Curling Lingo

1-11 Position Positioning system starting with 1 as a close and 11 through the house.

5-Rock Rule Five rocks must come to rest before taking out.

6-Foot (n) Measuring device to measure the outer twelve-foot ring.

8-Ender Scoring all eight rocks in one end.

Active Curl The path after the apex or break point.

Active Scoring The portion of the game where teams trying to steal or force.

Add Extra energy added at release.

Aggressive Playing higher risk shots in order to score more or take control.

Alternate The fifth player on a team.

Amateur Side Miss A missed shot with no redeeming value.

Apex The widest arc of a rock's path.

Backing A stationary rock that may help another shot stop.

Back Ring The back of the twelve-foot circle.

Back ring weight A rock thrown hard enough to stop in the back of the house.

Backswing Boomer delivery type that lifts the rock off the ice.

Balance Delivery a rock with the body weight balanced over the sliding foot.

Banana Hammer, last rock.

Beak 12 o'clock on the object rock.

Biter Rock just touching the house.

Blue Hone A type of extra dense granite used for running surface inserts.

Board Takeout weight in the 11.5 (3.30) range.

Bonspiel Curling tournament.

Boomer A Baby Boomer born from 1945-1970.

Bracer An assistant to brace a wheelchair while throwing.

Break Point The point after the free-run when a rock starts to curl.

Broom Device used for sweeping.

Brush Same as broom.

Bumper Light weight takeout (11.0).

Button The one-foot diameter ring around the tee.

Can-a-Corn A takeout where the shot can be made by hitting the object rock in multiple spots.

Carbon Fiber A light weight broom handle.

Carve Directionally sweep to make a rock curl.

Catcher A rock that another rock will potentially jam on.

CCA Former Canadian curling NGB.

Center Line A demarcation line down the center of the sheet.

Clean Light sweeping to keep the ice clean.

Come-around A draw around a guard.

Common Green A type of granite used to make curling stones.

Concede Game concession at any time.

Conservative Playing lower risk shots.

Control Takeout weight in the 10.5 (3.20) range.

Convert Take two or more with hammer.

Corn Broom An ancient Boomer sweeping device made from corn stalks.

Corner Guard A guard off the center line positioned at the side of the sheet.

Corner Sweeping Actively sweep/melting the inside edge to a Boomer.

Courtesy Line A demarcation three feet from the hog line for positioning purposes.

Crash Missing a shot by hitting a guard.

Crutch Brand name sliding device.

Curling Canada Canadian NGB. Formerly the Canadian Curling Association.

CurlTech An American curling company.

Delay One of two, foot delays in the CurlTech delivery.

Differential Melting A theory of why rocks curl.

Dig Out Hitting a rock under cover.

Directional Sweeping Enhancing the natural action of the rock.

Double Removing two rocks.

Drain Perfect shot covering the tee.

Draw A shot stopping freely in a certain area.

Draw the lid, pin, tee Draw to the button.

DSC Draw Shot Challenge (the sum of the LSD's).

Dump A rock thrown inside the line of delivery at the point of release.

End When sixteen rocks have come to rest.

Equalizer CurlTech sliding device.

Fall An area of the ice where rocks curl against the rotation.

Fifth End Break Half-time in a championship game (5 minutes).

Flash Missed takeout with no contact.

Flat-footed A delivery where the sliding foot is flat on the ice.

Flat Hit A hit on the low side that moves more sideways.

Flip The coin toss at the beginning of the game.

Free Guard Zone The area between the tee line and the hog line excluding the house.

Fireplace Weight Really heavy takeout. (e.g. 6.0 HTH).

Force Hold opponent to one with the hammer.

Free Run The time after release and before the rock starts to curl.

Freeze A rock coming to rest touching another rock.

Frictional Melting The melting action under the rock caused bt friction.

Fudge To fudge. A rock that fudges on the fudge track (fudge).

Fudge Track The worn track of ice in the middle of the sheet.

Game Clock Chess-type clock used to time championships games.

Gear Affect Hitting a rock with the inside of the rotation for more action.

Gliding Pick A pick where the rock "glides" forward.

Gripper Slip-on rubber piece over the slider.

Guard A rock protecting another rock or area of the house.

Hack Rubber, push-off point in the ice.

Hack Buster A missed draw so heavy that the hack needs to be protected.

Hack Speed Split time back line to near hog.

Hack Weight Takeout weight in the 12.0 (3.50) range.

Hair Broom A broom made with horse or hog's hair.

Hammer Last rock.

Handle 1. The throwing handle of a curling stone 2. The rotation of the rock.

Hair A shot missing another rock by just a hair.

Hard Sweep. Hard.

Head Pressure The amount of downward pressure applied by the brush head. 

Heavy More weight than called for.

High Side The side of a rock opposite the direction of curl.

Hog to Hog Time The time it takes a rock to travel between the hog lines.

Hog Line Throwing End - Rock must be released by this point. Away End - Rock must be completely over to be in play.

Hogger 1. A rock not coming to rest past the farther hog line. 2. A rock that violates the hog line rule.

House 12-foot diameter circles at each end of the ice.

Hot Hit A hit on the high side with action.

"Hurry" Sweep

Ice Aiming point based on the curl of the ice.

In-Off A low side carom.

Interval Any timed segment of the rock's path (generally back line to hog).

Inturn Clockwise rotation for a right-hander.

Jab Severe and quick positive forward release.

Jam A rock that gets caught on another rock.

Karen Just another curler.  You know - "that person".

Keen Fast ice.

Laser Measure Measuring device using laser beams.

Lead Person traditionally throwing the first two rocks.

Lid The button.

Light Less weight than needed.

Line of Delivery The imaginary line between the skip's broom and the rock's starting point.

Little Rock A small rock used by young curlers from ages up 8.

Lob An easy, well placed draw.

LOD Line of delivery.

Long Time The Boomer time it takes a rock from hog line to stop at the tee.

LSD Last Shot Draw to determine hammer.

Low Side The side of a rock in the direction of the curl.

Magnet Strips Magnets in the ice to sense conductivity of sensor handles.

Measure (n) Measuring device to determine closeness to the Tee. (v) To measure one or more rocks.

Mixed A curling game format of mixed gender. Two male, two female.

Mixed Doubles A curling game format of two on two, mixed gender.

Natural A made shot with no sweeping.

Nip (v) To nip the pebble.

Nipper Ice prep machine that "nips" the pebble before a game.

No/Whoa Do not sweep/stop sweeping.

No-Lift Delivery type that does not lift the rock off the ice.

No-Nothing Delivery type with no initial body movement.

Nose Contacting a rock directly in the center.12 o'clock.

Normal Weight Takeout weight in the 9.5 HTH (3.0 split) range.

ODP CurlTech's Olympic Development Program.

Open Event format with no gender requirements.

Outturn Counter-clockwise rotation for a right hander.

Paper A shot missing another rock by the thickness of paper.

Pebble Frozen water drops that the rocks ride on.

Pebble Can Device to apply the pebble.

Pebbler A person who pebbles.

Peel A shot heavy enough to clearly remove one or more rocks from play.

Pick 1 The moving rock picked up a piece of debris that altered its course.

Pick 2 Removing a rock that is partially guarded or backed.

Pin Tee. Exact center of the house.

Against  the Game Throwing a last shot where the game is lost if you miss.

Port The space between rocks that another rock will fit through.

Power Play A mixed doubles strategy where the stationary rocks are moved.

Power Ratio The percentage of delivery energy generation between the body, legs and arm.

Power Stroke The initial, high pressure sweeping stroke "away" from the body,

Pro Side Miss A missed shot that still has some value. (see Amateur Side Miss)

Push Directional sweeping to make a rock curl more.

Put Out Outward lateral energy at release.

Ragnar Three A brilliant tactical maneuver to score three.

Raise Hit a rock forward at any weight.

Release When the rock leaves the hand/stick during the delivery.

"Right Off" Sweepers stop cleaning and hope for a pick.

Rings The house.

Rink A curling team to a Boomer.

Rink Curling facility.

Rink Rat Someone who grew up at the curling club.

Rock Curling rock.

Run An area of very straight ice.

Runner As shot that stays straight.

Run Back A takeout that uses a front rock to drive out a back rock.

Running Surface The 5" diameter edge under a rock.

Scraper Ice prep machine that scrapes the ice flat.

Scratch (v) To roughen the running surface of a rock.(v) To groove the ice with the broom head during sweeping.

Scratch Theory A theory of why rocks curl.

Screw Tee (sometimes a screw is placed in the tee for measuring).

Scrub Sweep.

Second Person traditionally throwing the second two rocks.

Sensor Handle A rock handle that measures hand conductivity to identify hog line violations.

Set Outward energy at release.

Sheet The area of play demarking the game boundaries.

Shot Rock Counting rock closest to the tee.

Silent System CurlTech system of on-ice communication where voice commands are by exception.

Skip Person in charge of the house and game.

Skip's Deuce Both of the two counting rocks were thrown by the skip.

Skip's Call The board game of Strategy and Tactics developed exclusively by CurlTech.

Slash A high-side carom or angle raise.

Slider Teflon piece under your foot to reduce friction.

Slip-On Slider Portable slider not built into the shoe.

Step-On Slider Portable slider with no elastic strap.

Slide The sliding portion of the delivery.

Slide Path The slightly worn center portion of the sheet.

Spar The beginning of a game where teams play conservatively.

Split Interval time of a thrown rock.

Split Shot Hitting a stationary rock into the rings and rolling the shooter on as well.

Split Time A sweeping tool that aides in weight judgement, generally from the back line to the hog line (e.g. 3.85).

Spinner A shot thrown with extra rotation to straighten the path.

Square Off Sliding outside the broom and releasing inside.

Steal Scoring without the hammer.

Sliding Device A device used to help balance during the delivery.

Stick Common term for a throwing device.

Stabilizer Brand name sliding device.

Stone Synonymous with rock.

"Straight" Directional sweeping to straighten a rock.

Strategy A game plan.

Striking Band The outer edge (circumference) of a rock where rocks make.

"Sweep" Sweepers sweep.

Sweep Line A parallel sheet demarcation line from the edge of the four-foot.

Swingy Ice that curls a lot.

T-Square Measuring device for perimeter and centerline measurements.

Tactics Shot calling to support the strategy.

Take the rock Sweep closest to the rock.

Tap A shot that taps another rock forward.

Tee Button or house center point.

Tee Line The line intersecting the tee and center lines.

Tempo CurlTech. The rhythm of the delivery, 1-2-3.

Texture To roughen the running surface.

Throw/Drag A billiards term referring to the momentum action of striking multiple rocks.

Throwing Device A device used to deliver a rock other than the hand.

Tick A shot that moves an opponent's rock without taking it out of play.

Tick - No-tick The 2023 rule that prohibits moving a rock off the center line before five rocks have come to rest.

Toe-Tuck A Boomer delivery where the sliding foot is "tucked" under the body.

Tolerance A Pro-Side miss.

Trefor A type of granite from Wales used to make curling stones.

Tracks Areas of the ice that are different speeds.

Tracking Shots that appear to run straight.

Triple Triple takeout. Taking out three rocks.

Turn Inturn or outturn

USCA United States Curling Association.

Utica Delivery Double-knee sliding delivery.

World Curling International curling governing body, (formerly the WCF).

WCF World Curling Federation.

WCF Compliant Broom heads that meet the WCF non-scratch requirement.

Weight The amount of forward energy needed to make a certain shot.

Weld A perfect freeze.

Whoa/No Do not sweep.

Wide Trifecta The three main ingredients of a wide, outturn shot.

Wired Two rocks positioned in line.

WPO (Whoopo) Worse Possible Outcome.

Wrap A shot partially guarded by a center or corner guard.

Wreck Missed shot by hitting the guard.

Yes/Yep Sweep.

YOG Youth Olympic Games.

Zonal Sweeping Using the Power Stroke to focus sweeping in three zones in front of the rock.