New to darts and want a headstart? I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know any of the terminology. Read On.

This will answer your dart questions like, “What is a dart set?”

A:

Annie’s Attic – Double 1
Arraz – Another term for darts.
Arrows – Another term for darts.

B:

Baby ton – A score of 95, usually by scoring five 19s.
Baby fish – A 130 checkout: T20, 20 (or 20, T20),
Bag of nuts – A score of 45, named after a prize offered at a fairground.
Barrel – The part of a dart that a thrower grips, right behind the point.

C:

Chucker – A player who just “chucks” the darts at the board and does not aim or care.
Circle it – When a player scores a single digit (less than 10) with three darts, their teammates would shout out “Circle it!” to the scorekeeper to highlight the terrible throw.
Cork – The center of the board. This comes from the cork in the end of a keg where it is tapped. The ends of kegs were used for targets in the game’s early days.
Cover – Aiming for an alternate triple, usually 19, when a previously thrown dart is blocking the triple 20.
Cricket – A distinct game variation.

D:

Dart Set – your kit, barrel, stems, flights,  darts, dartboard, cabinet, etc etc.

Dart Board – The target for your darts split into numbered segments.
Devil – The triple-6, so called due to ‘666’, also as it is often hit by mistake when after triple-13 or triple-10.
Diddle for the middle – A throw of a single dart to determine who throws first in the game by means of being closer to the bullseye.
Double – The thin outer ring of the board, counts for two times the number hit.
Double top – The double-20.

E:

Easy in – Same as straight in; a game that requires no special shot to begin scoring.
Egg and Chips – Scoring 26 in three darts, through scoring a 20, 1 and 5

F:

Feathers – The number 33. Can also refer to flights as early flights were made of feathers.
Fish – A score of nine or less, usually denoted by drawing a whale around the score on the scoreboard.
Flights – The 4 split wings at the end of a dart that make it fly and land point first.

G:

Game on – Referee’s comment to start the match.
Game shot – Referee’s comment to signify a player has hit the match-winning double.
Granny – A loss without scoring.

H:

Hat-trick – To score three bulls-eyes in three darts.
High ton – A score equal to / greater than 150.

I:

Island – playing area of a dartboard (inside the doubles ring). Missing this area entirely is sometimes referred to as “off the island”.
Iron Man – Winning a game with a double/double.

J:

Jugging – Checking out with your opponent on 200 or greater.

K:

Killer – Game variant where players gain lives by hitting a number and attempt to knock other players out by hitting their numbers before they lose all of their own lives.

L:

Leg – One game in a match.
Leg shot – Referee shout to signify a player has won that leg.
Lipstick – This usually refers to triple 20, as this portion of the board is commonly red in color and resembles an upper lip!
Low Ton – A score between 100 and 150.

M:

Madhouse – The double-1. Almost impossible to hit the madhouse.
Marker – Dart landing just off target but can be used as a guide to help the next one hit the required target.
Martial Arts – “Cockney rhyming slang” for a game of darts.
Match dart – Dart thrown at a double that wins the match.
Maximum – The much sought-after score of 180.

N:

Nail – Another word for #1.
Nine darter – minimum amount of darts needed to win a 501 leg of darts.

O:

Oche – The throwing line which must not be crossed when throwing your darts.
from behind which the players throw. They may stand on any portion of the oche and/or lean forward over it if desired, but no part of either foot may extend past the edge closer to the dartboard.
Ooonnne-hunnnddred-aaaannnnd-eyyyyyghty! – Referee call to signify a maximum has been scored.

P:

Perfect score – The maximum / 180.
Perfect finish – 170 / the maximum check out.
P.P.D. – The average “points per dart” thrown.
Pub score – English term for hitting 20, 5, and 1, while aiming 3 darts at treble 20.

Q:

I couldn’t think of one!? 🙁

R:

Robin Hood – Throwing a second/third dart into the shaft of a previously thrown dart sticking in the shaft/flight.
Round the clock – a game where you throw darts at each number in turn increasing from 1 -20 then 25 and bull.

S:

Set – The scoring method used in many tournaments, first to 3 legs or best out of 5 will win the set.
Seeding – How player(s) are ranked in a tournament from best to least favored.
Shaft – Part of a dart screws into the barrel and receives the flights.

Spider – the metal dividing wires that split different sections on the dart board.

T:

Target – The center of the board / the bullseye ( Some say target is the original name).
Three in a bed – Three darts hitting the same double or treble.
Throwing line – The oche.
Ton – Scoring over 100 with your three darts.

U:

Upstairs – The upper half of your dartboard.

V:

Velocity – Speed your dart travels towards the board.

W:

Whale – A score of nine or less (i.e. averaging 3 or fewer per dart).
Wire – A dart that just misses where you aim for but is on the other side of the spider.

X:

I couldn’t think of one!? 🙁

Y:

I couldn’t think of one!? 🙁

Z:

I couldn’t think of one!? 🙁