# Term for the opposite of a military "force multiplier" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244 "2018-03-27T04:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/21 "2018-03-28T18:33:01Z")
Constraint is important and true, but isn’t an exact-opposite type of match for “force multiplier”. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/22 "2018-03-28T19:01:59Z")
A “Charley Fox”? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/23 "2018-03-28T19:41:06Z")
I can’t think of a hypothetical situation where “degrader” would not be a good enough word to mean this. Degrader gets my vote, if a single all-purpose good-enough word is what’s needed. It works as-is, or can be used in “force degrader” to mirror the positive term. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/24 "2018-03-28T20:21:04Z")
Handicap or handicapping agent maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/25 "2018-03-28T20:24:41Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > In some contexts - for example, an army purchases a piece of equipment that causes unexpected problems - it could be “liability” or “burden”. The senator asks what it costs. The general asks what it does. The soldier asks what it weighs. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/26 "2018-03-28T21:17:19Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The proper term is “cadorna.” > > [Luigi Cadorna - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Cadorna) Heh, I can’t see that name without fond memories of the worst general in history thread. That was an amazing thread! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/27 "2018-03-28T21:29:51Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > A “Charley Fox”? I’ve heard it more Charley Foxtrot, though Tango Uniform works as well. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/28 "2018-03-29T03:37:39Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Heh, I can’t see that name without fond memories of the worst general in history thread. That was an amazing thread! 😃 That’s just what I was thinking of, too! Here it is: [Worst Military Leader (game thread) - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=585694) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/29 "2018-03-29T14:31:35Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > That’s just what I was thinking of, too! Here it is: [Worst Military Leader (game thread) - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=585694) I actually read the whole thing - again! What a fun game that was. Some great high-level discussion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/30 "2018-03-29T17:24:23Z")
Indeed it was. The Dope at its best. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/31 "2018-03-29T17:55:56Z")
If caused by another combatant, “debuff”. If caused by the powers that be, “nerf”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/32 "2018-03-29T18:40:59Z")
I don’t think “handicap” works very well, because of its ambiguity. In a person, handicap is often used as a synonym for disability, but in a broader sense (especially games), handicap means a method of bringing competitors’ chances of winning closer to equal. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/33 "2018-03-31T01:17:55Z")
Impotencer. Weakenifier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244.md?page=1)