Appearances of Klingon: on television - in movies - in the news - in commercials - in politics - in literature - Translations

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is a comedy sitcom produced by CBS which aired from 2007 til 2019.(1) The story is based on a group of four nerds Sheldon and Leonard (who live together), Raj and Howard. Most of them are Star Trek Fans, and there are several references to the Klingon Language. The actors are not being coached by Okrand, so their pronunciation is not always perfect, since they read the words as if they were written in english.

Mentions of Klingon

• Klingon Boggle is mentioned in the "Pilot".
• In "The Bad Fish Paradigm " (S2E01), Sheldon grills Penny on her qualifications to date Leonard. One of his questions for her is, "Do you speak Klingon?"
• In "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (S3E05), Penny says she told the friend with whom she had hooked up Howard that he spoke five languages, to which Howard replies "Six, if you count Klingon!". Leonard remarks that "Girls don't count Klingon," and Penny agrees.
• In "The Boyfriend Complexity" (S4E9), Sheldon mentions that he prefers "the classics, regular and Klingon" editions of Monopoly.
• In "The Vacation Solution" (S5E16), Penny think that Bernadette has talked Howard out of having their wedding invitations in Klingon, but Bernadette tells her that the Klingon text is on the back.
• In "The Countdown Reflection" (S5E24), in the wedding of Howard and Bernadette, Sheldon tries to give the wedding speech in Klingon, but is stopped by Bernadette.

Usage of Klingon

• "The Panty Piñata Polarization" (S2E07) opens with a game of Klingon Boggle. The following Klingon words are used:
  • pagh - zero/nothing
  • potlh - something important
  • puchpa' - washroom
  • chor - belly
  • neHmaH - neutral zone
  • bIlughbe' - meaning "you are wrong". Sheldon's reaction to Howard's "kreplach".
  • Qapla' - literally "success"; Sheldon uses this word to announce the starting of a game, probably meaning "(wish you) success".
  • Qochbe' - to agree
  • loH - administration
  • maH - ten
  • chergh - to tolerate

• In "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (S3E05), Sheldon taunts Wil Wheaton during the Mystic Warlords of Ka'a tournament at the comic book store by snarling a proverb in the Klingon language, and Wil Wheaton hears and understands it. bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay' Revenge is a dish best served cold.
• In "The Hawking Excitation" (S5E21), Howard rejects Sheldon's request to see Stephen Hawking in several languages. He says Qo' (no), but mispronounces it as qo.
• In "The Romance Resonance" (S7E06), in the song that Howard writes and sings for Bernadette, he includes a Klingon line: "I'd speak a lot more Klingon, Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam." (Today is a good day to die)
• In "The Mystery Date Observation (S9E08), mystery "date" Vanessa Bennett has a conversation with Sheldon and she says HIja' 'e' QaQqu' je. (Yes, and it's really good too.)
• In "The Veracity Elasticity" (S10E07) Sheldon and Leonard have the following conversation, with the final line spoken by Howard but cut off after the first two words. The translation was provided by Chris Lipscombe:
  • jIyajbe'. - I don't understand
  • DaH nep'a' Penny? - Is Penny lying?
  • jISovbe'. - I don't know.
  • Dayaj'a'? - Do you understand them?
  • ghobe'. - No
  • Qu'vatlh! - Damn it!
  • juH qachHom Dotlh Sov 'Iv? - Who knows the status of (Amy's) apartment?

See also

• Klingon on TV
• Revenge-T-Shirt with Sheldon
• Revenge-T-Shirt

References

1 : The Big Bang Theory on Wikipedia

Weblinks

• (de) Klingon language course: Sheldon's sentence
• Sheldon Cooper talks klingon
• List of Klingon references in the series