# Words in movies that aren't in them, like "Ewok" and "X-Wing" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021 "2009-03-27T19:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/21 "2009-03-27T22:46:41Z")
In the spirit of the OP, I’m pretty sure the word **Tatooine** is never uttered in the original Star Wars, either. The closest it comes to is here: > [@](#): > > C-3PO: As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure which planet I’m on. > > LUKE: Well, if there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from. And of course, Leia does lie to Tarkin about the Rebel base being on _Dantooine_, but the first time you hear Tatooine, IIRC, is toward the very end of Ep.V as well. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/22 "2009-03-27T22:55:49Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I was watching a game show years ago. The way it was played was they had a board with twelve names on it; eight of them were correct (for whatever the category was) and four were bogus Wipeout, hosted by Peter Tomarken. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/23 "2009-03-27T23:14:01Z")
And with the Ewoks, somehow I knew the names of the star Ewoks too, though they certainly didn’t say any names in Return of the Jedi. (My kids watched it yesterday, so I know for sure!) The central Ewok was named Wicket. Of course, we also had the truly awful TV movie, _The Ewok Adventure_–I must have watched that a zillion times. We recorded it and watched it over and over, almost as much as _Tron_. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/24 "2009-03-28T00:14:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Trivia: Many Star Wars toys did not come out in 77, they sold empty boxes at Christmas because they could not meet the demand. The box gave you a coupon for the toy when it finally came out. Specifically, the Kenner action figures. Kenner was not able to meet the Christmas deadline, so they sold what they called an “Early Bird Kit” which featured a stand for all twelve figures and a coupon that allowed you to get four free figures when they were available. A clever idea, and one that was really successful. A number of cartoon characters weren’t named in their first appearances, taking a while to earn their names. This [U.S. copyright filing/script](http://thadkomorowski.com/2009/03/21/reward-5000-or-one-pound-of-coffee/) for _Dumb-Hounded_, the first cartoon featuring the character who would be known as “Droopy,” refers to the character only as “Hero.” (More notable is the fact that the filing refers to a joke in the cartoon that was removed in its rerelease due to its reference to World War II- a joke that no longer exists, as the original prints to all of MGM’s cartoons were lost in a fire- only the reissues now exist. The reissue print proudly announces the character as Droopy.) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/25 "2009-03-28T00:45:17Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > In the spirit of the OP, I’m pretty sure the word **Tatooine** is never uttered in the original Star Wars, either. The closest it comes to is here:And of course, Leia does lie to Tarkin about the Rebel base being on _Dantooine_, but the first time you hear Tatooine, IIRC, is toward the very end of Ep.V as well. Just to be fair, the name Tatooine is used extensively in the novelization and the comic book at the time. My pal Scott and I mispronounced it ‘Tatoooon’. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/26 "2009-03-28T03:54:01Z")
Maybe you guys can tell me if the [Phantasm](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079714/) Jawas came first, or if the Star Wars Jawas came first- 1977 Productions, releases in '78 and '79? What’s the official Phantasm designate for the Interdimensional, Dwarven, Lost Soul, Barreled Minions of the Tall Man? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/27 "2009-03-28T04:08:29Z")
I remember the Star Wars Bubble Gum trading cards and the Star Wars Annuals and Novels filled in the Myth quite nicely in the 80’s. Don’t know how much Lucas had to do with Ghost writers and others (advertising execs) writing his world. I think it must be hard to fit a script in something that corrupted. Star Wars the Movie shouldn’t have had _any_ prequels or sequels, it’s a standalone. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/28 "2009-03-28T10:54:04Z")
While we’re on this subject, I have been wanting to ask something about Chewbacca – on my school, it was a known fact that Chewbacca used a crossbow for a weapon. This could also be seen in the Super Nintendo video games. But do we ever see him actually use one? I notice he has some sort of ammunition belt but I don’t think he ever uses it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/29 "2009-03-28T11:55:52Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > While we’re on this subject, I have been wanting to ask something about Chewbacca – on my school, it was a known fact that Chewbacca used a crossbow for a weapon. This could also be seen in the Super Nintendo video games. But do we ever see him actually use one? I notice he has some sort of ammunition belt but I don’t think he ever uses it. It was called a Bowcaster and apparently he used in all three movies. Although I think Bowcaster is another of those words, because I only remember reading it in SW novels. [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bowcaster](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bowcaster) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/30 "2009-03-28T16:58:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Another Warner Brothers character that wasn’t named in the first short he appeared in isGossamer. But as evemn your Wikipedia link acknowledges, he WAS named in his second appearance – and he wasnamed “Rudloph”. They only changed his name to “Gossamer” decades later. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/31 "2009-03-28T18:12:09Z")
My 8yo spent half the morning quizzing me on obscure Star Wars characters. It kind of annoyed her that I knew perfectly well who Max Reebo is. (Duh. I was born in 1973, I ate slept and breathed Star Wars for half my life, of course I know that stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/32 "2009-03-28T18:41:58Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > While we’re on this subject, I have been wanting to ask something about Chewbacca – on my school, it was a known fact that Chewbacca used a crossbow for a weapon. This could also be seen in the Super Nintendo video games. But do we ever see him actually use one? I notice he has some sort of ammunition belt but I don’t think he ever uses it. It’s a bowcaster, as **Justin\_Bailey** explained above. I’ve just finished rewatching the entire Star Wars epic, and you do see him carrying and aiming it throughout the original trilogy, though you never get a really good look at it. Really, you just see enough of it to know it’s not a blaster, and if you’re paying very close attention, you’ll notice that it looks like a crossbow of some kind. I’m not sure if he ever actually fires a shot, though. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/33 "2009-04-02T21:38:37Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > It’s a bowcaster, as **Justin\_Bailey** explained above. I’ve just finished rewatching the entire Star Wars epic, and you do see him carrying and aiming it throughout the original trilogy, though you never get a really good look at it. Really, you just see enough of it to know it’s not a blaster, and if you’re paying very close attention, you’ll notice that it looks like a crossbow of some kind. I’m not sure if he ever actually fires a shot, though. He fires it at a bat in the “cave” i believe ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/34 "2009-04-02T22:44:50Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > My pal Scott and I mispronounced it ‘Tatoooon’. Maybe I have some sort of brain damage, or perhaps it’s just my hearing, but I always thought Lando instructed the Rebel pilots to try and take a few “typewriters” to the surface. Typewriters being some sort of certificate U insult. Similarly, I thought the bounty hunter’s name in ROTJ was “cola factor”, when Chewie told Han he had landed on their skiff. Don’t know why, that’s just how it sounded to me. In fact, I’m not even sure if he was saying Boba Fett, he might even have been saying bounty hunter. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/35 "2009-04-03T00:32:18Z")
I don’t think they ever said “Grand Moff” Tarkin in SW - Leia called him Governor Tarkin. I also don’t think they ever said “Slave I” in ESB, nor mentioned any of the bounty hunters by name. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021/36 "2009-04-03T00:44:15Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > He fires it at a bat in the “cave” i believe I think he also shoots it at one of the speeder bikes in RotJ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-in-movies-that-arent-in-them-like-ewok-and-x-wing/491021.md?page=1)