The Best Alternate Terminology for "Tanks" and "United Nations"

[Rex Romanum]

In nearly all of alternate timelines that I've read, I notice that there are always alternate names or terms for armored fighting vehicles that we call in OTL "tanks", and some sort of international/global organization that in OTL we call "United Nations".

I can't help but wonder, which one that the majority of AH.com think are the best/coolest/most badass/etc?

I've gathered some of them:

Alternate names for "tanks"
Barrels
Ironclads
Battlewagons
Landcruisers
Crawlers
Trackforts
Cataphracts
Steamrollers
Treadnoughts

Alternate names for "United Nations"
Council of Nations/International Council/Global Council
Congress of Nations/International Congress/Global Congress
Committee of Nations/International Committee/Global Committee
Directorate of Nations/International Directorate/Global Directorate
Association of Nations/International Association/Global Association
Consortium of Nations/International Consortium/Global Consortium
Brotherhood of Nations/International Brotherhood/Global Brotherhood
Coalition of Nations/International Coalition/Global Coalition
Assembly of Nations/International Assembly/Global Assembly

PS: Due to limit on poll options, there are a lot of terms that I don't include, such as motorguns or motorcannons, armorcars, and terramobiles for alternate tanks, as well as Federation of Nations/International Federation/Global Federation and Alliance of Nations/International Alliance/Global Alliance for alternate United Nations.

 

[Awilla the Hun]

'Barrel' and 'Undivided Pact'

 

[Electricfox]

I've always liked Land Ironclad.

 

[historyfool]

Both of course depend on the circumstances.
Iotl tank was the cover name used by the British and most other languages either adopted that or simply used a descriptive term. Or did both. I´d say if any other nation is the first large-scale user of tanks the english language would follow the same pattern. Thus if for example the Germans introduce the first ones in WWI and as cover they are described as Traktor (Holt tractors were after all the base for the first tanks) the British would either refer to them as tractors as well or use some descriptive name like tracked armoured car, armoured fighting vehicle, armoured assault car. In the descriptive case the name for the class in general will probably be shortened in the long run like the German name went from Sturmpanzerwagen to simply Panzer. In that case the examples above could lead to Track, Armour or Assault.

 

[Lindseyman]

Tanks could be trackies either from tracked vehicles or tractors
United Nations could have been the New League of Nations or even just the League of Nations with a new constitution although in OTL it was regarded as a failure and so they started with a fresh piece of paper.

 

[black angel]

for the UN: The Parliament of the Nations (PN)

 

[Thoresby]

I like Landcruisers. Also Assembly sounds good as does League for international organisations.

 

[TRH]

Has anyone suggested "safes" as an alternative? I mean, they're big metal boxes that carry something valuable (i.e., soldiers), so there's a rationale there.

 

[I want to learn]

They seem to call tanks "armor" in German. Why not something similar in English? Armored tractors would be a good place to start when they're being developed early on, and land cruisers also has a nice ring to it.

 

[lionhead]

Landcruiser is from WorldWar. Of course its the coolest.

 

[Asami]

Megalandcruiser doubleplus good

 

[TRH]

Treadnought is simply a glorious pun. I can't believe I've never seen that one before.

 

[UncleDynamite]

I prefer "Landship"(not on list) to "landcruiser" and "Global Treaty Organization" to any of the UN names.

 

[Kome]

Im disappointed you didnt include 'Ovens' as an option.

 

[Herzen's love-child]

World League.

League of Nations (2.0)

 

[Sabot Cat]

Landcruisers and Ironclads are probably good names for the tank, while "Congress of Nations" accords to the precedent set by the "Congress of Vienna", "Congress of Berlin", etc.

 

[TRH]

Im disappointed you didnt include 'Ovens' as an option.

Proper names for tanks have to be metaphorical, though. 'Oven' is all too literal a truth.

 

[Kome]

Proper names for tanks have to be metaphorical, though. 'Oven' is all too literal a truth.

Half the names on the poll are pretty literal already.

If you can disguise a tank as a barrel (wtf?) or a 'water tank', i dont think disguising it as a field bakery would be too much of a stretch.

Plus it'll definitely catch on quickly with the troops. The ones that have to actually go inside of it at least.

 

[Generaloberst]

I like Landcruisers and Congress of Nations.

 

[CalBear]

Tanks - Armored Tractor (morphs nicely to amtrak or just 'track)

United Nations - Godawful waste of time and energy.