A to Z of Snooker Lingo

The A to Z of Snooker Lingo: From Angles to Zippers

Here’s the A to Z of common snooker terms… Ah, snooker, the game where men and women, armed with cues, engage in cerebral combat atop a sea of green.

If you’re new to this world of colored orbs, fret not. Here’s a whimsical guide to snooker jargon that’ll have you talking like Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible in no time.

A – Angles: It’s all geometry and physics, really. When you hear players discussing angles, they’re not reminiscing about high school math, but strategizing their next move.

B – Baulk: The opposite of proceeding with gusto. Also, the region of the table behind the baulk line, where the game often starts but seldom ends.

C – Cue: The slender timber wand, the Excalibur of snooker. Without it, the game’s just a bunch of balls on a table.

D – Deep screw: Less scandalous than it sounds. Refers to hitting the cue ball low to make it spin backwards after contact.

E – Escape: The art of getting out of a snooker (not the game, but the trap). Like Houdini, but with balls.

F – Fluke: An unintended pot. A generous gift from the snooker gods, met with either a sheepish grin or exaggerated surprise.

G – Green: Both a ball and the expanse of felt that’s the stage for our drama. But, you knew that, right?

H – Hand bridge: The art of contorting your hand into a platform. It’s yoga for snooker players.

I – In-off: When the cue ball sinks after a pot. An unexpected dip, like finding out your ice cream cone has a chocolate center.

J – Jaw: The edges of the pocket. They bite, and not in a good way.

K – Kick: When the cue ball behaves unexpectedly, possibly due to chalk or dust. Like a horse bucking its rider, it’s rarely a pleasant surprise.

L – Long pot: A shot from distance. The snooker equivalent of a half-court basketball shot.

M – Mismatch: When your opponent is so superior, you’d rather be at the pub. Or, when your socks don’t match, but that’s less about snooker.

N – Nugget: A term of endearment for a perfectly executed shot. “What a nugget!”

O – Out of position: The realization you’ve put yourself in snooker purgatory. A cueist’s lament.

P – Pink: A ball. Also, the color your opponent turns when you pot it from an impossible angle.

Q – Queue: What you do at the bar during the interval. Or was that “cue”? No wonder this sport’s confusing!

R – Rest: A tool to extend the cue’s reach. Not a mid-game nap, though that sounds delightful.

S – Safety: Playing defensively. It’s the snooker version of “you can’t catch me!”

T – Top spin: Hitting the cue ball above center to make it roll forward. It’s like a positive outlook, driving things forward.

U – Undercut: Missing the pot by hitting the object ball too thin. The polar opposite of a fashionable hairstyle.

V – Vice grip: How you hold the cue when the pressure’s on. No relation to the tool in your garage.

W – White: The cue ball, the unsung hero, dancing around the table at the player’s whim.

X – X-factor: The undefinable quality of snooker greats. It’s that magic touch, the sparkle in a player’s eye when lining up a shot.

Y – Yellow: One of the lesser balls by points, but many a game has hinged on its potting. Plus, it’s cheerful!

Z – Zipper: The line the cue ball takes when it zips around the table after a fierce shot. Also, what you hope doesn’t fail mid-game on your pants.

There you have it: a quick romp through snooker’s rich tapestry of terms. The next time you’re at a snooker session, drop some of these words. You’ll either impress or deeply confuse your friends.

By Peter Tesh : Oct, 23.