75 Darts Terms You Should Know (Full Darts Glossary)

This is the ultimate darts glossary that consists of 75 different darts terms and slang that you should know if you want to take it to the next level. We sorted all the darts terms alphabetically. ENJOY!

Darts Terms That You Should Know

Arrows – Slang term for darts

Bag O’ Nuts – Scoring forty-five points in a throw

The term was used more widely, ‘Bag o’ Nuts’ being a common phrase used in darts in various parts of England. It has its origins in the fairground where a score of 45 on the darts stall in the 1930s would win the customer a bag of nuts. As times changed, the prize changed and when goldfish replaced the bag of nuts a score of 45 at darts led to the introduction of the phrase ‘Fish and globe’.

From Patrick Chaplin’s website

Barn Dart – When the third dart of a throw hits the target you were aiming at for with the first two darts

Barrel – The metal portion of the dart where you grip it

Dart barrels come in a huge variety of styles, sizes, materials and grips. The overall weight of a dart is largely determined by the weight of its barrel. Barrel weights commonly range from 16 to 30 grams, but even heavier and lighter darts are available. Common barrel materials include wood, plastic, brass, nickel-silver and tungsten. Wood barrels are less commonly used and, along with plastic barrels, have taken a back seat to the increasing popularity of brass, nickel-silver and tungsten barrels.

From DartBrokers.com

Bed – A section of a number

Bed & Breakfast – A British term for scoring 26 points in one throw during an ’01 game. This happens by hitting a single 20, a single 1 and a single 5

Bombs/Bombers – Very large or heavy darts

Bones – When you have to hit a double 1 to win the game

Bottom of the Board – The numbers on the bottom half of the dartboard

Bull – The centermost part of the board, the area is divided into two sections (the single & double bull)

Bull Out – Winning the game with a double bull

Bull Up – Throwing at the bull to decide which player will throw first

Busted – Scoring too many points when trying to finish an ’01 game

Chalk(ing) – Keeping score

A ‘Classic’ – Scoring 26 points in a round by hitting a single 5, single 20 and a single 1

Cork – The bull’s-eye

Cracked – Hitting a single when aiming at a double

Dead – Hitting the exact score required

Diddle for the Middle – Throwing at the bull’s-eye to see which player will throw first

Dirty Darts – Derogatory slang for questionable tactics (like scoring excessive points in Cricket)

Double Bull or Double Cork – The center portion of the bull’s-eye

Downstairs – The lower portion of the dartboard

Double Bull/Cork – The inner portion of the bull’s-eye

Double In – Hitting the double area of a number to start a game of ’01

Double Out – Hitting the double of a number to win a game of ’01

Double Top – The double 20

Eights – Slang term for 18s in Cricket

Fallout – Slang for scoring with a dart when you intended to hit another number (like hitting the 17 in Cricket when you were aiming at the 15)

Fat – The largest porting of a number (the area between the double and triple ring)

Fives – Slang for the 15s in Cricket

Flight – The “feathers” of the dart

Game On – A call for silence at the start of the game

Game Shot – The winning shot

Good Group – A compliment for tight, accurate throwing (all three darts in the triple for instance)

Hattrick – Scoring all three darts of a turn in the bull

High Ton – Scoring between 151-180 points in a game of ’01

Hockey – The throw line

Leg – A game in a match, as “the best of five legs”, in which each leg is an entire game

Little/Small – The single bed between the bull and the triple

Low Ton – Scoring between 100-150 points in a game of ’01

Madhouse – Double 1 or 1 double 1 to win a game of ’01

Mugs Away – Slang term for a rule that allows the loser of the previous game to start the next game immediately (without diddling for the middle)

Nines – Slang for the 19s in Cricket

Oche – The throw line (pronounced ‘ockey’)

Pie – Any of the numbered sections on the dartboard

Point Mongering – Derogatory term for shooting excessive points, usually in Cricket

Robin Hood – Sticking one dart into the back of another in the board

Round – Any three dart turn

Round of 9 – Throwing three triples in one turn

Route 66 – Scoring 66 points in a round

Sergeant – Used in the game of Rotation – hitting three successive numbers with three darts in a round to win a free turn

Sevens – Slang for the 17s in Cricket

Shaft – The portion of the dart that holds the flight

Shanghai – Hitting a triple, double, and single of the same number in the same throw

Shooting for the Cork/Bull – Throwing at the bull’s-eye to decide which player will throw first

Single In – Starting a game of ’01 without having to hit a double first

Single Out – Ending a game of ’01 without having to hit a double

Sixes – Slang for the 16s in Cricket

Spider – The wire assembly which forms the beds on a dartboard

Splashing – Throwing two darts at the same time, sometimes with your opposite throwing arm (right-handers throw with their left hand), the total points are added up and the player with the highest total goes first. Both darts must hit the scoring area of the dartboard or the player throws again.

Splitting the 11 – Throwing a dart between the 1’s of the 11 on the number ring

Straight On – Starting a game of ’01 without having to hit a double

Straight Off – Ending a game of ’01 without having to hit a double

Sunset Strip – Scoring 77 points in a round

Three in a Bed – Throwing all three darts in the same number

Ton – Scoring 100 points in a round

Ton-Eighty – The highest possible score in a round of darts, scored by hitting three triple 20s in a round.

Ton # – Scoring 100+ points in a round (Ton 60 would be 160 points)

Tops – The double 20

Two & 6 – Scoring 26 points in a round

Two Fat Ladies – Scoring 88 points in a round

Trombones – Scoring 66 points in a round

Upstairs – The upper section of the board

White Horse – Scoring three triples in Cricket (with some players, it has to be 3 different triples)

Wiring – Bouncing a dart off a wire

Now You Know The Darts Glossary

Hope this glossary of the most common darts terms will help you be more confident in this game and won’t make you look like a novice in a pub! Make sure to bookmark this page to refer to it in case you need to find a definition of one of the many darts terms. Good luck!