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Baby ball, Baby the ball |
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Too delicate, not enough emphasis on delivering the ball with authority; released too carefully.
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Baby split |
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The 2-7 or 3-10.
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Baby split with company |
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The 2-7-8 or 3-9-10.
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Back ends |
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Last 5-6 feet of the lane, including the pin deck. (ends)
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Backup |
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A ball that falls away to the right (for right-handers) or left (for left-handers).
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Backup alley |
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A lane that holds or tends to stop a ball from rolling to the right (or left for left-handers).
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Balk |
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1) An incomplete approach in which the bowler does not deliver the ball; 2) to interfere or cause another bowler to stop his approach or not complete it in his normal fashion.
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Ball rack |
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1) Where the ball rests before it is rolled and after it returns from the pit; 2) the structure used to store house balls.
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Ball return |
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Track between the lanes the ball travels on when being returned to the bowler.
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Ball track |
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Area on lane where most balls are rolled.
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Balsa |
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A slight, powerless hit on the headpin. (thin hit)
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Barmaid |
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A pin hidden behind another pin; 1-5, 2-8, 3-9. (bicycle, double wood, oneinthedark, sleeper, tandem)
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Bed |
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The entire area a lane is set into, from the approach to the pit, including the channels.
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Bedposts |
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The 7-10 split. (fence posts, goal posts, mule ears, snake eyes)
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Beer frame |
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In team play, when all players strike, the one who doesn't must treat (usually liquid refreshments). May also be the low scorer in a designated frame (often the 7th frame).
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Belly the ball |
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Increase the width (number of boards ball crosses from its maximum outside position) of a hook from an inside starting angle.
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Bench work |
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Any type of conversation or actions intended to upset an opponent. (bench jockeying)
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Bender |
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Hooking or curving shot that comes close to the channel before breaking into the pocket.
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Berlin Wall |
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See 'Blended condition'
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Bevel |
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Rounding of thumb/finger holes after drilling to smooth their edges.
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Bicycle |
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Pin hidden behind another pin. (barmaid, double wood, oneinthedark, sleeper, tandem)
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Big ball |
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A working hook that enables a bowler to carry strikes on less-than-perfect pocket hits.
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Big ears |
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The 4-6-7-10 split. (big four, double pinochle, golden gate)
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Big fill |
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Nine or ten pins on a spare, or a double on a strike.
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Big five |
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Spare leave of three on one side and two on the other.
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Big four |
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The 4-6-7-10 split. (big ears, double pinochle, golden gate)
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Blended condition |
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Oil pattern resulting from lanes with a slight depression in the middle; proprietors compensate by 'accidentally' over-oiling, resulting in a 'regular blended block.' If the contrast from the oily center to the dry sides is very great, it's called a 'Berlin Wall.' A blocked condition around one arrow (usually the second arrow) is a 'tunnel block.' When the block narrows toward the pins, it¹s a 'funnel block'. If you can find the edge of a block, the edge will move toward the center as the oil evaporates. A 'reverse block' has more oil on the sides and less in the middle; thus the edge will move outward as the oil evaporates (and can be followed outward).
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Blind |
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Score allowed for an absent member, usually the average minus ten or a set score (for example, 140 for men and 120 for women); considered a penalty. Many league rules define 'Blind' and 'Absentee' with different qualifications. (dummy)
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Blocked lanes |
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A lane maintenance condition in which oil or some sort of lane finish is used to create a track; almost always results in high scoring. [see 'Blended condition']
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Blow |
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A missed spare. (error, miss, open)
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Blow a rack |
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A solid strike hit.
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Blowout |
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Downing all the pins but one. (tap)
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Board |
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An individual piece of the lane (total of 40 or sometimes 41) which run its length and are numbered from 1 on the right for right-handers and from 1 on the left for left-handers.
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Body English |
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Contortion of arms, legs and trunk in an attempt to steer the ball after it has left the hand.
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Bonus |
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In match play, pins awarded for winning the game, usually 30 or 50.
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Bowling shoes |
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Special shoes for bowlers have a sticky, rubbery sole on the non-sliding foot to act as a brake and a slicker, harder sole on the other foot to allow sliding on the last step.
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Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA) |
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Trade organization of the people who own bowling centers; publishes Bowling Digest magazine.
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Break |
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1) A lucky shot; 2) a stopper after a number of consecutive strikes.
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Break of the boards |
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Area approximately twenty feet from the foul line there the maple boards meet the pines boards. Hard maple boards are used between the foul line and the break of the boards to withstand the impact of bowling balls. (dovetails, piano keys, splice)
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Bridge |
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Distance separating finger holes (as opposed to span, the distance between the thumb hole and middle finger hole).
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Brooklyn |
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A first ball to the left of the headpin for right-handers, to the right of it for left-handers. (cross)
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Broom ball |
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A ball that hits the 1-3 pocket in such a way that the pins scatter as though they were swept with a broom.
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Bucket |
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Four-pin diamond on sides or center of lane (2-4-5-8, 3-5-6-9, or 1-2-3-5). (dinner bucket)
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Burner |
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When a pin stands on an apparent perfect strike hit. (rap, tap, touch)
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Buzzard |
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Three open frames in a row.
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