Here is the latest version. I am sure it needs additions and corrections.
An American Pool Player’s Dictionary.
(written by the forum members at AZB (link here)
6 pack - started off as six-pack, meaning the player ran 6 racks in a row, but people have since changed it to refer to any number of consecutively run racks.
7 and out: an advantage to one player, a handicap (spot) where the player getting the spot has to legally make the 7 ball to win the game in a game such as 9-Ball or 10-Ball. Can be used as 6 and out or any similar spot.
9 Footer: regulation pool table.
Air Ball: total miss of the intended ball that hits nothing.
Air barrel: To gamble without the funds to pay one's debts.
Backer: The person who puts up the money for another person who is gambling. Sometimes known as the stake horse or horse as in “paying the horse.”
Ball Banger or Banger: Someone who can't play or just bangs balls. Sometimes refers to a player who shoots very hard.
Bar Box: A seven foot coin operated table usually found in bars.
Bullets or Barrels: the amount of money you throw at a game.
Calcutta A player auction held before a tournament. The money in the Calcutta pool goes to the person who “bought” the winning player. Usually the player has the right to put up 50% of the auction price and thus claim 50% of the pool if the money is posted before the tournament begins.
Called 5: If players agree that one player only has to make the balls through the 5-ball, the called five means that one must call this shot before it is made.
Cheese (the): See Money Ball. The ball that wins the game and thus is the ball for which one is paid. May have originated from the game of 9-Ball where the yellow 9-ball is the game winning ball.
Chicken bone: caught in the throat see “dog it.”
Chop the pot: 1st and 2nd split the tournament instead of playing finals.
Coma: Playing slow to get the other player out of rhythm.
Corporation: A group of players pooling their money to buy a player in a Calcutta.
Cosmo: an easy lay out, stop-stop-stop, stop.
Counterman: The person who hands out the balls and keep track of time and collects the fees for playing in a pool hall. Often this person acts as a go between to set up gambling matches.
Cue Ball: The Rock, Whitey, Snow
Dead punch: player is at the top of their game.
Dead stroke: the player is in top form and seldom misses.
Dime: xxx
Dog it: to miss an easy shot because of nerves.
Drag your feet: Yelling at the CB to slow down if it seems to be heading for a scratch
Duck: an easy shot. To Duck: to play safe .
Dump: purposely lose a game.
Fish: a sucker who doesn’t know his money is being stolen because of the superior skills of the opponent.
Foul: To break a rule and lose one’s turn at the table. Most fouls are unintentional. At times the player may take an intentional foul.
Getting in the grease: getting into action
Give him a drink!: Saying that to the CB when your opponent is about the scratch, implying the CB is heading for the pocket.
Green Card: the wild six ball in a game of 9-Ball or 10-Ball.
Helen Keller: Easy out
He's got NO shot!: referring to a player not having ANY chance of winning.
Hustler: See Road Player.
Jail: to be left without a shot. Leaving the cue ball in such a way that the player cannot make a legal shot. The player may miss his intended position and place himself in jail or he may intentionally attempt to place the other player in jail.
Jam up: someone who shoots a very strong game
Jarred: Incapacitated with a mickey finn, or something similar added to the drink.
Juice the Horse: Pay the backer
Lamb Killer: A player who only goes after easy wins.
Lock (a): A game or match the player can not lose.
Match: The number of games decided by the players or the tournament director that are needed to win an event.
Money Ball: the ball needed to win the game. In a game of 9-Ball the nine is the money ball.
Mudball: old heavy cueballs oftenused on the older bar box or 7 foot table.
Nit: A person who talks but does not step up to gamble. Also used as an adjective -- nitty
Nuts (the): An easy win.
On the Hill: The last game before the game that wins the match. In a race to five if the score is 4-4 both players are on the hill or it is often said to be hill-hill.
One Hole: The game of One Pocket
Off the wall: A house cue stick.
On the wire: Originally the wire is the score keeping beads over the table. Now means the number of games or advantage given to one player. Three on the wire is a three game advantage.
Orange Crush: The 5-ball and the break. Player gets to break on every game (the crush). If you make the five on a legal shot you win the game of 9-Ball or 10-ball.
Phd: A Pool Hall Degree.
Pigeon: same as fish but he knows his opponents speed, usually the same player all the time, but will play and lose his money anyway.
Played in the Middle: Two players take the money of a third person
Player: A person who gambles.
Playing lights out: Player is at the top of their game.
Post (Posting Up) - At the beginning of a money match the amount of money bet is placed with a 3rd party or on top of the light.
Professional: A person who enters high level tournaments and has won at least a few professional tournaments.
Race to X: the first player to win X games wins the match.
Railbird: Person who is watching the game.
Ring Game: A game with several players at one table, usually 9-Ball or 10-Ball.
Road Player or Road Agent: A person who may be a shortstop or a professional level player and travels to gamble. They may or may not be a shark.
Rolling the pineapple: rolling da cheese or rolling da money ball.
Scotch Doubles: Usually a game of 8-Ball with two teams of two players each. Teammates alternate shooting after each ball is made.
Sewer: to scratch or to place the cue ball in a pocket.
Shark: A player who looks for fish with whom to gamble and usually disguises his true ability.
Shortstop: A player who is nearly as good as a professional player.
Slop: to unintentionally make a ball
Speed: A player’s ability.
Split Pot: Two players divide the winnings for 1st and 2nd place evenly.
Spot: One player gives another player an advantage such as the 7-Ball in a 9-ball game. The 7-Ball is the winning ball or money ball for that player. There may be other conditions
Stake Horse: see Backer
Sweating a game or match: To watch the game or match.
Thrown in the river:
Tushhog: Something like a bodyguard, the guy who has the player’s back. Alternate meaning is a big guy that might cause trouble and keep the player from getting out of the establishment with the money.
Tweener: when the cue ball position obtained is between two potential object balls
undercover - see road player.
Walked: Not paid
Well: the pocket.
Weight: A handicap given to another player
Whale: somebody with lots of money.
Wild X: The x ball is wild or treated like the 9-Ball is a 9-ball game. If you make it on the break, a combination, kiss or with slop it is a win.
Woofing: barking at or challenging another player.
Yard: A $100.00
Zone: a semi trance like state in which the player loses awareness of everything but the table and making the balls. Referred to as “in the zone.”
For more general terms used throughout the cue sports
See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_cue_sports_terms
