The Ultimate Guide to Domino Slang

This is the only guide you'll need to American domino slang.

Believe it or not the trash talk and slang you use contributes to the level of domino player you can or will be. When you're on the domino table you can use a variety of different skills to secure wins.

These skills would include scoring points, securing your domino, counting the board (fast enough not to be annoying), think a few plays into the future, memorize key game factors, and last but not least use trash talk and domino slang lingo to your advantage.

Basic Domino Slang

Bones - Bones simply refers to the dominoes. For example if you want to play a game of dominoes you might call or text a few friends and say "You guys want to come over and play some bones on Saturday?"

Your Down -

Spinner - The spinner is the very first double sided domino played in any hand. This domino is played sideways and will be the only double sided domino that can be played on throughout the rest of any give hand.

For example if double six is laid first in a new game, then 6/3 is played to count 15 points, then 6/2 is played on the opposite end to score 5 points. 6/5 can now be played on the spinner (6/6) to count 10 points.
See the image below.

Honey Bone - A honey bone is a domino that plays on the spinner mentioned above and has either a blank or a five on the other end. Due to this point a honey bone changes from hand to hand. For example is a hand where the 5/5 is the spinner there will only be 1 honey bone the 5/0.

In another hand where the 4/4 is the spinner the 4/5 and the 4/0 are considered honey bones. See the image below for an example

Washing Dishes - No this doesn't mean you need to go to the kitchen and roll your sleeve up. Washing dishes means you are shuffling the dominoes on the table. If you are playing one on one this mean your opponent has dominoe'd or played all his dominoes before you.

In a cut throat or team game whoever plays just before the player who dominoes is considered to be the person that allowed them out and is responsible for shuffling the dominoes.

Bust Them Suds - Another way of saying wash the dishes or shuffle the dominoes.

Nic -Short for nickel, Nic is another way of saying give me 5 points. For example, it's your down and you decide to lay 0/5 to start you could say "I'll take a Nic right there".

Dime -Similar to the above example a "Dime" is just a cooler way to ask for 10 points.

Two Sisters - Two sisters is an alternative and even cooler way of saying ten points. "Man give me two sistas"

Three Sisters - If two sisters is 10 points then three sisters must be 15 points.

Christine - To all the women in the world named Christina, Christine, or Tina I apologize in advance for all the times you'll hear your name and no one was calling you. "Christine, please." Translates to give me 15 points.

Tina - Just see Christine above, the same meaning just rolls off of the tongue a little easier.

Dub - "Give me Dub" Short for double on the domino table dub translates to "Give me twenty points please".

Twamps - Taken from a reference to 20 inch rims that we're popularized in the late 90's. "I'm rolling on twamps" is an exciting and enthusiastic way of saying I'll take 20 points.

Dub Five - This one is nice and simple, if a dub is twenty then dub-five is twenty plus 5 more. Give the man his 25 points please.

You Knockin' - Knocking refers to when a player doesn't have dominoes in his hand that can play. For example in a 4 player game, it's your play and the board shows 6's, 4's, and 2's but you don't have any dominoes that can play. In this instance because it's a 4 player game and there is no boneyard available you'd say "I pass" or simply knock on the table.

If you are the person who prompted this person to pass you could say to them "Are you delivery guy? Because you're knockin"

Cut Throat - Refers to a type of game you're playing, any game that is every player for themselves is considered to be a cut throat game.

I Got Domino - Being in possession of the Domino means you play first, and you have the "domino" because you should exit the game first unless you pass or "knock".

Go Out - Going out means you are about to exit the hand by playing you last domino. When you play your last domino the other players will turn their dominoes over and you get to tally the total amount and count it towards your points total.

Ace - refers to any domino that features a 1. For example you might play a 6/1 after the 6/4 has been played and say "There goes an Ace in your face, give me 5".

Deuce - Just like the previous term "Ace" deuce refers to a 2. For example you've counted the board down to where it's obvious to what domino your opponent has left in their hand you might say "C'mon man Deuce Ace to the board".

Trey - Same as the last two a trey refers to any domino that features a 3.

Hand - Your hand is the dominoes you draw and hold during any given round. For example to begin a game you draw 6/6, 4/4, 5/5, 2/2, 1/3, 5/3, and 0/0 you would have 5 doubles in your hand.

Lead Dog - Being the lead dog is typically a good thing, this simply means you are starting the action off and playing first.

It's Locked - The game being locked means that there are no more plays available to any player. This happens when all 7 of any given suit has been exhausted. When the same is locked up all players will turn over their dominoes and tally them. Whoever has the least amount of total dots or points in their hand will claim all the points.

Bogus Play - A bogus play is when a player plays a domino that doesn't play and no one catches it immediately. A few plays go by and it's noticed... this depending on who you're playing will result in an automatic 50 points, and in some circles it immediately ends the game with the player who made the mistake losing for himself and his partner.

Advanced Domino Slang

One of the beautiful things about playing dominoes at least for me is how the game brings generations together. You'll hear some of the funniest lines from the old timers and then right after one of the wittiest, and most well timed funnies from a younger guy.

In this section I'll share with you some of my favorite quotes, tactics, and trash talk lines I've heard throughout my years on the table slamming bones.

Ultimate Guide to Domino Slang Summary

Thanks for checking out our complete guide to domino slang.

Some of my personal favorites are:

Twamps

Dub Five

Honey Bone

Hopefully, we've given you some new lingo to use with your friends in your next game night or at least some new lines to drop on your next Flyclops opponent. And remember.. "If you don't have no fives, don't play no fives."