When I first got on the forum the terminology really confused me, so here’s a little guide
Buy/Sell/Trade Terms (aka BST)
MIB=Mint in box. In perfectly new condition. Unused.
NMIB=Nearly mint in box. Or near mint in box. Close to new condition
Beat=Marks all around the rims of the yoyo
OBO= Or best offer. Usually follows a price.
FT=For Trade
FS=For Sale
LF=Never really figured out what the LF stands for, but it means what the person wants
Bump= A post that has no really meaning, it is just used to make it so the thread posted in becomes on the front page of the Buy/Sell/Trade
Ding=A regular scratch, mark or any sort of damage to the yoyo that takes out a little scratch of the ano
Pinprick=A tiny little dent/mark that is about the size of the head of a pin
Ano Flaw= An imperfection, or mess-up, in the ano (See the ano definition under general)
NYYR=Non-yoyo related. Just random stuff in BSTs that don’t relate to yoyoing
WTT=Want to trade. Similar to FT
WTB=Want to buy. Similar to LF
WTTF=Want to trade for. A combo of LF and FT
General Terms
Ano=The coloring on a colored yoyo. It is not like paint, it is put on though a chemical process
Throw=A term for a yoyo
1a=Regular yoyoing
2a=Yoyoing with two looping yoyos
3a=Yoyoing with two yoyos designed for string tricks
4a=Yoyoing with a yoyo that is not attached to the string. Also known as Off-string
5a=Yoyoing with a counterweight. Aka, a weight attached to the side of string that is normally attached to your finger.
Colorway=The type of coloring on a yoyo. Types include splash, where it appears another color has been splashed on, acid wash where it appears one color has been corroded, revealing another color, and speckle, with little dots of color. There are many more kinds of colorways.
Freestyle=A type of yoyo performance with no set tricks, you control what your own performance is. Freestyles are usually limited to 1-4 minutes.
Response=The sorta rubbery looking rings inside the yoyo. It is usually rubbery looking. That is not always the case.
Raw=It indicates that the yoyo has no ano.
PM=A personal message. Like an email, but just to another member of the forum.
YYE=Yoyoexpert
YYN=Do not mention on these forums a lot. If you have questions about it you should pm a longtime member.
Lube=A liquid used to lubricate a yoyo bearing
Silicone=A type of yoyo response
ForumeXpert=An outstanding member of this forum
Blast=A type of finish on a yoyo. It helps with grinding tricks.
Grinding=A trick element where the yoyo is spinning on your skin
Floaty=A feeling associated with a yoyo’s play. Usually relates to the light feeling of a yoyo, the way it almost “floats” on the string. Individual’s definitions may vary
Vibe=A very subjective term. Varies for nearly every individual. It typically descibes the vibration of a yoyo while spinning. Once again, very subjective.
Wobble=Similar to vibe in the sense that it has a negative connotation, and relates to imperfections in the yoyo’s spin. It usually relates the the yoyo wobbling while spinning.
Organic=Describes the yoyo’s shape, meaning the shape looks natural, not angular, with smooth curves.
H-Shape=Now a rather generic term, it originally described a yoyo that, when viewed from the side, appeared as an H-like shape. Now the term sometimes also includes shapes that have only the slightest resemblance to an H. More like an H thats perpendicular lines are angled outwards.
Undersized= Under 54 mm in diameter.
Fullsized=Anywhere from 54 to 56 mm
Oversized=Generally, over 56 mm
FHZ=Abbreviation for A Duncan Freehand Zero
DM=Dark Magic
DMII=Dark Magic 2
Suicide=a type of yoyo trick where a mount of some sort is released and swung clockwise, and is caught, keeping it in the same mount. Reference Andre’s tutorials for a better description
Modder=A person who modifies yoyos.
IGR=Inner groove ring. A lip like thing on the inside rim of a yoyo that makes thumb grinds easier.
Hubstacks(aka ta-tas)= A device that is on both sides of a yoyo. When the yoyo is spinning, you can grab the hubstacks and the yoyo will continue spinning, because the hubstack is attached to the yoyo using a bearing that can spin/not spin even if the yoyo is moving/not moving.
Horizontal=A type of yoyoing where the yoyo is spinning horizontally instead of vertically.
Moebius= A style of yoyoing where the slipknot is removed from the finger and incorporated into
tricks. You can use Moebius in 1a freestyles.
Slack=When you pinch the string with one hand and let the string go slack, and manipulate that slack to do tricks.
Stock String - String that comes stock with the yoyo, or you buy in bulk packs under the store’s brand.
GM2=Grind Machine Two
PGM=Plastic Grind Machine
Yoyo Companies/Products
CLYW=Caribou Lodge (was Yoyo Works)
YYF=Yoyofactory
YYJ=Yoyojam
X3=X cubed yoyos
YYR=Yoyorecreation
VsNewton/VSNYYC=Vs. Newton Yoyo Works
OD=One Drop
ILYY=I Love YoYo
TP=Turning Point
G2=G squared
CYYC=Chico Yoyo Company
SPYY=Saturn Precision Yoyos
STYY=String Theory Yoyos
10 Ball=Usually relates to a One Drop Ten Ball bearing. It has 10 balls instead of the typical 8.
KK=Describes a konkave bearing (concave). May relate to a Dif-e-yo bearing.
Peak - The first yoyo by the company CLYW. Often regarded as one of the best yoyo’s of all time.
This list is just products/companies that are commonly referred by abbreviations. Or just really famous.
Modification Terms
Satin=a type of modification where you use sandpaper to roughen the surface of a yoyo, usually with a drill, and create a texture that is good for grinding. There are two kinds of satining, spiral and the regular way. With spiral you hand-satin the yoyo, using diagonal strokes with the sandpaper, to create, after many strokes, a spiral effect. Traditional satining involves attaching the yoyo to a drill with a chuck, spinning the yoyo and pressing sandpaper against it, creating a texture. This also can strip a yoyo of ano.
Striping a yoyo=There are two ways the term stripped applies to yoyoing. The first way, is when it is used to describe a yoyo that has been “stripped” of it’s anodization (ano). The second way is to describe a yoyo thats threads in the axel have been stripped, which causes the yoyo to not be able to screw together.
Recess(v) - Cutting a ring outside of the bearing seat to put silicone into for decreased response.
Recess(n) - The groove outside of the bearing seat where pads, an o-ring or silicone go.
Schmoove Ring - An extra set of recesses outside of the silicone recess on a highwalled yoyo to help with suicides.
SPR(n) - The Spacers that hold both bearing and response that came in Buzz-Ons and Delrin Crucial yoyos. They come in different bearing sizes so you can experiment.
SPR(v) - When a Modder cuts a recess into a yoyo so that it will accept SPR’s.
Weight Rings - Rings of a (Usually) denser material than what the rest of the yoyo is made of that are placed under the rim or replace the rim.
Hub Replacement - Either done for fun, or done to make a yoyo playable again, it involves the process of cutting the hub out of one yoyo and replacing it with the hub of another.
Side Effects - An ingenious idea from the company One Drop. It is a removable axle housing that allows you to change the weight of a yoyo.
PC (Powder Coat) - This is a process that involves putting a layer that can look like paint around the outside of a yoyo. This is done by few, and may cause vibe if done incorrectly. It has the advantage over paint of being able to be translucent.
Grind Rings - Grooves cut into the catch zone of a yoyo that decrease friction for use in grind tricks.
Catch Zone - The outside face of the yoyo. What you see when you look at it’s profile.
Cup - The part of the yoyo that you see from the side.
Rim-weighted - A yoyo that puts much of it’s weight in the rims.
Thanks to Wildcat23 for modification section.
And thanks to everyone else who contributed.
More definitions to come! This is just a start! Post your own definitions and I will gladly add them. Also, please point out any errors that you see.
