Ultimate Cornhole Terminology

If you are an active player then you need to be aware of cornhole terms listed on this page.

For those of you who are new to cornhole, these terms might sound a bit strange.

This list gradually grew during past few decades, ever since our ancestors started playing this exciting game.

You might have already heard that there are some other names for cornhole game such as bean bag toss, polish horse shoes, mexican bean bag toss, baggo, bags, dummy boards, dadhole, dog house.

There are many more probably!

If you want to play with professional cornhole players you don’t want to sound surprised when you hear one of these words. Especially if you want to attend tournaments. Those PRO guys know every single word in cornhole lingo! 😛

Ultimate Cornhole Terminology List

Ace / Cow pie / Woody / Pimp – Bag that lands on the board – it’s worth 1 point (a.k.a. 1 Penny)

Dadhole / Altamira / Swish / Air Mail / Air mail swish – a “nothing but hole” type of point. It means that the bag went straight into the hole without touching the board, even if there was another bag blocking the hole.

Cornado – Player that dominates the game in terms of point difference.

Backstop / Backboard – A bag that landed on the board, passed the hole but still remained on the board. So whenever a next bag lands and slides it can’t go off the board without knocking the previous bag.

Police / Da Police – cornhole referee, judge or arbiter.

Oink – a throw that exceeded 21 point overall game score limit. This causes the team to go back to previous point result. However according to official rules you CAN exceed 21 points and still win. Some players play it differently so that is the reason why this term is still in use.

Honors – The team who has an honor to throw. Team decides who goes first by flipping a coin.

Hooker / Around the World – A bag that landed on the board and passed the blocker and went straight into the hole.

Dirty bag – bag hanging on the edge of the board while touching the ground. This bag, although it’s technically on the board, carries 0 points since it’s touching the ground. The bag should NOT be removed from the game.

Grasshopper – bag that touched the ground before landing on the board. This bag carries 0 points and should be removed from the playing field immediately.

Dirty Roll Up – bag jumped off the ground before going into the hole. This bag also doesn’t carry any points.

Jumper – bag that struck another bag on the playing surface and then, as a result of impact between two bags, jumped directly into the hole.

Sally / Suzy / Mary / Corn Patty / Weak Sauce – As its name suggests, it’s synonym for a weak shot. Simply, the bag landed on the ground before reaching the cornhole board. 

Light ’em Up / Make Them Glow – It’s a signal between players to turn on cornhole night lights attached to the board. Over that past few years LED board night lights have become very popular cornhole accessory.

Skunk / shutout / whitewash – Although cornhole is played until someone reaches or exceeds 21 points, according to some older rules, this term means that the game ended with result of 11-0 points.

Cornholed – It means that you were hit by a cornhole bag. It can happen accidentally or on purpose during fights.

Romanyk – When a player scores all four bags in a row. Phrase “Menage a Manyk” means when the Romanyk is completed back to back.

Screaming Eagle – When you miss the whole board without even touching it.

Clover / Leprechaun – When a player lands all 4 bags on the board surface, but neither goes into the hole. This also means that the player has scored 4 points in the round.

Lipper / Dingle Berry / Hanger / Shook – Its an Ace bag hanging on the edge of the hole, ready to drop in. This is still considered a Woody and carries 1 point.

Lip Job – Bag that ended off the playing surface but hit the lip of the hole during slide or flight.

Slider / Slick Woody / Slick Willie / Drain O –  One of the most frequent scenarios, a bag slides directly into the hole.

Taint – when a bag lands on the board part between hole and front of the board.

Stiff bag – Bad shot that was caused by disturbing competitors. 

Cornfusion – like its name suggests, it refers to scoring confusion. When players can’t agree on scoring.

Nothing but hole / Glory hole / Swisher – When a bag goes directly into the hole without touching the board or board rims.

Stepper – Type of player that likes to take a step forward before pitching a bag.

Hemorrhoids – When too many bags are around the hole so that no other bag can fall in.

Frat House / Power Wash – All 8 bags are on the board. Neither of the bags went into the hole or off the surface. This means that both teams have scored 4 points and since this is a game that calculate points by canceling each other, it means that in this round nobody scored or won. Also it means that in the next round throw is started by the team who started the previous round. Basically round is repeated.

Stanker – any type of foul bag that resulted in zero points. For example: Faultin, Candycorn of Dirty bag.

Chances Double – When opposing player scores Cornhole, players like to call out “Chances Double”. Players challenge the next player to score Cornhole also.  

Gusher / Cornholio / Cornzizzle / Cornzilla / Four Pack / Jumanji / Catorce Four Bagger / Double Deuce / 4-bagger / 12 Pack / Golden Sombrero – Player scores 4 corn holes in a single round. This carries 12 points, hence the name 12 pack. Opponents only chance to save the round is to also score 4 in a row.

Galbraith – Like the previous terms, it means that a player managed to throw all four bags in the hole during a single round. This term can also be divided by number of scored holes: half Galbraith, quarter Galbraith or three quarter Galbraith.

Six Pack – when 2 bags ended in the hole during a round. Six pack carries 6 points.

Jump Shot – Some players like to jump when tossing a bag. That type of throw is called Jump Shot.

Hammer – Last bag tossed in a round.

Cornstar – cornhole player who is extremely confident in his gaming skills, who disregards authority of other players.

UFO / Frisbee / Pancake – When a bag spins like a frisbee and flies through the air without flipping. This type of throw is very popular with PRO Cornholers.

Penny – synonym for 1 point. It happens when a bag lands on the board. However if a bag is touching the ground while hanging on the board then it’s not considered to be a Penny, since then the bag doesn’t carry any points. 

Cornhole  (also known as Drāno) – Bag that went directly into the hole. This carries 3 points.

Cornholer – Person that is obsessed with playing cornhole game.

Cornament – synonym for corn hole tournament or championship.

Driver / Cincinnati Slide – When you knock your own bag, that was already on the board , into the hole with another bag. 

Knuckleballer – knuckle ball type of throw. The same type of throw that you would use when throwing a knuckle ball.

Sky bag – Bag that was thrown so hard that it landed on the ground way pass the board.

Flop – Type of toss that didn’t spin the bag neither horizontally or vertically. Without rotation or spin.

Fling – Tossing a bag with a fling of your wrist while holding corner of the bag only with your thumb and index finger.

Blocker – Woody that landed just before the hole so it blocks other bags to slide into the hole.

Leap Frogger / Backdoor – when a bag goes into the hole even though there is a blocker in front of the hole. This can be achieved by tossing the bag directly in the hole through air (without sliding) or by hopping over competitors bag.

Wash / Laundry – when round result is a tie. Because this is a canceling game it means that the result is actually zero, so the round must be repeated. The same player or team that previously had an honor to throw first continues to throw first in the next round also.

Buckets – Yell made by a player when a bag went straight into the hole.

Choke / Choked – when it’s an important moment and you need to shine but you don’t! Let’s say you need some extra points so you need to push your Woody in the hole with another bag, or if you need to jump over opponents blocker. Simply you desperately need additional points but you don’t score, you are choked!

Kryptonite – when a player throws a bag too hard or too weak so it doesn’t stay on the board surface. It simply slides off the back of the board or it doesn’t reach the board at all.

Berlin airlift / Berlin Wall – when several bags are blocking the hole so that the only way to score Cornhole is directly through air without touching the board, with “nothing but hole” type of shot. 

One of the most popular cornhole terms called the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall

Shucked – For those who play to only 13 points, shucked is the team or player that lost 13 to 0.

Lick Side / Cross – when left handed player throws from a pitch box that is located on the left side of the board or when a right handed player throws from a pitch box located on the right side of the board.

Candycorn – when a bag lands on the ground anywhere before the cornhole board.

Shortbag – when a bag lands on the ground just before the board.

Shucker / Carlton – When a player accidentally hits opponents bag on the board and makes it go into the hole. Basically when a player scores for opponents team. 

Pressure Cooker – when opponent players question each others scores. This creates high tension situation.

Double Stack – This is an interesting type of throw that is forbidden on official cornhole tournaments and championships. Basically it’s throwing two cornhole bags at once by stacking them on top of each other. I bet you have tried this already 😛

Faultin / Frontin’ – When a player steps or crosses the foul line. This results in throw being disqualified and bag being considered as foul. This carries 0 points.

Granny – its a type of toss where player uses two hands to toss a beanbag from between the legs.

Hammond / One-Upper / Demoralizer – when opponent evens the score by doing the same thing you did with previous shot. You scored Cornhole, the opponent immediately scored Cornhole right after you. Same goes for Woody.

Rolly Polly – when a bag rolls over a blocking bag and goes directly into the hole.

Corn Row / Frame  / Inning / Round – period between players stepping in pitch boxes until they have thrown all 8 bags. At the end of each round score is calculated and the team with the highest score adds the point difference to the overall game score.

Rim Job – when a bag looks like it’s going to end up in the hole, but suddenly it hits the hole lip or side and ends on the ground.

Noobie / Newbie – Someone who is new to Cornhole game. In general those are people who haven’t mastered the skills of freesbe throw. Their bag often flips in the air.  

Push / No Blood – when you cancel out opponents bag.

Red Sea / Splitter – when you toss a bag so hard that it splits two blockers and ends up in the hole. Reference to Jesus splitting the Red Sea.

Push Bag – when a bag pushes two or more bags into the hole. It doesn’t matter if the bags were the throwers or opponents.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the history of cornhole?

There is no official history of cornhole. The most popular account states that the cornhole started in 14th century Germany and German travelers brought the game to the American continent. However, a similar game was also played by Native Americans. Currently, cornhole is played across the US and has many different names such as baggo, bags, bags, bag toss, bean bag, bean bag toss, bags game, or tailgate toss.

What are the different cornhole scoring mechanisms?

Official Scoring Method: A team wins the game when it reaches or goes past 21. The scores are calculated by the cancellation method. For example, team Blue has 9 points at the end of an inning, and team Red has 4 points. The total score will be 5 points for the Blue team and zero for the Red team. The winning team pitches first in the next round.

Variations to Official Scoring Method

Skunk: when you defeat your opponent or team by a margin of 13-0 or 7-0. A skunk version of scoring is mostly followed in bars and pubs.

A score above 21: One popular scoring version is reverting to 13 or 11 points when the team’s score passes 21 during an inning. You need to score exact 21 points to win the game at the end of an inning. This scoring version is followed when the players want to extend the gameplay and playing with a few teams.

Win by 2 or more: Another commonly followed scoring variation states that the winning team must lead by at least 2 or more points. The game continues unless one team has a lead of 2 or more points at the end of an inning but not in the first inning.

Tie Breaker: If both teams have a score of 21 in the end, the game will continue until one team takes the lead. The game is then decided according to the scoring version being followed.

Which material is best for filling cornhole bags?

Corn-filled bags are used to get an extra slide as the gameplay progresses. The corn kernels break down and leave corn dust which helps slide the bag in the hole. However, they are prone to mold and decay and have a limited life compared to resin pellet bags. Pellet-filled bags are all-weather bags and can be stored outdoors compared to corn-filled bags. They are durable and can last longer than corn-filled bags. However, they don’t provide additional slide like corn-filled bags.

Did we miss something?

If you know or use any other cornhole terms that we didn’t include in this list, feel free to share them in the comments below…

Also if you know any other words for cornhole game, please leave a comment below 🙂

 

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