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Darts has always been an incredibly popular sport in the UK and in other parts of the world. But, it underwent a bit of a revolution and evolved into a more modern sport, and now finds itself regularly broadcast on TV with traditional tournaments balanced off with more modern takes, such as Premier League Darts, World Matchplay Darts. With so many new eyes on the sport right now, it’s fair to say that not everyone is an expert on the terminology used. But you need not worry, as we’ve put together some of the most important words and phrases alongside their meanings.
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Annie’s Attic: Double 1 on the board.
Arrows: Alternative word for darts, the equipment used to play.
Bail-Out: When a player lands a treble on the final dart after the first two didn’t score well.
Bed: Another name for the section on the dartboard where a dart lands.
Bed & Breakfast: When a player hits single 1, single 5, and 20 to make 26.
Big Fish: The highest checkout in darts – 170.
Bogey: When a player lands on a number that can’t be checked out.
Break of Throw: When the player who throws second wins the leg.
Bullseye: The centre point on the darts board.
Bull Up: Used to decide who throws first. The player who throws closest to the bull wins.
Bust: When a player exceeds the points remaining.
Chalking: Keeping score next to the darts board.
Champagne Finish: When a player hits a big finish at the most crucial time of a game.
Checkout: When a player wins the leg by getting the points required and finishing on a double or the bull.
Combination Finish: When a player has to land more than one dart to win checkout as well as a double or the bull.
Double-In: When a player hits a double with their first dart.
Double-Out: Finishing a leg by hitting a double or the bull.
Double-Top: The double segment for 20.
Downstairs: The bottom half of the darts board, usually going downstairs, refers to throwing at 19 rather than 20.
Easy In: A simple throw and land to start a game of darts instead of going for a double or treble.
Embroiled: When the “lesser” player reduces the game’s level and the “better” player becomes embroiled in it.
Fall Out: When a dart falls out of the board.
Flights: The flight is the end part of a dart that helps to guide it through the air after being thrown.
Game On: When the announcer, referee or chalker signals the start of the game with the term “Game On!”
Game, Shot: When the announcer, referee or chalker signals the end of the game with the term “Game, Shot!”
Grouping: When the three darts a player throws land close together.
High-Ton: When a player throws between 151 and 180 in a visit to the oche.
Island: The scoring part of a darts board.
Leg: A game that takes place within a 501 match.
Lipstick: The treble segment of 20.
Little Fish: Treble 20, single 20 and the bull.
Madhouse: When a player wins a leg by hitting double 1.
Marker: When a player is aiming for the double but lands outside it, giving them a marker for their next throw to guide it into the bed.
Match Dart: The final dart to be thrown, which, if it lands in the double, will see a player win the match.
Maximum: When a player scores 180 with three darts by throwing three treble 20s.
Nail: When a player throws three darts in the 1 section, also known as a “bucket of nails.”
Nine Darter: The ultimate game of darts – when a player wins a leg by throwing just nine darts.
Oche: Where players throw their darts from.
One Hundred And Eighty: Three darts landing in a single visit in the treble 20 bed. The highest score possible.
Perfect Finish: When a player checks out with a score of 170.
Perfect Game: Winning a leg of darts or a game using the fewest darts possible.
PPD: The points per darts average thrown by a player.
Redeemer: When the first two darts thrown are poor, but the third is good and rescues the visit to the oche.
Robin Hood: When a dart thrown lands in the stem of a dart already settled in the board.
Set: Three legs make up a set. Usually, a set target will determine the overall winner of a match.
Shanghai: When a three-dart finish involves the three segments of a number, such as single 20, treble 20 and double 20.
Three In A Bed: When the three darts thrown by a player land in the same bed on the board.
Ton-Up: When a player hits 100 in a visit to the oche.
Turkey: When a player throws 30 with three darts.
Two Fat Ladies: When a player throws 88 with three darts.
Upstairs: The upper half of a darts board.
Velocity: The speed at which a dart travels at when it’s thrown towards the board.
Wiring: When a dart thrown hits the wire that divides segments on the board.
X: Checking out with double 1.
If you’re a darts fan but don’t know the lingo or terminology, reading the above will make you an expert in no time. It’s always good to have knowledge of certain words and phrases used in a sport, especially as they’ll often be used by commentators and pundits when the action is unfolding on television.
You will often find that the same words and phrases are used at all levels of darts, too, whether it’s friends playing or matches taking place in a pub, through to amateur level and then the professional realms such as the PDC Tour. New phrases will often come to pass as time goes on, especially as darts continues to grow in popularity around the world. So, it’s vital to keep checking up on the latest sayings and slang employed by those in and around the sport.
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