Darts Terms: A Plain-English Glossary of Darts Slang

Darts terms are the words players use for scores, board areas and game rules: a "ton" is 100, "double top" is double 20, the "oche" is the throw line, and "bed and breakfast" is a score of 26. Learn about 30 of them and you can follow any league night or TV match.

Below is a plain-English darts glossary grouped by topic, with where some of the funnier slang comes from. Playing in a league? Our blue dart shirts can carry your team name and nickname.

Basic darts terms every beginner should know

These are the words you will hear in your first game:

• Oche: the line you stand behind to throw. Darts501 says it is pronounced like "hockey", and lists "hockey" as another name for the throw line.
• Arrows: another word for darts.
• Barrel: the metal part of the dart you grip.
• Leg: one game of a match. Matches are split into legs, and pro matches group legs into sets.
• Bullseye (bull): the center of the board. The inner bull scores 50 and the outer bull scores 25.
• Bounce out: a dart that hits the wire or falls out and does not score.
• Spider (or web): the wire assembly that divides the scoring segments.

Darts501 notes that slang from London's East End shaped many of these words, and that a full list of terms and origins appears in Bobby George and darts historian Dr Patrick Chaplin's book on darts lingo. (Darts501)

Darts terms for scores

Why is 26 called bed and breakfast? Darts501 explains it is "based on the cost for bed and breakfast in the early part of the twentieth century, the cost being 2s 6d (two shillings and sixpence)." It is a common score because the 1 and the 5 sit on either side of the 20, so a slightly missed 20 often lands there.

Darts terms for parts of the board

• Double top: double 20, a favorite finishing double.
• Annie's room (or Annie's house): double 1.
• Basement: double 3.
• Downstairs: the lower part of the board.
• Bed: a scoring area of a number, such as the treble bed or double bed.
• Black hat: the inner bull, from boards where the center is black.

Darts terms for x01 games and checkouts

In 301 and 501 you count down from a starting score, so a lot of slang is about finishing:

• Double out: hitting a double to win an x01 game.
• Double in: a variant where a double is needed to start scoring.
• Bust: scoring more than you need. Your darts do not count and you start the next turn on the same score.
• Double trouble: not being able to hit the double needed to win.
• Shanghai: a single, double and treble of the same number in one turn. In the game of Shanghai, that is an automatic win.
• Leg shot (or game shot): the throw that wins the leg.

Want the full rules? Read how to play 501 darts, how to play 301 darts and how to play Shanghai darts.

Darts slang for good and bad throws

• Robin Hood: throwing a dart into the shaft of another dart.
• Buckshot: darts landing wildly all over the board.
• Slop (or splash): darts that score, but not where you aimed.
• Archer: a player who throws quick, smooth darts.
• Bombs: very large or heavy darts, usually brass.

How darts terms show up on league shirts

Plenty of teams put darts slang on their shirts as a team name or nickname, like "Double Top" or "The Archers". If you need ideas, see our dart team names and darts nickname ideas.

Our blue dart shirts can be personalized with a team name and player name. Styles and sizes differ by design, so check each product page before you order for a team.

FAQ

What are some slang terms used in darts?

Common darts slang includes ton (100), maximum or ton 80 (180), bed and breakfast (26), bag o' nuts (45), double top (double 20), Annie's room (double 1) and Robin Hood (a dart stuck in another dart).

What is the oche in darts?

The oche is the throw line you stand behind. Darts501 says it is pronounced like "hockey".

Why is 26 called bed and breakfast?

It comes from the old price of a bed and breakfast in England, two shillings and sixpence, or "two and six".

What does bust mean in darts?

Bust means you scored more than you needed in an x01 game. Those darts do not count and you start your next turn on the same score.