I do not think it means what you think it means...

[=Snappy=]

"Smoke 'em if you got 'em." is not really appropriate to say right before the swarm is incoming.

It means more like "it's time for a break".

Granted there is a hybrid meaning "take a break now cuz the ♥♥♥♥ is going to hit the fan soon", but ... in the context of DRG specifically, where mission control gives u an "advance warning" and then a second "they're here!", the phrase is used incorrectly; it would be much more appropriate as the advance notice.

Yeah it's a peeve. Cultural illiteracy.

[Syncourt]

I was always under the impression it meant light up your cigars. Kick back, have a cigar and blast some bugs. We're gonna be stuck here a while.

[Dr. Cheech]

Pretty sure it means last chance for a break before the big wave type thing, but taking an actual break in a video game would make no sense so it's just a line.

[=Snappy=]

A key concept is that it's a phrase used to express "downtime". Which, in DRG, it is not used in that way.

Originally posted by Dr. Cheech:

Pretty sure it means last chance for a break before the big wave type thing, but taking an actual break in a video game would make no sense so it's just a line.

That would make sense if it was used as the "early warning", like I said, but... again, MC does give us a "you'll be getting a swarm in a little while" and then, 30 seconds later or whatever "OK, it's happening now!" And the "smoke 'em" line is used in the "it's happening now!" slot. Which means you have no time for a break. Makes no sense.

Originally posted by Syncourt:

I was always under the impression it meant light up your cigars. Kick back, have a cigar and blast some bugs. We're gonna be stuck here a while.

Again, context. The panicked tone of MC's voice does not correspond to a message of "this is going to be easy, so just go ahead and kill bugs with one hand and drink/smoke w/ the other". ;)

I mean it respectfully but I also have to say: I see (hear, actually) these kinds of issues frequently, in games created by ppl who are non-native speakers of US English and any culture gets a little peeved when their contributions to humanity are misrepresented. I feel like whoever wrote this into the game either completely misunderstood the meaning of the phrase, or used wikipedia to define it -- which, that predominant info that u get from the wikipedia article, as well as the google search and reddit thread which cite it, is essentially "wrong". It's a secondary meaning, at best. (And believe me, I am an avid user of, and typically a defender of wikipedia, especially vs. "higher-education ppl" who think it's worthless, but in this case, it's providing questionable information. And no, I'm not going to edit. But you can if you want to. ;))

Urban Dictionary, OTOH, has it right.

As does Spaceballs. ;) And Mel Brooks has more cultural literacy in his pinky finger than the rest of the whole dang internet. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky1HiwZjYKE

Anyway I've made my points as best I can. I'm unsubbing. Discuss it further amongst yourselves if you like.

[Landor]

Hmm, no, it doesn't sound wrong to me.

"Smoke" as a verb can also mean killing something by gunfire, and in the context of the situation, I think he means "(Shoot) (Glyphids) if you've got (Glyphids)" with "got" being either "got your eyes on them" or "got them on your case", anything like that.

[Chibbity]

Personally I've always associated it with planes crashing, there is a scene in some movie I watched as a kid that I can't remember where the pilot goes "smoke em if you got em boys, cause were going down."

So in the sense of it meaning, "smoke them if you have them because you might not be getting another chance to do so" it fits in the game as used. I've often seen it used in other material as well as a way of saying that "we may be about to do die so now would be the time to smoke your cigarettes." So I think the correct use of it would be just prior to a very dangerous or deadly situation.

However, everyone is going to have their own personal take on what exactly it means, and where it's use is appropriate. For me, it works absolutely fine in the context of how it's said.

[Droolguy]

Snappy is completely correct in the original intention of the adage.

It's meant to express downtime or in the case that Chibbity uses as an example to allude to the fact that there isn't anything anyone do to prevent what is coming so might as well relax and just let it happen.

The saying originated with the military.

Urban dictionary is actually fairly accurate for most slang terms if you ever wonder what the generally accepted meaning is (since these tend to fluctuate over time).

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Smoke%20em%20if%20you%20got%20em

I actually noticed it was being used incorrectly the first time I heard it as well but it didn't bother me enough to make a post, but someone did post about it so I might as well support them.

[Snaggle]

Originally posted by Droolguy:

Snappy is completely correct in the original intention of the adage.

It's meant to express downtime or in the case that Chibbity uses as an example to allude to the fact that there isn't anything anyone do to prevent what is coming so might as well relax and just let it happen.

The saying originated with the military.

Indeed, did check earlier when saw it asked. My personal interpretation of it was similar to Chibb in that we're ♥♥♥♥♥♥ now so do what you want. But the general consensus seemed to be about having a break and originated from WWII, smoke if you have them, you're unlikely to have them, which isn't really a lot of difference between them, but a slight difference none the less.

[dimi]

Originally posted by Landor:

Hmm, no, it doesn't sound wrong to me.

"Smoke" as a verb can also mean killing something by gunfire, and in the context of the situation, I think he means "(Shoot) (Glyphids) if you've got (Glyphids)" with "got" being either "got your eyes on them" or "got them on your case", anything like that.

I thought the same, I don't understand why this would need to be changed. This game takes place in a fantasy world, they can make it mean whatever they want it to mean.

[Ataxio]

I interprit this line as "Smoke em if you got em, cuz this may be our last chance!"

In that context it works, but agree it may be open to interpritation.

Why are we focusing on this of all things tho?

[Crew]

I figured it meant smoke em (your enemies) or light up a cig or cigar like syn said before the wave.

Having a smoke before a stressful situation is a trope afterall.