Descriptionary

count the pinfall from the first ball of a frame fol­lowing the frame in which a spare or strike has been made. The bonus points.

crank to impart a ball with rotation to make it hook.

creeper a slow-rolling ball. curve a wide hook.

deadwood pins that have been knocked down and remain on the pin deck.

deck the portion of the lane the pins rest on; the pin deck.

deuce a score of 200.

dodo an illegally weighted ball.

double two strikes in a row.

double pinochle a 4-6-7-10 split; big ears.

double wood two pins left standing, one behind the other.

dress the lane to oil a lane in preparation for a game.

duckpin a pin similar to a tenpin but shorter and squatter, used in the game of duckpins.

dump to release a ball with the fingers and thumb simultaneously in order to prevent it from hooking or curving.

Dutch 200 a game of 200 made with alternating spares and strikes.

English spin on the ball.

fast lane a lane in which the hooking action of balls is diminished.

fenceposts see bedposts.

field goal a shot that goes between split pins and misses everything.

fill the pinfall of one ball counted after a spare; the bonus.

fill the woodbox to throw a strike with the last ball of the game.

finger to snap the fingers upward when releasing to impart lift or spin on a ball.

foul to step on or over the foul line during delivery, an infraction resulting in the forfeiture of any pins knocked down.

foul line the line marking the end of the approach and beginning of the lane.

four horsemen a 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 leave.

frame one-tenth of a game; one inning or period of play in a game.

full hit a ball that hits the headpin too high and misses or barely touches the 2 or 3 pin behind.

full roller a spinning ball that hooks sharply into a pocket.

goalposts see bedposts.

grandma's teeth a 7-8-10 or 7-9-10 split.

graveyard a lane that tends to yield low scores.

Greek church a 4-6-7-8-10 or 4-6-7-9-10 split.

grinder a delivery with a powerful hook or curve.

groove a worn track or rut in a lane caused by the impact of balls over an extended period of time.

gutter the channel on either side of a lane that catches poorly thrown balls.

gutter ball a ball that rolls into the gutter.

gutter shot a delivery down along a gutter that hooks or veers out as it reaches the pins.

half Worcester a 3-9 or 2-8 split.

handicap points added to the score of a player or team to make competition even.

hang a pin to miss knocking down a strike by one pin.

headpin the front or number 1 pin. May be called the kingpin in some usage.

high board a high or raised board in a lane that alters a ball's trajectory.

high hit a ball that hits the headpin straight-on. high-low-jack a 1-7-10 split.

holding lane a lane that diminishes a ball's hooking action. Also known as a fast lane or stiff alley.

hole a strike pocket.

hook a ball thrown with rotation that veers into a strike pocket.

inning a frame.

Jersey see Brooklyn.

kegler a bowler.

kegling another name for bowling.

kickbacks the side boards running parallel to the pit.

kingpin the central pin; the number 5 pin. In some usage the headpin may be called the kingpin.

lane the 60-foot alley between the foul line and the pit.

laying out the ball delivering the ball smoothly onto the lane without bounces.

leave the pins left standing after delivering the first ball in a frame.

lift snapping the fingers up when releasing to impart rotation on the ball.

line a 10-frame game.

loft a poor delivery in which the ball flies up out of the hand and bounces harshly onto the lane.

mark a spare or a strike.

mixer a well-thrown ball that produces a violent tumbling action among the pins. Also known as a sweeper.

mother-in-law the 7 pin.

move in to start the approach in a center position.

move out to start the approach from a corner position.

mule ears the 7-10 split; bedposts.

nosedive a ball that hits the headpin straight-on.

one in the dark see barmaid.

open frame a frame without a spare or a strike. PBA Professional Bowlers Association. picket fence a 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 leave. pie alley see cheesecake. pin deck see deck.

pinfall the pins that are knocked down by a ball, or all the pins knocked over in a single frame.

pinsetter the apparatus that sets the pins and resets the pins on the deck.

pit the sunken area below the end of a lane, where balls and knocked-down pins are collected.

pocket the area most likely to yield a strike when hit with the balls; for right-handers, this is between the 1 and 3 pins; for lefties, the 1 and 2; the strike pocket.