Confused? Darts Jargon Explained!

Oche: The throw line players must stand behind. 

Arrows: Slang for darts themselves.

Ton: A score of 100 points in one turn.

Ton 80: The maximum score with three darts—three triple 20s.

Chalking: The act of keeping score in a match.

Double In: A format where scoring doesn’t start until a double is hit.

Double Out: A game-ending requirement: you must finish by hitting a double.

Leg: A single game within a match.

Set: A group of legs played in a match format.

Checkout : The final score needed to win a leg.

Big Fish: A 170 checkout—two triple 20s and a bullseye.

Shanghai: One dart in a single, double, and triple of the same number.

Nine-Darter: A perfect leg—finishing in just nine darts.

Madhouse: Needing double 1 to win; considered difficult and frustrating.

Robin Hood: When one dart sticks into the flight or shaft of another.

Bounce Out: A dart that hits the board but doesn’t stick, resulting in zero points.

Flight: The plastic wings at the end of the dart that help stabilize it.

Shaft: The part of the dart between the barrel and the flight.

Barrel: The central section of the dart that players grip.

Dartitis: A psychological condition where a player struggles to release the dart.

Stacker    : A player who throws darts so they stack neatly just above the target.

Marker: A dart thrown to mark the target zone to help guide the next throw.

Fish: A very low score, often jokingly used.

Bulling In: Throwing to determine who goes first by aiming at the bullseye.

Round the Clock: A practice game hitting numbers 1–20 and finishing on the bullseye.

Cricket: A darts game played with numbers 15–20 and bullseye, closing out each number.

Dirty Dart: A lucky or accidental high scoring dart.

Tungsten Terror: A humorous nickname for a deadly accurate player.

Chucker: A player with poor technique, often "chucks" darts carelessly.

Cover Shot: An alternate target after a blocked or missed primary one.

Sloppy Darts: Inconsistent or wild throws.

The Basement: Refers to the low score section on the board (e.g. 1, 2, 3).

The Lipstick: Nickname for the triple 20 (because of the red color).

Bag of Nails: Scoring three single 1s in a round—basically the worst possible throw.

Champagne Breakfast: Hitting treble 20, treble 5, and treble 1—an ironic “upgrade” of the classic 26 score.

Circle It: When a player scores less than 10 points, teammates might shout this to mock the throw.

Devil: Hitting treble 6—because 666. Often accidental and ominous.

Diddle for the Middle: A throw to determine who goes first by aiming for the bullseye. Also called bull-off.

Dust Off: A dart that lands outside the scoring area—no points, just shame.

Flatline: Missing all three darts in a round of Cricket.

Hot Toddy: A player who performs surprisingly well while intoxicated.

Island Woody: A dart that lands outside the scoring area—“off the island.”

Masonry Darts: Darts that miss the board entirely and hit the wall or frame.

Motown: A 44 checkout—single 4 and double 20. A nod to the Four Tops.

Route 66: Scoring exactly 66 points in a round.

Splitting the 11: Throwing a dart between the digits of the number 11 on the board.

Sunset Strip: Scoring 77 points in a round.

Whale: A score of 9 or less, often drawn as a fish on the scoreboard for comic effect.