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’.
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!
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