User:BarnabasHale/references

Due to the comedic style of Team Fortress 2 and Valve's humor, the game includes references, usually in a humorous fashion. There are many different types, from games to movies.

Brandnames

• DELL: The Engineer's name is Dell Conagher, possibly a reference to the Dell technology corporation.
• Greyhound Lines: The bus that drives by at the end of "Meet the Sniper" has 'BLUDOG' on the side, a reference to the real life Greyhound Lines bus service.
• Land Rover: The Sniper actually drives a 196-'s Land Rover Pickup, an English car favored by hunters and outdoorsmen in areas like Australia and Africa because of its toughness.
• Red Stripe: The Engineer drinking 'BLU Streak' beer is likely a reference to the real life brand, Red Stripe.
• Smokey Joe: The Soldier's line "I just tore you a new chimney, Smokey Joe!" is a reference of Smokey Joe, a steam locomotive toy that was popular with children in the 1960s created by Hornby Railways.

Food and Drinks

• Borscht: The Heavy achievement "Borscht Belt" refers to borscht, a vegetable soup that can be found in Russia.
• Boston Mackerel: The Holy Mackerel appears to be a Boston Mackerel, and shares the same place of origin with the Scout.
• Oktoberfest
  • The Heavy achievement "Red Oktoberfest" refers to this German beer festival held during October.
  • The Oktoberfest theme is heavily used by Medic.
• "Scrumpy": The Demoman call his bottled drink a "bottle of scrumpy". Ciders made in the West Country are often called "scrumpy", from "scrump", a local dialect term for a small or withered apple.

History and Mythology

• Blitzkrieg: The Kritzkrieg's name is a reference to the term Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war"), a popular name for an offensive operational-level military doctrine which involves an initial bombardment followed by the employment of motorized mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an enemy from implementing a coherent defense.
• Collectivization: The Heavy achievement "Kollectivization" is a reference to the policy implementated during Stalin's rule of USSR.
• Dialectical Materialism: The Heavy achievement "Spyalectical Materialism" refers to "dialectical materialism", the philosophical basis of Marxism.
• Ferguson System: The Ferguson system is a real brand of tractors established in 1934.
• Five-Year Plans: The Heavy achievement "Five-Year Plan" is a reference to the series of nation-wide centralized exercises in rapid economic development in the Soviet Union.
• French Connection: The Engineer achievement "The Wrench Connection" is a reference to the French Connection, a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Turkey to France and then to the United States, culminating in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it provided the vast majority of the illicit heroin used in the United States.
• Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye: The G.R.U. is also the acronym for the Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye, the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
• Gunbai: The Fan O'War is based on Gunbai, fans used by samurai officers in Japan for means of communication with their troops.
• "How The West Was Won": The Engineer achievement "How the Pests was Gunned" is a reference to this phrase that refers to the procedure by which something happens. The phrase "how the west was won" originally referred to the process by which American pioneers "conquered" the West by taking the land from the Native American tribes living there.
• Kamikaze: The Soldier's offensive taunt is named after Kamikaze, the suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels during World War II.
• Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty: The acronym of the Killing Gloves of Boxing, K.G.B., was also the acronym for the Russian security agency, secret police and intelligence agency Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty.
• The Iron Curtain: The Heavy achievement "Iron Kurtain" and weapon "The Iron Curtain" is a refence to the term "Iron Curtain", coined by Winston Churchill and refers to the symbolic, ideological, and physical boundary dividing Europe into two.
• Means of production: The Heavy achievement "0wn the Means of Production" refers to the "means of production", a marxist concept describing the combination of the means of labor and the subject of labor used by workers to make products.
• Monkey astronauts: Poopy Joe the monkey is based on real life monkey astronauts that were sent to space to investigate the biological effects of space travel.
• Perestroika: The Heavy achievement "Photostroika" refers to the series of reform introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev to revive the Soviet economy.
• Red October: The Heavy achievement "Red Oktoberfest" refers to the Red October, a Russian revolution in 1917.
• Sashimono: The Concheror is based on Sashimono, small banners fitted to the backs of Japanese soldiers from mid-15th to early 17th century, for identification in battle.
• Scottish Resistance: The name of Demoman's Scottish Resistance refers to the long-term insurrection by the Scottish against English rule after being invaded in 1296.
• Show Trials: The Heavy achievement "Show Trial" refers to staged trails in USSR, a significant part of Joseph Stalin's regime.
• Sturm and Drang: The Medic line "Sturm and Drang" is also the name of a movement in German literature and music taking place from the late 1760s through the early 1780s
• The Soviet Bloc: The Heavy achievement "Soviet Block" refers to the name given to the Soviet power during the Cold War.
• The Soviet Union: The Heacy achievement "Soviet Union" refers to the now non-existent Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
• The Supreme Soviet of the USSR: The Heavy achievement "Supreme Soviet" refers to the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
• The Takeda clan: The flag's symbol on the Concheror is that of the Takeda clan, a famous line of samurai warlords from the Sengoku, or Warring States era.
• The Übermensch: The Medic line "I am ze Übermensch!" is a reference to the Übermensch, a concept in the Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche later adopted by the Nazis.
• Zweihänder: The Claidheamh Mòr is modeled after this greatsword from the Renaissance.

Mythology

• Baron Samedi: The Voodoo Juju appears to be inspired by the hat worn by Baron Samedi, a mythological figure in Haitian Voodoo.
• Icarus: The Icarus Airline refers to a Greek myth about a boy called Icarus trying to fly with a pair of wings made with feathers and wax, who fell to his death when he flew too close to the sun.
• The Loch Ness Monster: Demoman planned to kill the Loch Ness Monster as a kid. The Loch Ness Monster is an alleged animal, identified neither as to a family or species, purportedly inhabiting Scotland's Loch Ness.
• Muramasa: The weapon attribute of Half-Zatoichi is a reference to the legend of Muramasa, a famous Japanese swordsmith, who is said to have forged swords that, once drawn, could not be sheathed again until the blade had drawn blood.
• King Midas: The Engineer line "Guess I got the Midas touch." is a reference to King Midas, a figure of Greek Mythology. He was known for his ability to turn anything he had touched into gold, and eventually this was called the Midas Touch.
• Noah: The story Soldier told in "Meet the Soldier" is a reference of Noah, a biblical character in Christianity.
• Oni: The Noh Mercy is based on masks used in Japanese theaters "Noh", which in turn are based on the appearance of Oni, the demon of Japanese culture.
• Robin Hood:
  • The Sniper achievement "Robbin' Hood" is a reference to Robin Hood, an archetypal figure in English folklore, known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor" and fighting against injustice and tyranny.
  • The Sniper hat Larrikin Robin also refers to the same character.
• The Sandman: The Sandman, sharing its name with Scout's baseball bat, is a mythical character in Western folklore who brings good dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep at night.

People

• Muhammed Ali: The Scout's line about himself in "Meet the Scout" could have been taken from the boxing champion Muhammed Ali's quote "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."
• Charles Atlas: The comic in which the Sniper learns Jarate is a reference to an old comic ad by Charles Atlas, a developer of bodybuilding techniques.
• Billy the Kid: This 19th century American frontier outlaw and gunman was also the BLU team's first Scout when the war began in the 1800's.
• John Wilkes Booth: John "Tower of Hats" Booth, the assassinate who killed Abraham Lincoln, is clearly based on John Wilkes Booth.
• Davy Crockett: This 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman and soldier was also the BLU team's first Sniper when the war began in the 1800's.
• Charles Darwin: The Darwin's Danger Shield may refer to Charles Darwin, who is known for proposing the scientific theory of natural selection.
• Sigmund Freud: This Austrian neurologist was the BLU team's first Medic when the war began in the 1800's.
• John Henry: This American folk hero among the working class of the 19th-century, known as the strongest man alive at the time, was also the BLU team's first Heavy when the war began in the 1800's.
• Hippocrates of Cos:
  • Upon domination of a Medic, the Scout will sometimes say "Where's your precious Hippo Crates now?". This is a reference to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine.
  • The Medic achievement "Hypocritical Oath" also shares the same reference.
• John 'Doc' Holliday: The Engineer achievement "Doc Holiday" is a reference to John Henry 'Doc' Holliday, a dentist, gambler and gunfighter of the 'Old West'.
• Ivan IV of Russia: The Heavy achievement "Krazy Ivan" refers to Ivan IV of Russia, who is more commonly known as Ivan the Terrible.
• Stonewall Jackson: This 19th century Confederate general was also the BLU team's first Soldier when the war began in the 1800's.
• Abraham Lincoln
  • Abraham Lincoln is the 16th President of the United States and was also the BLU team's first Pyro when the war began in the 1800's.
  • Abraham Lincoln is noted for his love of Arena Mode as shown in the Sniper vs Spy update.
  • According to the WAR! Update, he was the inventor of stairs.
  • According to the Engineer update, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John "Tower of Hats" Booth.
• Vladimir Lenin: The Heavy achievement "Lenin a Hand" refers to Vladimir Lenin, the establisher of the USSR.
• Date Masamune: The Samur-Eye is a replica of the helmet worn by the samurai lord Date Masamune.
• Karl Marx: The Heavy achievement "Marxman" refers to Karl Marx, the father of Communism.
• Queen Mary I: The Demoman achievement "Bloody Merry" refers to the nickname of Queen Mary I of England, due to the hundreds of religious dissenters she had burnt alive.
• Harry 'Breaker' Morant: The Engineer achievement "Breaking Morant" is a reference to Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant, an Australian horseman, poet and soldier who was eventually convicted and later executed for war crimes he committed during guerrilla wars in South Africa.
• Alfred Nobel: This Swedish innovator who invented dynamite was also the BLU team's first Demoman when the war began in the 1800's.
• Pablo Picasso: The painter Kicasso is a likely reference to Pablo Picasso. The Kicasso artwork is based on Picasso's 'Self-portrait with Cloak', painted during his blue period.
• Alexander Pushkin: The Heavy achievement "Pushkin the Kart" refers to this Russian writer.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd President of the United States loses both of his legs while rocket jumping. As a result, he perfects the modern staircase.
• William Shakespeare: Shakespearicles, the strongest writer who ever lived, is an obvious reference to William Shakespeare.
• Joseph Stalin: The Heavy achievement "Stalin the Kart" refers to Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee.
• Nikola Tesla: The Serbian inventor and engineer was also the BLU team's first Engineer when the war began in the 1800's.
• Sun Tzu: Sun Tzu is Solder's personal hero. Sun Tzu was an honorific title bestowed upon Sun Wu, the author of The Art of War, an immensely influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy.
• Grigori Rasputin: The Heavy achievement "Rasputin" refers to Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a famed Russian mystic.

Geography

• "Moorland": The Demoman achievement "Cry some Moor" is a reference to the moors of Scotland, high altitude grasslands known for their acidic soil.

Locations

• Argyll, Scotland: The Demoman achievement "The Argyle Sap" is a reference to Argyll, a region on the western coast of Scotland, historically written as Argyle rather than Argyll. In earlier centuries, the entire west coast of the country was sometimes referred to as Argyll
• Badwater Basin, CA: The Badwater Basin is a real place located in Death Valley National Park, California.
• Bee Cave, TX: The Engineer's place of origin, Bee Cave, is a real city in Travis County, Texas, United States. The population was 656 at the 2000 census; in the 2004 census estimate it was 1,700.
• Berlin, Germany: The Berliner's Bucket Helm refers directly to the capital of Germany, Berlin.
• Borscht Belt, NY: The Heavy achievement "Borscht Belt" refers to the Borscht Belt, the summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in New York.
• Darwin, Australia: The Darwin's Danger Shield may refer to the capital of the Northern Territory in Australia, the Sniper's home country. Crocodiles are also often found around Darwin.
• Glasgow, Scotland: The Demoman achievement "Glasg0wned" refers to the largest city in Scotland, Glasgow.
• Guadalajara, Mexico: The name of the Pyro's sombrero, Old Guadalajara, refers to Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco in Mexico, which translates to "Stony River" in Arabic.
• Loch Ness, Scotland
  • Demoman planned to kill the Loch Ness Monster as a kid. The Loch Ness Monster is an alleged animal purportedly inhabiting Scotland's Loch Ness.
  • The Loch-n-Load also refers to the lake.
• Melbourne, Australia: The Spy achievement "The Melbourne Supremacy" refers to the city in Australia.
• Stuttgart, Germany: The Medic's home city of Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.
• Ullapool, Scotland:
  • The Demoman is from Ullapool, a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland.
  • The Ullapool Caber also refers to the city.

Internet Fads and Memes

• "Boom, Headshot.": The Sniper phrase "Boom, headshot." may well be a reference to the catchphrase of the character 'FPS Doug' in the online comedy series Pure Pwnage.
• "Camper"
  • The Sniper drives a 'Camper' in "Meet the Sniper", a subtle hint to his game-style.
  • The camping sign "FOAD: Camping Fun, All year round!"
  • Sniper's bumper sticker reads "I'd rather be camping!".
• "FOAD": The Billboard in the opening shot and behind the Sniper in the pay phone scenes reads "FOAD: Camping Fun, All year round!" This is a reference to the internet initialism FOAD (Fuck Off And Die), often aimed at Snipers in various online games by disgruntled players.
• Homestar Runner: Dangeresque, Too? is a reference to the worn by Homestar Runner - the titular character from the Homestar Runner series of Flash animations.
• KC Green's Custom Comics: One of the bumper stickers on the Camper reads "MY OTHER CAMPER IS A SWORD VAN!", a reference to one of KC Green's Custom Comics.
• "LOL": A gag that recurs throughout all of the "Meet the Team" videos is that a small line at the "Meet the..." screen reads "Copyright : LOLOLOL"
• "OM NOM NOM"
  • The Heavy's distinctive Sandvich-devouring noise is a reference to popular internet phrase 'OM NOM NOM', an onomatopaeiac representation of the act of eating believed to have been coined by Cookie Monster from the children's educational television series Sesame Street
  • "Copyright Omnomnom" is also seen on the ending card of Meet the Sandvich.
• "OMGWTFBBQ": The Pyro achievement "OMGWTFBBQ" is an internet term used to convey strong exclamation, such as when killed unexpectedly by a taunt.
• Penny Arcade: The Enthusiast's Timepiece is the watch worn by the characters in Penny Arcade, given out as a promotional item.
• "QQ": The Pyro achievement "BarbeQueQ" refers to QQ, a common emoticon for crying eyes, usually used to insult someone who is complaining about dying or losing.
• Vince Offer: Upon fan request, the Scout makes references to the 'ShamWow' ads, featuring 'Vince', who has been likened to the Scout by fans.

Literature

• A Visit from St. Nicholas: The Prancer's Pride refers to Prancer, one of Santa Claus's reindeer named in the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas.
• All Quiet on the Western Front: The Soldier's line "How do you like that, All-Quiet-On-The-Western-Front?" is a reference to All Quiet on the Western Front, a book about a German Soldier on the Western front during WWI.
• The Art of War
  • The Soldier's quote, "If fighting is sure to result in victory then you must fight!", is by Sun Tzu from the Art of War.
  • The Equalizer refers to a concept found in the Art of War, "You should throw your soldiers into a position from which there is no retreat... As there is no choice, they cannot but fight a desperate battle."
• The Cat in the Hat: The Soldier's Dr's Dapper Topper is an obvious reference to the titular character in this book by Dr. Seuss.
• The Communist Manifesto: The Heavy achievement "Communist Mani-Fisto" refers to this book written by Karl Marx on the subject of Communism.
• Crime and Punishment
  • The Soldier achievement "Crime and Punishment" refers to the novel with the same name by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
  • The Heavy also has an achievement wit the same name.
• For Whom The Bell Tolls: The Soldier achievement "For Whom The Shell Trolls" refers to For Whom The Bell Tolls, a novel written by Ernest Hemingway that takes place during the Spanish Civil War. The novel is about an American in the International Brigades who is assigned to destroy a bridge during an attack on Segovia.
• Frankenstein
  • The Pyro is likened to Frankenstein's Monster, the famous creature from Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
  • The Cadaver's Cranium is a reference to the same creature.
• Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Demoman calls himself "a grim bloody fable", referring to the Grimm's Fairy Tales published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the Brothers Grimm, in 1812.
• The Guns of Navarone: The Soldier achievement "Guns of the Navar0wned" is a reference to The Guns of Navarone, a book about World War II by Alistair MacLean.
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Holy Mackerel is a Level 42 Fish. 42 is a reference to Douglas Adams' book series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: The Prancer's Pride is a reference to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, where the Grinch's dog, Max, had a single antler similarly tied to his head with a string when the Grinch disguised him as one of Santa's reindeer.
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Horseless Headless Horsemann is a parody of the Headless Horseman from the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.
• L'Étranger: L'Etranger is a reference to the novel L'Étranger by Albert Camus, in which an emotionally detached Frenchman murders an Algerian with a handgun.
• Macbeth
  • The Soldier achievement "Out, Damned Scot!" is a reference to the line "Out, damned spot!" found in Act 3 of Macbeth, a play focused on a Scottish thane named Macbeth.
  • The Demoman achievement "Laddy Macdeth" refers to "Lady Macbeth", Macbeth's wife in the play.
  • The Demoman achievement "Something Stickied This Way Comes" refers to the line "Something wicked this way comes," spoken in Act IV scene 1 by the second Witch, as Macbeth approaches.
  • The Demoman achievement "The Scottish Play" is a reference to how people associate Macbeth with bad luck, and refers to the play as "The Scottish Play" instead of Macbeth.
• My Brilliant Career: The Sniper achievement "My Brilliant Career" is a reference to a 1901 novel of the same name by Miles Franklin. It is the first of many novels by Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, one of the major Australian writers of her time.
• The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu: Fu Manchu is the 1800's BLU spy, a reference to the fictional character first appearing in this book written by Sax Rohmer.
• The Phantom of the Opera: The Spy mask Le Party Phantom refers to the mask worn by the "Phantom" from the French novel The Phantom of the Opera.

Military and Weaponary

• 21 Gun: The Soldier's taunt when equipped with the Buff Banner is a 21-gun salute, the firing of arms as an military honor.
• Ace of Spade: The Soldier also wears an ace of spades in his helmet band with the Soldier's Stash equipped, the use of which was popularized by the 101st Airborne Division.
• "Apricot": An apricot air-freshner can be seen inside Sniper's van. Apricot is a Sniper terminology for the medulla oblongata, a "sweet spot" Snipers aim for where the brain and brain stem meet.
• Colt Diamondback: The Revolver bears a striking resemblance to the real-world Colt Diamondback, which in-turn was inspired by the Colt Python.
• Colt Single Action Army: The Big Kill resembles a combination between a Smith & Wesson Model 29 and a Colt Peacemaker.
• COP 357 Derringer: The Shortstop appears to be based on this weapon.
• "Crazy Ivan": The Heavy achievement "Krazy Ivan" refers to "Crazy Ivan" is a Naval term for a submarine maneuver.
• Dan Wesson PPC Revolver: The Ambassador somewhat resembles the Dan Wesson PPC revolver.
• Dreadnought: The name of Dread Knot is a reference to the "dreadnought", a type of 20th century battleship with tremendous fire power
• "Fire and Forget": The Pyro achievement "Fire and Forget" refers to a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line of sight of the target.
• "Hooah!": This Soldier line is a U.S. Army battle cry. It is used by US Army soldiers "Referring to or meaning anything and everything except no".
• Ithaca 37: The Shotgun appears to be based heavily off of the Ithaca 37.
• "Lock, Stock, And Barrel": The Engineer achievement "Doc, Stock, and Barrel" is a reference to the phrase "Lock, stock and barrel" usually used to describe an entire thing. The phrase itself is taken from the primary parts of a musket and thus uniquely applicable to the Engineer.
• Luger P08: The name "Lugermorph" is a portmanteau of "Luger P08", the German sidearm the Lugermorph is based on, and "lagomorph", the taxonomic order that Max claims to be part of.
• Man-of-War: The Fan O'War is a reference to Man O'War, a powerful class of British naval ship used from the 16th to 19th centuries.
• M1910 Shovel: The Soldier's shovel, seen in the Mac update comic, is a M1910 Shovel. This is not the case for the in-game item, though.
• M202 FLASH: The Black Box was originally based on the real world M202 FLASH incendiary Rocket Launcher.
• M43 Field Cap: The Soldier's Grenadier's Softcap is probably based on the German M43 Field Cap, also known as Einheitsmutze.
• M79 Grenade Launcher: The Demoman's Grenade Launcher is based off the real life M79 Grenade Launcher except that it's been modified to fire multiple grenades without having to reload between each shot.
• Mk 2 grenade: The grenades on the Soldier's bandolier resemble MK2 hand grenades but with an over-sized safety lever and a more blocky body.
• Nagant M1895: The L'Etranger is modeled after the Nagant M1895 revolver.
• PG-2 HEAT: The Soldier's Rocket Launcher appears to fire modified PG-2 HEAT grenades.
• PSM: The closest real-life equivalent to the Pistol is the PSM, the featherweight Soviet self-defense Pistol firing a tiny 5.45mm cartridge.
• Remington 870: The Shotgun appears to be based heavily off of the Remington 870.
• Remington Zig-Zag Derringer: The Shortstop appears to be based on this weapon.
• RPG-7: The Soldier's Rocket Launcher appears to be a heavily stylized version of RPG-7.
• Screaming Eagles: One of the Soldier's lines during his Buff Banner taunt refers to the "The 101st Airborne Division or the “Screaming Eagles”, a renowned U.S. Army paratrooper division trained for air assault operations.
• Section 8: The Soldier's line "Are you all trying for a section eight?" refers to Section 8, a term refering to a former discharge from the United States military for reason of being mentally unfit for service.
• "Semper Fi": The Soldier achievement "Semper Fi" (Short for "Semper Fidelis, which is Latin for "Always Faithful") is well known as the motto of the United States Marine Corps, but is a commonly used slogan throughout history.
• Shock and Awe: The Soldiers job title 'Shock and Awe' is refers to the military doctrine which is based on "the use of overwhelming power, dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze an adversary's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight."
• Smith & Wesson Model 29: The Big Kill resembles a combination between a Smith & Wesson Model 29 and a Colt Peacemaker.
• Tach Bali SWAT Butterfly Knife: The Spy's knife seems to be based on the Tach Bali SWAT butterfly knife.
• United States Armed Forces: The Soldier's line "Pain is weakness leaving the body." is a slogan for the United States Armed Forces.
• United States Marine Corps: The Sniper's "standards" are very similar to those of the United States Marine Corps: "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."
• Walther PP: The Pistol shares similarities to the Walther PP Series.

Music

Artists and Bands

• The Beastie Boys: The Soldier achievement "The Boostie Boys" is a reference to the band The Beastie Boys.
• Jimi Hendrix: The Demoman's Fro, with it's small size and headband, is intended to resemble the afro worn by rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

Songs and Pieces

• Brothers In Arms: The Soldier achievement "Brothers in Harms" is a reference to the blues song by Mark Knopfler. The lyrics are mostly referencing an unnamed war, still it appears clear that the narrator is, or at least was, a soldier, with a deep sense of unity.
• Funeral March: The 3rd movement of Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2, or more commonly known as "Funeral March", is sung by Heavy.
• God Save the Queen:

One of the Sniper's lines during his Submachine Gun taunt, "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms. It is the national anthem of the United Kingdom.

• Goodnight, Irene: The Engineer line "Good night, Irene!" is a reference to "Goodnight, Irene" or "Irene, Goodnight," a 20th century American folk standard.
• Home on the Range: The Engineer achievement "Pownd on the Range" is a reference to "Home on the Range", an American folk song arranged by Texan composer David Guion
• Mr Sandman: The name of a Scout achievement, "The Sandman", is an hint towards the popular 1954 song "Mr Sandman" by the Chordettes, fitting well with the fact how the baseball puts hit enemies "to sleep" for a short duration.
• Old Mother Hubbard: The Engineer mentions "mother hubbard" in Meet the Engineer, a reference to "Old Mother Hubbard", a nursery rhyme.
• Sabre Dance: Heavy sings Sabre Dance, a movement in the final act of the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, completed in 1942.
• Someone Else's Song: The song the Engineer plays on his guitar during Meet the Engineer was not originally composed for the video and is called 'Someone Else's Song'. It was originally written by American Country band Wilco for their album Being There.
• Song of the Volga Boatmen: Heavy sings the Song of the Volga Boatmen, a Russian folk song.
• Ride of the Valkyries: The Soldier achievement "Ride of the Valkartie" is a reference to Ride of the Valkyries composed by Richard Wagner. It is also the song listened to by Robert Duvall in the film "Apocalypse Now" while he delivers his iconic line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
• Someone Else's Song: The song the Engineer plays on his guitar in "Meet the Engineer" was is very similar to 'Someone Else's Song,' a song by the American band Wilco on their album Being There. It was later released as More Gun.
• William Tell Overture: The Sniper achievement "William Tell Overkill" is a reference to William Tell Overture, the overture to the opera William Tell, composed by Gioachino Rossini.

Sports

• Australian Rules Football: The Sniper achievement "Australian Rules" refers to the Australian football variant played between two teams of 18 players outdoors on large oval-shaped grass fields (often modified cricket fields), with a ball in the shape of a prolate spheroid.
• Baseball: The names of nearly all Scout achievements contains numerous Baseball terminologies.
• Boston Red Sox
  • The Scout's accent and use of a bat as a melee weapon reflect the avid baseball culture of the Boston area including the renowned Boston Red Sox.
  • The Scout achievement "A Year To Remember" is also a reference to Boston Red Sox.
• The Honky Tonk Man: The Engineer achievement "Honky Tonk Man" could refer to The Honky Tonk Man, a former wrestler for the WWE, with a guitar shot as one of his signature moves.
• Los Angeles Dodgers: The Scout achievement Dodgers 1, Giants 0 refers to the baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Babe Ruth
  • The Sandman's taunt is a reference to Babe Ruth's famous called shot.
  • The Scout achievement "A Year To Remember" is achieved by killing 2004 enemies. 2004 was the year that the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1918, breaking the Curse of the Bambino that started when Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees.
• San Francisco Giants: The Scout achievement Dodgers 1, Giants 0 refers to the baseball team San Francisco Giants.
• Frank Thomas: The Scout achievement "The Big Hurt" is a reference to Frank Thomas, a Major League Baseball designated hitter nicknamed "The Big Hurt".

TV and Movies

Celebrities

• Sean Connery: The Demoman achievement "Shorn Connery" is a reference to the Scottish actor Sean Connery. "Shorn" also refers to Scotland's sheep farming industry.
• Sammy Davis Jr.: The Demoman achievement "Slammy Slavis Wouldya" is a reference to the actor Sammy Davis Jr. who played a demolition expert in the original Ocean's Eleven.

Movies

• A Clockwork Orange: The Heavy has the phrase "Horrorshow!" as one of his sound files. This is a reference to the word "horrorshow" coined in the book and film "A Clockwork Orange".
• Aladdin: Your Eternal Reward is a reference to a scene in the 1992 film Aladdin. The entry's description in the Polycount contest furthers this by mentioning the phrases "Phenomenal [sic] Cosmic Power" and "Diamond in the Rough", both of which are used in the movie.
• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: The Famaliar Fez is a reference to Mustafa, one of Dr. Evil's henchmen in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
• Batman: The Scout achievement "I'm Bat Man" is a reference to the same line spoken by Michael Keaton in the 1989 movie.
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: The Engineer achievement "The Best Little Slaughterhouse in Texas" is a reference to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, a 1978 Broadway production that has seen several iterations on both Broadway and the silver screen.
• The Bourne Supremacy: The Spy achievement "The Melbourne Supremacy" is a reference to The Bourne Supremac, a film based on a novel starring Matt Damon as the main character, Jason Bourne.
• Braveheart
  • The Demoman's battle cry "Freedom!" is a reference to the famous line in Braveheat, a movie set in 13th century Scotland.
  • There is also a Demoman achievement named "Bravehurt".
• Crocodile Dundee
  • The Sniper's lines "Now this, is a knife!" references a popular scene in the film Crocodile Dundee.
  • The Trophy Belt hat is also likely a reference to the hat worn by main character Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee, who popularised the 'rugged bushman' Australian stereotype.
• The Dark Knight: The Sniper line "I'm gonna cut a smile into ya!" a reference to a similar line by the Joker from The Dark Knight.
• Die Another Day: The Spy achievement "Die Another Way" is a reference to the 20th James Bond movie, Die Another Day, released in 2002, and the last one to feature Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
• The Distinguished Gentleman: The Engineer achievement "The Extinguished Gentleman" is a possible reference to the Eddie Murphy comedy The Distinguished Gentleman.
• Dr. No: The Spy achievement "Dr. Nooooo" is a reference to the sixth James Bond novel. Dr. No was also the first film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent James Bond.
• Enemy at the Gates: The Sniper achievement "Enemy at the Gate" is a reference to Enemy at the Gates, a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.
• Evil Dead: The Engineer's Gunslinger is a reference to Ash Williams replacing his stump of an arm with a metal hand in the Evil Dead series.
• Field of Dreams
  • The Scout achievement "If You Build It" is a reference to the "If you build it, he will come" line from the fantasy film Field Of Dreams.
  • The Engineer achievement "If You Build It, They Will Die" also makes the same reference.
• A Fistful of Dollars: The Engineer achievement "Fistful of Sappers" is a very likely reference to Clint Eastwood's classic Western film, A Fistful of Dollars, the first in the popular Dollars trilogy.
• For Your Eyes Only: The Spy achievement "For Your Eyes Only" is a reference to a pair of short stories written by Ian Fleming featuring James Bond. The was also a movie based on the stories, as well as other Bond novels, released in 1981, featuring Roger Moore as James Bond.
• Full Metal Jacket
  • Scout's line "What is your major malfunction, brotha?" is a reference to a line by Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket.
  • The Soldier is heavily based on Sergeant Hartman.
  • The Soldier addresses people as "maggots", similar to Sergeant Hartman.
  • The Soldier's hat, the Drill Sergeant's Cap, is an obvious reference to Sergeant Hartman.
• Ghostbusters
  • The Engineer line "Nice shootin', Tex!" is a reference to the first "Ghostbusters" movie. As the Ghostbusters are trying to trap Slimer while in the Sedgewick Hotel ballroom, Peter says this due to Egon's over-enthusiasm with his proton pack.
  • The Medic's medpack, combined with the Medi Gun, is strikingly similar to the proton packs in Ghostbusters.
  • Ze Goggles have a striking resemblance to the Ecto Goggles.
• Highlander
  • The Eyelander is a direct reference to the movie Highlander in both name and design.
  • The Demoman achievement "The Stickening" refers to the Quickening, the phenomenon in Highlander which occurs when an immortal decapitates another, acquiring the sum total of their power, knowledge, experiences, and skill.
  • The Demoman achievement "There Can Be Only One" is a sentence repeated throughout the film, suggesting only one immortal will survive the age-old "Game" of Decapitation they play.
  • The Demoman line "I know everything! I feel everything!" is spoken by the main character in the movie when he is possessed by The Quickening, absorbing the knowledge and power of his defeated adversary.
• The Geisha Boy: Geisha Boy is named after the 1958 film The Geisha Boy.
• Kenny: The general theme of Meet the Sniper may be a reference to the movie Kenny, which is based off the life of an Australian plumber. Similarities between the two include the fact that they are being interviewed in their car for a good portion of their videos, their parents do not approve of the line of work, they are both Australian, as well as similarly spoken lines.
• Lonely Are the Brave: The Engineer achievement "(Not So) Lonely are the Brave" is a reference to Lonely Are the Brave, a 1962 film starring Kirk Douglas as a wandering ranch hand who holds a distrust for modern society.
• Magnum Force: The music that plays throughout the "Meet the Sniper" would appear to be a homage to the Magnum Force theme, the second in the Dirty Harry movies. The video itself carries a strong early 70's theme.
• The Man with the Golden Gun: The Spy achievement "The Man with the Broken Guns" is a reference to The Man with the Golden Gun, a James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming in 1965, as well as being a Bond film, starring Roger Moore as Bond, in 1974.
• Marathon Man: The Spy achievement "Is It Safe?" is a reference to Marathon Man. The film contain a graphic depiction in which Szell tortures Babe and repeatedly asking the question, "Is it safe?".
• The Mask of Zorro: The item description of Sun-on-a-stick, "spiky end goes into other man", refers to the line spoken by the character Alejandro Murrieta in the film The Mask of Zorro.
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  • The Holy Hand Grenade included with the Lumbricus Lid hat is a reference to the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail; specifically, "The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch."
  • The design of the scrapped Heal Grenade shares the same reference.
• Mystery, Alaska: The Spy's bio refers to Mystery, Alaska, a 1999 drama directed by Jay Roach.
• Ocean's Eleven: The Demoman achievement "Slammy Slavis Wouldya" is a reference to the actor Sammy Davis Jr. who played a demolition expert in the original Ocean's Eleven.
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Spy achievement "On Her Majesty's Secret Surface" is a reference to a Bond novel, written by Ian Fleming in 1963. There was also a film released in 1969, the only Bond film to feature George Lazenby as James Bond.
• Point Break: The Spy achievement "Point Breaker" is a reference to Point Break, a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
• Predator: One of Soldier's lines is "You cannot hurt me, I do not have time to bleed!", a reference to Predator. "Meet the Sandvich" also takes place in Guatemala, another reference to the movie.
• Psycho: The Stabby Noise Maker sound is a reference to the famous "Shower Scene" from the 1960 psychological thriller Psycho.
• Rambo series: The Scout achievements "First Blood" and "Rambo: First Blood, Part 2" are references to the first two Rambo films, titled First Blood and First Blood Part II.
• Road House: Solder's line "You do not frighten me! Pain does not hurt!" is improvised from Road House.
• Robocop: The phrase "I've yet to meet someone who can outsmart a bullet" from "Meet the Heavy" is probably a reference to a line in Robocop: "I bet you think you're pretty smart, think you can outsmart a bullet?".
• The Six Million Dollar Man: The Scout's "Whanananana..." while under the effects of Bonk! is an imitation of the slow-mo sound effect from The Six Million Dollar Man.
• Spies Like Us: The Spy achievement "Spies Like Us" is a reference to Spies Like Us, a comedy film released in 1985, featuring two rookie Spies sent into the Soviet Union to stop a nuclear threat.
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
  • The Pyro's raising of his weapon and triumphant cackle during his Flamethrower Taunt appears to be a reference to the Tusken raiders of Star Wars with whom the Pyro shares a few similarities.
  • The Sniper achievement "Trust Your Feelings" is a reference to Obi-Wan's line "Trust your feelings, Luke." in Star Wars as Luke takes his Critical shot at the Death Star.
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: The Engineer's Gunslinger is reference to Luke Skywalker's replacement of his arm with a robotic arm in The Empire Strikes Back.
• There Will Be Blood
  • Scout's line "I. Eat. Your. Sandwiches! I eat 'em up!" is a reference to the famous 'milkshake' line from the acclaimed film There Will Be Blood.
  • Soldier's line "I will eat your ribs, I will eat them up!" also makes the same reference.
• Unforgiven: The Engineer achievement "Unforgiven" is a reference to Clint Eastwood's Academy Award winning Western film, Unforgiven.
• The Wrong Trousers: The Respectless Rubber Glove gives the Pyro a striking resemblance to Feathers McGraw, a criminal mastermind and character from the Wallace and Gromit short film The Wrong Trousers.
• You Only Live Twice: The Spy achievement "You only Shiv Thrice" is a play on Ian Fleming's 1964 Bond Novel, You Only Live Twice. A film based on the novel was also released in 1967, starring Sean Connery as James Bond
• The Zatoichi series: The Half-Zatoichi refers to Zatoichi, a fictional character who appears in a series of Japanese films.

Television

• Band Of Brothers: The Soldier achievement "Banner Of Brothers" is a reference to Band Of Brothers, an HBO miniseries focusing on a company of soldiers in the United States 101st Airborne Division (The "Screaming Eagles") and the events they took part in throughout World War II.
• Batman: The Engineer's comments when he punches people with the Gunslinger includes words such as "Pow!" and "Bap!", a reference to the 1966 Batman TV series where the words would appear during many of the fight scenes.
• Firefly: The Tough Guy's Toque hat is a possible reference to Jayne, the big, gun-toting mercenary in Joss Whedon's series Firefly and the subsequent movie, Serenity.
• Futurama: The Triboniophorus Tyrannus bears a resemblance in appearance and function to the brain slugs from Futurama, and is commonly referred to by the community as a brain slug.
• Hogan's Heroes: The Medic shout "Teeeeeeaaaaaammmm!" is a reference to Colonel Klink's "Schuuuulllllttttz!" from Hogan's Heroes.
• Looney Tunes: The line "What's up Doc?", sometimes said upon dominating a Medic, is character Bugs Bunny's signature catch phrase.
• M*A*S*H: The Soldier achievement "S*M*A*S*H" is a reference to M*A*S*H, a TV series based on a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) positioned in Korea during the Korean War.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Spy achievement "The Man from P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E." is a reference to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., an American television series centered on a two-man troubleshooting team for a fictitious secret international law-enforcement agency.
• Only Fools and Horses: A note taped to the windscreen of the camper reads "TAX IN POST", a reference to the popular British comedy 'Only Fools and Horses'.
• The Simpsons
  • Scout's line "He's already dead! He's already deaaad!" is an obvious reference to the Simpsons.
  • The Medic hat Ze Goggles and the description for them are a reference to a line in an episode of "The Simpsons". Ranier Wolfcastle shouts during a botched action scene "THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING!"
• Star Trek: The Demoman achievement "Beat me up, Scotty" is a reference to the famous "Beam me up, Scotty" line from the Star Trek series.
• Walker, Texas Ranger: The Engineer achievement "Texas Ranger" is a reference to the TV show "Walker, Texas Ranger", which was a popular television series starring Chuck Norris.

Video Games

• Atari 2600: The Wrangler bears a striking resemblance to the joystick of an Atari 2600.

Valve Games

• Alien Swarm: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Counter Strike: A bot is named "Hostage", referring to the game Counter Strike.
• Day of Defeat: The Soldier achievement "Spray of Defeat" is a reference to Day of Defeat, a video game set in World War II.
• Half-Life series: Some of the bots have names like "Black Mesa", referring to the Half-Life series.
• Left 4 Dead series
  • Some of the bots have names like "CEDA", referring to the Half-Life series.
  • Promotional items were released to promote this game.
  • Scout's line, "Ding Dong!" is a reference to the 'Churchguy' in Left 4 Dead, both voiced by Nathan Vetterlein.
  • Another of Scout's line, "I. Hate. Doctors!" might be a reference to Left 4 Dead's Francis, who often throughout gameplay expresses his hatred for numerous things, including doctors.
  • Soldier's lines when dominating a Sniper includes "Your country did not prepare you for the level of violence you will meet on my battlefield!" and "Aww, am I too violent for you cupcake!?", a reference to the ban of Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia bacause of its violent content.
  • The Demoman achievement "Left 4 Heads" also refers to this game.
• Portal
  • Some of the bots have names like "GlaDOS", referring to Portal.
  • The Heavy says his Sandvich is "moist and delicious", a line from Portal.
• Portal 2: Promotional items were released to promote this game.

Other Games

• Bioshock: The Vita-Saw has a strong resemblance to the ADAM Harvester from the Bioshock series. Valve asked for, and received, permission from 2K Games to include it in Team Fortress 2.
• Brothers In Arms: The Soldier achievement "Brothers in Harms" is a reference to Brothers In Arms, a game set during World War II.
• Dance Dance Revolution: The Pyro achievement "Dance Dance Immolation" is a reference to Dance Dance Revolution, a long-standing music video game series produced by Konami.
• Homefront: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Killing Floor: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Monday Night Combat: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Mortal Kombat: The Administrator's "Flawless victoy!" line is a reference to the Mortal Kombat announcer's famous line.
• Pac-Man: The Cloak meter of the Enthusiast's Timepiece resembles Pac-Man.
• Poker Night at the Inventory: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Punch-Out!!: The Heavy's K.G.B. taunt animation is a homage to Mr. Sandman's warm-up technique from the NES version of Punch Out!!
• Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Sinistar: The Heavy taunts "Run cowards!" and "I live!" is taken from the 1982 arcade game Sinistar.
• Street Fighter: The Pyro's Hadouken attack is a direct reference to Ryu's signature attack from the Street Fighter series of games.
• Total War: Shogun 2: Promotional items were released to promote this game.
• Worms: Reloaded: Promotional items were released to promote this game.

Misc

• "Agent Provocateur": The Spy achievement "Agent Provocateur" means "enticing agent", an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act.
• "Big Pharma": The Medic achievement "Big Pharma" is also a phrase often used to refer to companies with revenue in excess of $3 billion, and/or R&D expenditure in excess of $500 million due to the success of many large pharmaceutical companies.
• Hernia Testing: The Medic line "Turn your head and cough!" is part of the procedure of testing for a hernia.
• Horagai: The Concheror includes a horn made out of a Japanese local conch, the Horagai.
• Hot Potato: The Pyro achievement "Hot Potato" is a reference to the game that involves players quickly gathering in a circle and tossing a small object such as a beanbag or tennis ball to each other while music plays.
• I Spy: The Pyro achievement "I Fry" is a reference to I spy, a guessing game usually played in families with young children, partly to assist in both observation and in alphabet familiarity.
• "PDQ": The name of the P.D.Q. is a reference to the abbreviated acronym for "Pretty Damn Quick" (alternatively "Pretty Darn Quick" or "Please Do Quickly"), sometimes appended to the end of an instruction or command to communicate urgency.
• Potassium Chlorate: Potassium Chlorate is the Demoman's explosive of choice. It is a compound containing potassium, chlorine and oxygen, with the chemical formula KClO3, commonly used in fireworks and explosives.
• "Primum non Nocere": The Medic achievement "First Do No Harm" is adapted from "Primum non nocere", a Latin phrase that means "First, do no harm." The phrase expresses one of the principal precepts all medical students are taught in medical school and is a fundamental principle for the emergency medical services.
• Razorback: The razorback can also refer to a feral pig. Feral pigs are an environmental problem in Australia.
• "Southern Hospitality": The name "Southern Hospitality" is derived from the same phrase describing the warm and welcoming American South.
• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: The Spy's line "They can bury you in the 'Tomb of the Unskilled Soldier'!", spoken when dominating a Soldier, is a reference to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a memorial which represents the war grave of fallen soldiers who have not been identified.
• "Ubi Concordia, Ibi Victoria": The Medic achievement "Ubi Concordia, Ibi Victoria" is a Latin phrase meaning "Where there is unity, there is victory.", a Latin phrase attributed to Publius Syrus.
• Wilhelm Scream: One of the stock sound effects used in Trailer 2 is the infamous Wilhelm Scream.