Apple, biscuit and twig: Explaining hockey’s unique jargon you’ll hear at Milan Cortina
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| With NHL players back in the mix, ice hockey is one of the most anticipated events at this Winter Olympics. Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images |
From brushing ice in curling to flying down an ice track headfirst in skeleton, the Winter Olympics are home to some
and exciting sports that feature uncommon vernacular.
New sports have been added to the program and with that come new terms or nicknames for tactics, maneuvers or objects that beginner fans might not be familiar with.
Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport. So below, we look at some of the sport-specific lingo and explain what the terms mean so you’ll be ready to impress your friends and follow the action in Milan Cortina.
From apples to sieves
An apple: an assist.
Bar down: when the puck strikes the crossbar from a shot and ends up in the goal. Between the pipes: where the goalie presides.
Biscuit: the puck.
Bottle rocket: when a goal breaks the goalie’s water bottle that sits on top of the net.
Celly: a celebration after a goal. Chirp: playful trash talk to an opponent.
Coast-to-coast: if a player can skate from one end of the ice to the other – from their defensive zone through the neutral zone into the attacking zone without any disruption from the opponent.
Deke: a skill where a player feints to draw an opposing player out of position or to skate by an opponent while maintaining possession and control of the puck.
Digger: a player who goes into the corners to regain possession of the puck.
Flamingo: when a player lifts one leg, standing like a flamingo, to get out of the way of a shot.
Natural hat-trick: when a player scores three consecutive goals in a game.
Lid: a player’s helmet.
Roof: to score a goal by shooting the puck in the upper part of the net. Sieve: a goaltender who allows a lot of goals, usually referred to as being full of holes.
Tape-to-tape: a very accurate pass going from the tape of the passer’s stick to the tape of the receiver’s stick.
Twig: a hockey stickUpdated Feb 5, 2026
Updated Feb 5, 2026, 5:19 AM ET
PUBLISHED Feb 5, 2026, 5:17 AM ET By
Ben Morse
Ben Morse
Updated Feb 5, 2026
