Chuckspeak

The words and phrases below are normal currency in the Chuckverse but may be foreign to new (or relatively new) viewers, so here’s an incomplete list. Being familiar with the words below will increase your appreciation and understanding of the show by a factor that is totally undetermined and possibly unquantifiable.

Here we go.

Aces: Started by papa Bartowski (“Aces, Charles”), it’s an encouraging verbal pat in the back to make the recipient feel good, smart, and part of the family.

Angst: the excruciating pain felt by viewers and some of the characters (particularly Chuck and Sarah) about whether and when Chuck and Sarah will get together.

Awesome: Devon’s nickname, his parents’ nickname (in the plural form), frequently used by Devon to denote moments and behavior that are, well, awesome.

Bryce: the guy who shows up every time Sarah needs to make a choice about her and Chuck;

Buy More: Dreadful place for those who work there; mythical place for the viewers.

Carina: the gal who shows up every time viewers need to be told what’s going on in Sarah’s brain. She has a thing for Morgan but not Martin.

Charah: Chuck and Sarah.

Chuckverse: Chuck universe.

Cole: Cole Barker; Cole was just super cool. Every family should have a boy named Cole.

Cover: Chuck and Sarah’s relationship; see Real below.

Don’t freak out!; Chuck’s motto, particularly for the first five seasons of the show (which, I’m told, are pretty much all the seasons of the show).

Feelings: The spy equivalent of a crucifix for vampires. They are supposedly fatal to spies but we all want our favorite spies to have them in spades because it comforts us deep down inside.

Funny: Chuck but not Sarah.

Guns: Chuck doesn’t like them. He has the common courtesy of using tranq guns.

Hack: Hannah and Chuck.

I’m sorry: Sarah’s words to Chuck in season 1 about them as a couple, thrown back at her by Chuck in season 3. What goes around comes around.

Incident: Sarah’s word for kiss.

Intersect: the one ring to rule them all, aka the gift, the giver, the “I want this thing out of my head so I can have a real relationship until I get it back into my head so I can have a real relationship…” It’s confusing.

It would be unprofessional not to; villain Vincent’s motto. Vincent is related to Agamemnon (Mr. Peabody and Sherman), who uses the similar phrase, “It’d be rude not to.”

James Bond: Another name for Bryce, Cole, and, apparently, Shaw—the super spies Sarah did not fall in love with.

Jeffster!: Jeff and Lester; the band, the myth, the legend, on par with Scott Sterling.

Morgan: As in “the Morgan,” a killer defensive move. Literally.

Oh, Boy!: Orion’s and Chuck’s favorite exclamation before an approaching storm.

Oh, Chuck me!: Casey’s motto.

OOC: Out of character, usually reserved for Chuck and Sarah in season 3.

Pancakes: Bartowski’s word for unfulfilled promises or missed breakfasts.

PLI: potential love interests, or, better, simply LI or “the others” from LOST memory.

Real: The holy grail of Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, their thing under the undercover thing.

Schwedak: Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, the two creators of Chuck.

Season 3: The Chuckverse version of World War III, where the fans are ready to die on the hill of their love or hate for TPTB (see below).

Sham: Shaw and Sam; according to many Chuckstorians, the incident that causes WWIII above.

Shipper: relation-shipper, average Chuck fan who wants Chuck and Sarah to get together, usually between the moment Sarah first walks into the Buy More and the moment Chuck drops the handset upon seeing her.

Stay in the car, Chuck: Sarah’s motto.

Supply closet: Mythical place in Castle (with a precursor in the Wienerlicious), where great things happen between Chuck and Sarah.

That guy: “Hero” or Chuck in Sarah’s eyes, which seems to contradict the “Stay in the car” one since it’s tough to be “that guy” when one stays in the car with a box of sizzling shrimp during a stakeout while your cover girlfriend quells revolutions with a fork. But this is Sarah we are talking about. She’s entitled to be mysterious and contradictory because she is, unironically speaking, awesome.

TPTB: The powers that be, the showrunners, the writers, aka the hallowed gods of Colonel and Honeymooners and the despicable demons of Living Dead and the finale.

Trust me: A girl, a boy, and a beach.

Walk: Sarah’s initial walk towards Chuck at the Buy More, the entire show summarized in one symbolic scene.

WTWT: “Will they, won’t they.” Very common television trope, Chuck and Sarah’s constant companion for three years.