Prime Video’s live-action adaptation of the Fallout video game series has returned for a second season, but some viewers have been left puzzled by certain phrases used by characters. The third episode, titled ‘Profligate’, features a scene where Robert House (Justin Theroux) confronts Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) in a public lavatory, repeatedly calling him a ‘pinko’.
The term ‘pinko’ is historically used to describe someone who shows sympathy towards communism, even if they are not a formal member of the Communist Party. It can also be employed derogatorily to label anyone perceived as having leftist or socialist leanings. The phrase originates from the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s in the United States, a period of heightened fear of communist espionage during the Cold War.
Another term that has confused audiences is ‘prima noctis’, spoken by Macaulay Culkin’s character when he tells Lucy they are ‘negotiating your prima noctis’. The Latin phrase translates to ‘first night’, and is also known as the French ‘droit du seigneur’ – meaning ‘right of the Lord’. It supposedly refers to a medieval custom allowing feudal lords to engage in sexual relations with a female subject on her wedding night, though historical evidence for this practice is scant.
Fallout Season 2 is streaming weekly on Prime Video. The series continues to expand the post-apocalyptic world of the games, blending dark humour with political satire.
