Though bowling terminology has changed throughout the years, with some of the slang fading in and out of popular use and new words and phrases being added, there are some terms that have stayed over the long haul. Here are some of the more common bowling terms that are in popular use today.
Anchor: The term used to be anchorman, but in today’s politically correct climate, it has been shortened. The word refers to the last or anchor bowler on a team, usually the best bowler.
Approach: This word actually has a double meaning. It can refer to someone’s style of stepping up to deliver their ball down the lane, as in using a four-step or five-step approach. However, the approach is also the name of the area behind the foul line where bowlers make their approach to deliver the bowling ball down the lane.
Average: While this might describe someone who is just an okay bowler, it really is intended to describe someone's average score, based on bowling a minimum of 21 games in a USBC-sanctioned league (or PBA average for pros).
Beer Frame: Frequently used in team play when everyone on the team except one person gets a strike. The person who does not strike is supposed to buy the beer for the rest of the team.
Brooklyn: Throwing the ball so that it crosses in front of the head pin and into the opposite pocket.
Bucket: A bucket is a group of four pins left after throwing the first ball. For right-handers the bucket is the 2-4-5-8 pins and for left-handers it is the 3-5-6-9 pins.
Channel: An alternate term for the gutter. When the ball rolls into the channel, it’s sometimes referred to as channel fish.
Chicken Wing: The best bowlers keep their elbows in check, tight to their sides. However, an occasional errant elbow that sticks out when delivering the bowling ball can make the bowler look like he’s doing the funky chicken.
Chop: When shooting a multi-pin spare (i.e. 6-10), if the bowler leaves any behind it is referred to as a chop. As in, “He chopped the six;” knocked down the six and left the ten behind.
Clean Game: A perfect game in bowling is 300. But just as desirable is to get a clean game; one with no opens. Meaning the bowler gets a mark in every frame.
Count: The number of pins knocked down by the first ball thrown in a frame.
Dead Wood: Pins that have fallen on the lane -- usually after a shot -- and must be removed before bowling.
Double: A strike in two successive frames; back-to-back.
Double Wood: Any two pins, one directly behind the other, left after throwing the first ball. These consist of the 1-5, 2-8 and 3-9.
Dutch 200: A score of 200 that comes as the result of alternating strike, spare, strike, spare in every frame.
Flat Ball: When a bowler throws the ball flat (sometimes intentionally), it means they are throwing it without much rotation in an effort to ‘kill the shot;’ usually done to pick up a spare.
Four-bagger: Like a double, but four in a row instead. Four-bagger was recently nicknamed a hambone – which hasn’t quite caught on yet.
Frame: A game of bowling has ten frames.
Gutter: The name of the channel on either side of the bowling lane.
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