Demystifying British Darting Lingo With a Yankee’s Glossary of Terms

Dart playing developed in the redolent atmosphere of the British pub, where talk is lively and frequently colorful. It was perhaps inevitable that a patois would take hold, some of it based on Cockney rhyming slang. Americans and others who play on the international circuit say that darting slang is used less in the United States than in Britain, but occasionally a “chalker” who is keeping score at the blackboard can be heard to call out words such as bed and breakfast, tin hat or madhouse after a player has thrown. Here are a few phrases it might be handy to know:

BED AND BREAKFAST--A score of 26, that being a variation on the amount of money generally charged for bed and breakfast in England early in the century: two and six, or 2 shillings and 6 pence.

BULL--The center of the two-ring bull’s eye.

BUST--Scoring more than required near the end of a game.

CLICKETY CLICK--Score of 66. Cockney rhyming slang.

GO FOR THE CORK--Throwing one dart to determine which opponent starts the game. Closest to the bull (the cork) starts.

GARDEN GATE--Score of 88.

MADHOUSE--When a player is left with three points. Frustrating, since there is only one way to finish in such a situation: one followed by double one.

MUGS AWAY--Loser starts.

SHANGHAI--Scoring a single, double and triple on the same number during a single turn.

TIN HAT--No score.

TON--Score of 100. (The most elusive score in darts during a single turn is known as the “ton 80”--a score of 180, which requires the shooter to hit a triple 20 with all three darts.)

TOPS--Double 20.

VARIETIES--Score of 57. Refers to Heinz’s 57 varieties.