Pin Perspectives: Bowlers Say the Strangest Things!

Whether you are bowling this summer or taking a much-needed physical and mental break from the rigors of our sport, there is no better time than now to engage in a bit of whimsy, traveling down the back roads of one of the more unique aspects of our sport: the language of bowling. While most sports have their own specialized lingo, ours tends to have more than most, with some terms having likely backgrounds, and others merely speculative.

So, take off your bowling shoes, pour yourself your favorite beverage, and let us learn about some well-known and obscure bowling terms.

Turkey (three consecutive strikes): This term originated in the late 1800s/early 1900s, from a practice of awarding live turkeys as tournament prizes, especially around the Thanksgiving holiday. Before the American Bowling Congress existed, lane surfaces were often uneven, pins were intentionally weighted to make them more difficult to knock over, and pins were set by hand. Because of these playing conditions, tournament directors often offered large prizes for those who triumphed, including live gobblers!

Brooklyn/Jersey (the 1/2 pocket for a righty; the 1/3 pocket for a lefty): This term was based on a rivalry between New York City and New Jersey bowlers. When a New York bowler threw a crossover strike, their teammates would teasingly say, “You crossed the river into Jersey!” New Jersey bowlers playfully retaliated, saying, “You went on the Brooklyn side of the river,” or just “the Brooklyn side.” The “river” was the Hudson River.

Interestingly enough, and indicative of the impact East Coast bowlers have had on our sport, this term is often used outside the Tri-State area as well, although metro Detroit has its own similar term, the “Windsor,” referring to the proximity of Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, which are connected by the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

Bucket/dinner bucket (the 2/4/5/8 for a righty; the 3/5/6/9 for a lefty; and the 1/2/3/5 “middle bucket”): Supposedly, this name comes from the spare’s resemblance to a bucket. I would like to suggest that the “dinner bucket” name could ...