clever hunter keeps his eye fixed on it, while the foolish hunter looks away and is devoured."[45]
  • "A chief who does not listen to his wives is not chief for long."[45]
  • "The battle is won in the stomach first."[45]
  • "The Orc who shirks his duty and the Orc who becomes bitter doing it drink the same poison."[45]
  • "What Orc strength alone cannot achieve, Orc steel can."[45]
  • "An inexperienced warrior in the finest armor still trips over his leg-guards."[45]
  • "An Orc who complains about his chief, but does not challenge him, is still complaining a year later."[45]
  • "When you smash your enemy's shield, beware the splinters." [46]
  • "Better a smashed shield than smashed ribs."[46]
  • "Nothing beats a shield for beating mages—except a cudgel."[46]
  • "A shield full of arrows is better than a face full of arrows."[46]
  • "As immovable as a stone fortress, a wall of shields."[46]
  • "An axe is for cutting. A shield is for blocking."[46]
  • "A warrior's sword takes many lives, but his shield saves one."[46]
  • "A broken shield provides poor protection."[46]
  • "Paint your shield with the blood of your enemies."[46]
  • "A strong shield makes an attacker's heart despair."[46]
  • "A shield makes a bad plate and a plate makes a bad shield."[46]
  • "One shield is priceless, but two shields makes you look stupid."[46]
  • "They will fear us when they see our shields."[46]
  • "The shield that is whole in springtime is broken by summer's end."[46]
  • "An Orc warrior has two loves: his sword and his shield."[46]
  • "You are the only shield your clan has."[46]
  • "Many are the cairn stones of those that went into battle without shields."[46]
  • "A wooden shield is better than no shield at all."[46]
  • "If an enemy ducks behind his shield, cut off his leg. If he lowers his shield, cut off his head."[46]
  • "Keep your shield in front of you and Malacath will always be at your side."[46]

ReachmenEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Hircine's hounds"[47]
  • "By the spirits"[48]


ExclamationsEdit

  • "Gods take me"[49]
  • "Where in Namira's hide have you been?"[50]
  • "Hircine's hind"[51]
  • "Namira's blood"[48]
  • "Blood and briar"[52][53]

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Spirits guide you"[54]
  • "Hircine will guide our strikes!"[48]

Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "Reeker"[55] (a derisive term for a vampire)
  • "Thinblood"[48] (an outsider)

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "You've either got the sense of a goat or the heart of a saber cat."[56]

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Anyone can be a king in the Reach. No one can be a king of the Reach."[57]
  • "You've got to listen to the spirits."[58]
  • "Bones and birds guide us well, but there's no replacing a cunning hunter."[48]
  • "A stone will kill you if it strikes your head, but lifting the same stone makes us strong."[48]
  • "While a lone wolf can be a noble hunter, few can survive for long without a pack."[59]

RedguardEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By the Dragon's Teeth"
  • "By My Father's Name"
  • "By Rourken"
  • "By the Great Hammer"
  • "By the Dwarf-King"
  • "By the Guardian's Blood"
  • "By the First Wyrm"
  • "By the Blade"
  • "By Divad"
  • "By Katrica"
  • "By The Maiden"
  • "By Frandar"
  • "By The Sun"
  • "By the thousand scales of Satakal"[60]
  • "By my father's blade"[61]


ExclamationsEdit

  • "Dragon's Teeth"
  • "Cursed Darvak"
  • "Beard of the Dwarf-King"
  • "Spirit Sword"
  • "Stendarr Preserve Us"



Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "A man is only as great as the beard that wears him"[62]
  • "A fool and his fingers are quickly parted"[62]

FactionsEdit

ArcanistsEdit

OathsEdit

  • "By Mora's eyes"[63] (sometimes "many eyes")

CursesEdit

  • "Apocrypha take you"[63]

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Twitching tentacles"[63] (expressing alarm)


Colorful AdjectivesEdit

  • "I have no Aurbisal idea"[63] (flatly denying any knowledge of an event, a subject, etc.)

Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Stubborn as the abyssal sea."[63]


Clockwork ApostlesEdit

OathsEdit

  • "Great Sotha Sil in the Sanctum"[64]
  • "By Sotha Sil"[64]


ExclamationsEdit

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Sotha Sil guide you"[64]


Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Keep your nose to the cogs"[66] (stay focused on your daily work)

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "The fire of doubt turns ignorance to steam"[23] (steam is a reference to harnessing useful energy for producing mechanical work; healthy doubt and questioning can convert blind ignorance into something productive for the greater whole)

Cult of the SpiderEdit

ExclamationsEdit



House of ReveriesEdit

ExclamationsEdit


Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "Your role has been cut"[68]
  • "It's time for the grand finale of our little production"[68]
  • "It's curtain call"[68]
  • "Cut the act short"[68]


MagesEdit

ExclamationsEdit

  • "Like a ray of sunlight from Magnus himself."[69]

Exhortations and BlessingsEdit

  • "Faster than you can say 'eye of Magnus' three times fast"[13]


Colorful MetaphorsEdit

  • "He cuts through guild politics like a spellforged blade"[13]
  • "As starched as the archmagister's robes"[70]

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Seeing and understanding are two different things."[69]
  • "Not everything you need to know is on the page."[69]

Psijic OrderEdit

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Power always has its price."[71]

Thieves GuildEdit

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "Thieves should always travel separately."[72]

VampiresEdit

Maxims and ProverbsEdit

  • "She bit above her station"[73] (referring to a vampire who overreaches in vampire society)

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Captain Erronfaire's dialogue in ESO
  2. ^ Tanlorin's dialogue in ESO
  3. ^ Kinlady Helenaere's judgment about the Maormer, spoken during their invasion of Sunhold during the events of Sunhold Sundered
  4. ^ a b Sees-All-Colors's dialogue in ESO
  5. ^ Nuxul's dialogue in ESO
  6. ^ a b c d Xukas's dialogue in ESO
  7. ^ a b c d Jaxsik-Orrn's dialogue in ESO
  8. ^ a b c Otumi-Ra's dialogue in ESO
  9. ^ a b Meer-Ta's dialogue in ESO
  10. ^ Tsojei, as related by Jaxsik-Orrn's dialogue in ESO
  11. ^ Genboril's dialogue in ESO
  12. ^ Menninia's dialogue in ESO
  13. ^ a b c Votary Nahlia's dialogue in ESO
  14. ^ Cynric Ginise's dialogue in ESO
  15. ^ High King Emeric's dialogue in ESO
  16. ^ Isobel Veloise's dialogue in ESO
  17. ^ Ogle's dialogue in ESO
  18. ^ Drelyth Hleran's dialogue in ESO
  19. ^ Tiiril Alor's dialogue in ESO
  20. ^ Velsa's dialogue in ESO
  21. ^ Wise Woman Asani's dialogue in ESO
  22. ^ The Lost Prophecy — Gilvas Barelo
  23. ^ a b Sedris Nedarin's dialogue in ESO
  24. ^ a b Abnur Tharn's dialogue in ESO
  25. ^ Lord Gharesh-ri's dialogue in ESO
  26. ^ a b Cantor Krin'ze's dialogue in ESO
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h Zerith-var's dialogue in ESO
  28. ^ Khamira's dialogue in ESO
  29. ^ Inisez's dialogue in ESO
  30. ^ Razum-dar's dialogue in ESO
  31. ^ a b c d e f Acolyte Morag's dialogue in ESO
  32. ^ Ulondil's dialogue in ESO
  33. ^ a b c d Captain Siravaen's dialogue in ESO
  34. ^ Serpent Caller Vinsha's dialogue in ESO
  35. ^ Master Metrand Vyrix's dialogue in ESO
  36. ^ Thane Hraldi's dialogue in ESO
  37. ^ a b c d Thane Svyne's dialogue in ESO
  38. ^ a b c d Lyris Titanborn's dialogue in ESO
  39. ^ a b Rigurt the Brash's dialogue in ESO
  40. ^ Gjalder's wisdom, passed down through his daughter, Lyris Titanborn, as told in ESO
  41. ^ Mahgrok's dialogue in ESO
  42. ^ Shalug the Shark's dialogue in ESO
  43. ^ Ghorn's dialogue in ESO: Orsinium
  44. ^ Great Spirits of the Reach: Volume 1 — Vashu gra-Morga, Chief Daedrotheologist at the University of Gwylim
  45. ^ a b c d e f g Sayings of the Wise
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Old Orc Sayings: Shields — Roald Kenway
  47. ^ Chief Kynaer's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  48. ^ a b c d e f Arana's dialogue in ESO
  49. ^ Drisoal's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  50. ^ Chief-of-Chiefs Cannear's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  51. ^ Vateshran Barth's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  52. ^ Letter to Mairrna — Fascune
  53. ^ Reachman Shaman, Frenzied Witchman, and Forsaken Champion's dialogues in Legends
  54. ^ Letter from Sister Glynolde — Sister Glynolde
  55. ^ Sentry Bodfe's dialogue in ESO
  56. ^ Ard Caddach's dialogue in ESO
  57. ^ Lady Belain's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  58. ^ Averio Brassac's dialogue in ESO: Markarth
  59. ^ Apprentice Orla's dialogue in ESO
  60. ^ Taqiyat the Thrifty's dialogue in ESO
  61. ^ Paldeen's dialogue in ESO
  62. ^ a b Sai Sahan's dialogue in ESO
  63. ^ a b c d e Azandar's dialogue in ESO
  64. ^ a b c The Precursor's dialogue as a Factotum Head in ESO
  65. ^ Associate Zanon's dialogue in ESO
  66. ^ Kiliban Arethi's dialogue in ESO
  67. ^ Earl Leythen's dialogue while following the Court of Bedlam in ESO
  68. ^ a b c d e Fletch's dialogue in ESO
  69. ^ a b c The Crow's dialogue in ESO
  70. ^ Adept Sethya Aloren's dialogue in ESO
  71. ^ Relicmaster Glenadir's dialogue in ESO
  72. ^ Zeira's dialogue in ESO
  73. ^ Boss Trenlor's dialogue in ESO





Retrieved from "https://en.uesp.net/w/index.php?title=Lore:Exclamations&oldid=3379976"