Darts
Game Guide

This Darts Glossary is likely the most amusing on the site for the language of darts offers up rhyming and colorful terms like no other skill game.

This area of gamerisms is sure to make you smile and yes, laugh out loud.

Darts Basic Rules

Darts is a game using pointed arrows to throw strategically at a dartboard.The standard dartboard is divided into 20 segments in black and white color numbering 1 to 20 with a round circle in the middle of the board known as the bulls-eye or the inner bull in red color and the outer part of the eye called the outer bull in green. If the dart hits the black or white section of the board, it scores the number of that particular segment.

Every number in each segment has two small rectangular scoring sections in red and green color. When a dart hits the outer bull in green color, it scores 25 points, and when it hits the bulls-eye - the red center portion of the board, then it is a 50 points score.

Popular Darts Games

The most popular, official games played are 301 and 501. Two players take turns in throwing up to three darts each. Each one starts with a set score of 301 points or 501 points respectively. The aim is to minus whatever scores they have made from 501 or 301 set of points to reach zero when a winner is declared.

Darts Glossary

Darts Games Glossary A

301 or 501: refers to dart/arrow games where the objective is to reduce your score to 0 from starting points of 301 or 501.

Ace: the double of one in 501 and 301 games.

Annie's Room: also called Annie's house. It refers to the number 1 on the board.

Arrows: it is another term used for darts.

Darts Games Glossary B

Baby Ton: when a player scores 95 by scoring five 19's.

Bag o' Nuts: refers to 45 points for a dart throw.

Bailout: jargon for misses on throw 1 and 2 followed by a third that hits the target.

Barrel: term for the metal area where the thrower grasps the dart.

Basement: darts games glossary term for double threes.

Black Dog: when a double bull is scored.

Black Eye: rack up 50 points for hitting the center of the bullseye.

Bones: occurs when player must get a double-1 to arrive at zero.

Buckshot: refers to 3 darts that land strewn about the board.

Bombs/Bombers: big or heavy darts.

Bull/Bulls-eye: the centre part of the dartboard.

Bull and Cork: jargon for the bull center

Bull out: with that double bull, you win.

Bull up: method of determining the first player to throw by aiming for the bull.

Bullseye: section of the board center that has a single and double bull.

Busted: jargon for having too many points at the end of a 301 or 501 game.

Darts Games Glossary C

Century: refers to 1 round=100+ points.

Chalk: to keep score.

Check-out: a throw, that if hit, will win and game over.

Chips/Classic: jargon for 1 throw=26 points by hitting 20, 1 and 5.

Chucker: darts player who carelessly throws without a target in mind.

Clickity Click: lingo for 1 throw=66.

Clock: lingo that refers to a dartboard.

Convertibles: these darts can convert from steel to soft tip.

Cork: darts games glossary for bullseye.

Cracked: if a single is scored by a player when he/she aimed at a double.

Cricket: a darts game that uses the standard 20 number dartboard with the treble and double rings. The goal of the game is to be the first player to close all the numbers and have a higher or even point total. To close a number, it must have scored 3 times on one or more turns. Example: hitting the triple will close a number=1 throw; a single and the double will close it=2 throws and three singles=3 throws. A scoreboard tracks hits on all numbers.

Darts Games Glossary D

Dead: when a player aims and hits the target on the board.

Diddle for the Middle: method of determining the first player to throw by aiming for the bull. Similar to bull up.

Dinky Doo: term for 22.

Dirty Darts: questionable strategy here?

Double bull or Double cork: area in the center of the bullseye=50 points.

Double in or DI: act of a dart throw to start an 01 game that lands in the double section of a number.

Double Out or DO: hitting the same area as DI to become the winning player of the game.

Double Ring: is valued at double the specific number located at the outer ring of the board.

Double Top: jargon for the double 20.

Double Trouble: if a player is unable to hit double on the board needed to win the game.

Downstairs: you are talking about the lower or bottom section of the board.

Dust: when the dart hits the non-scoring area on the dartboard.

Dart Game Terms E - F

Easy In, Easy Out: refers to a dart game where a double in/out is not mandatory.

Fall Out or Scud: jargon for an 'accidental throw' where the player targets one number and hits another.

Fat: term for the section of a number valued at a single score that is located between the double and triple rings.

Fives: in the dart game of cricket, this term refers to the 15's.

Flat Tire: occurs if a dart ends up in the black area surrounding the board, thus no score.

Flights: feathers at the end of the dart.

Foot Fault: you just stepped over the throw line boundary while shooting.

Dart Game Terms G

Game On: call made at the start of the game to maintain silence.

Game Shot: shot that wins the game for a player.

Good Group: term for 3 darts that land in a close grouping.

Dart Game Terms H

Half a Crown: jargon for score=26.

Happy Meal: jargon for score=69.

Hat Trick: a dart player's dream=striking the bull with all three darts.

Heinz: of course, it is score=57.

High Ton: jargon for 150-180 score.

Hockey: refers to the throw line.

Dart Game Terms I - L

Island: term for the playing area of the dartboard located inside the double wire surrounding it.

Knurl: players get a better hold on this barrel area of the arrow.

Leg: term for 1 game of a dart match.

Load: jargon for score=180.

Low Ton: refers to 100-149 score.

Lower Class: term for score of 29.

Dart Game Terms M

Mark: dart that scores in the game of cricket.

Match: refers to a game series, usually determined by the winner of 2 out of 3 dart games played.

Money Dart: term for the dart that wins it all in tournament play.

Mugs Away: announcement that losers play first at the next darts game.

Dart Game Terms N - O

Nines: in the game of cricket, nines refers to the 19's.

Oche: line from where a player stands and throws the darts.

On Your Knees: lingo for a player who must get a double 3.

Oxo: term for a score of 1 round=0.

Dart Game Terms P

Perfect Game: less is better for this win, thus 6 darts for 301 and 9 darts for 501.

Pie: refers to the scoring sections of the board.

Plastic Darts: term for soft-tipped arrows/darts.

Point Monger or Monger: dart player who scores a whole lot of points in a game of cricket.

Poor Man's Triple or PMT: action of throwing 3 singles of the same number.

Popcorn: situation where 3 darts that are tightly grouped in one or more flights being knocked away.

Dart Game Terms R

Rail: refers to steep-tipped board wire.

Robin Hood: dart throw that results in striking one dart onto the back of another that has already landed on the board.

Rock: jargon for shot, speed arrow/dart.

Rotation: refers to a game of darts.

Round: occurs when one darts player shoots 3 darts.

Round of 9 or RO9: refers to game round where a darts player hits 3 triples.

Round the Clock: darts game wherein each number is hit in numerical order.

Route 66: jargon for score=66 on a throw.

Rubber: refers to the final of a 3-game match.

Dart Game Terms S

Sevens: refers to the 17's in a cricket game of darts.

Shaft: located behind the barrel of a dart and controls the flight.

Shanghai: occurs when a player hits a triple, double and a single in the same row.

Shelly Shot: occurs when the first arrow in a cricket game hits a triple 19.

Sheriff: term for dart player who currently holds the game lead.

Shut Out, Skunk or Whitewash: refers to a win before a challenger has doubled in.

Single Bull: term for the bullseye outer ring=25 points.

Single In or SI: darts game where it is not mandatory for a player to double in.

Single Out or SO: darts game where it is not mandatory for a player to double out.

Six Dart Out: term for a 'perfect' won with only 6 darts playing a 301 double in/out darts game.

Sixes: term for the cricket 16's.

Slice: refers to the wedge of a specific number in a darts game.

Slip Shot: jargon for score=28.

Slop: refers to an 'accidental win' whereby the dart scores even with a miss.

Small Pie: section between the bullseye and triple ring that is considered to be a single number.

Spider or Spider Web: jargon for the marked target areas located on the dartboard.

Splash: Score made by dart hitting the wrong part of the dartboard.

Split the 11: occurs when a dart hits the two digits for 11 on the number ring.

Steady: refers to score=60.

Straight Off: game in which a dart player is not required to double out.

Straight On: game in which a dart player is not required to double in.

Sunset Strip: jargonfor 1 throw=77 points.

Dart Game Terms T

Three in a Bed: term for 3 darts=3 triple 15's that land in the same scoring area.

Tin Hat: jargon for 0, nada, nothing=no score.

Ton: refers to score=100 points in a round.

Ton 80: refers to score=180 points or 3 triple 20's.

Tops: yes, it is tops=double 20.

Triple Ring: valued at triple times at the inner ring of the board.

Trombones: refers to a round score=76 points.

Two and Six: term for round score=26 points.

Two Fat Ladies: lingo for round score=88 points.

Dart Game Terms U - Z

Upstairs: we are talking about the upper section of the dartboard.

Wet Feet: player who has 'stepped over the line' with a foot fault violation.

White Horse: jargon for a 3 triple score during one round of a cricket game.

White Moment: refers to the darts player with the winning advantage.

Widdy: term for dart with feathers on the end and wooden steel tips.

Winger Dart: this darts scores after deflecting off another already on the dartboard.

Wiring: When a dart bounces off a wire

Wood: refers to section surrounding the dartboard, but off the scoring area.

Woody: jargon for a dart that lands in the wood.

Darts Game Guide