Entertainment / Bowling Glossary

Burner: A pin that remains standing after an apparently perfect hit.

Bury or Buried: Describing a ball that is apparently solid in the pocket.

Buzzard: Three splits in a row. You can see them circleing (the symbol for a split is a circle). See also turkey buzzard and turkey.

By The Back Door, (Made): When front pin(s) fall last.

Carry: Refers to how often an apparent pocket hit gets a strike. If your carry is good, you get mostly strikes; if the carry is bad, you leave back row pins.

Carrydown: The oil conditioner on the lane does not soak into the boards, it sits on top. As balls are thrown, the oil is subtly moved...it might be pushed left and right, or, it might be moved farther . . . View Full Definition

Carryoff: Similar to carrydown except the bowling ball soaks up the conditioner and removes it from the area of the roll; particularly common on porous and high flaring resin balls. If this happens, m . . . View Full Definition

CC: A 200 game.

Center: The lanes you bowl in...the physical building.

Center Of Gravity (Cg): The heaviest part of a bowling ball. The CG is signified by a dye mark placed on the ball by the manufacturer designating the center of the weight mass relative to the top of the ball.

Channel: The formal name for a gutter. The area to the right and left of the playing surface that catches a ball that rolls off the lane.

Cheater Ball: A derogatory term used to describe modern highly aggressive bowling balls that can offer the hook and power formerly attained only by players that imparted the action due solely to the effor . . . View Full Definition

Cheesy Cakes: Lanes that are dressed so that it's easy to get strikes.

Cherry: Missing a spare cluster by taking the front pin or pins only; it usually means that the ball hit too much in the center of the front pin causing no ball deflection to assist in taking the re . . . View Full Definition

Chicken Wing: A term used to describe the movement of the elbow of the throwing arm as it flares away from the body; it often leads to a follow through that crosses the body; such actions hinder accuracy . . . View Full Definition

Choke: Failing to perform in a positive manner when the pressure was on the player. To perform poorly in an important situation because of nerves. To become over-anxious and miss badly.

Chop: To knock down one pin of a spare leave, while the pin next to or behind it remains standing. Seel also cherry.

Christmas Tree: The 3-7-10 or 2-7-10 split; so-called because of the triangular arrangement.

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