The Half-Mind Dictionary is provided for the benefit of virgins and newcomers, but should also prove to be of use to traveling hashers, who frequently hear new and foreign expressions. If you have favorite or unusual hash words or phrases to contribute to this list, please e-mail me.

A

Alcohol Abuse: spilling or otherwise wasting beer at any time during a hash, especially during down-downs

Annual General Meeting (AGM): in many hashes, the occasion for annual erections of hash mismanagement; in others, an excuse for a party; also Annual General Piss Up

Annual General Piss Up (AGPU): see Annual General Meeting

Aprés: dinner, drinking, or continued partying after hash formalities have concluded; see On-Afters, On-On-Ons, On-On-On-Ons

"Are You?" (R U?): question shouted by the pack to FRBs, meaning "Are you on trail?"

Arrow: directional trail mark; also see True Trail Arrow, Pack Arrow

A-to-A: trail that ends where it starts

A-to-A-: trail that ends near the start (also called A-to-A+, A-to-A', A-to-A.5, A-to-A 1/2)

A-to-B: point-to-point trail (trail that starts one place, ends another; if it's a really long trail sometimes called A-to-Z)

Auto-Hashing: hitching a ride to the end, a heinous violation of hash etiquette

B
Back Check (BC): trail mark* indicating that runners should turn around and retrace their path while looking for true trail, which branched off somewhere before the BC; sometimes accompanied by a number indicating the number of marks the pack should go back before looking for true trail

Bad Trail (BT): 1) a section of trail which goes nowhere; 2) trail mark* indicating the end of a BT; see also False Trail, YBF

Bag Wagon: see B-Van

Balls Check: trail mark* indicating a check or intersection which must be solved by male hashers before the pack can proceed

Bash: bicycle hash

Basher: bicycle hasher

Bashing: hashing by bicycle

Beer: see Piss

Beer Check: 1) beverage stop; 2) trail mark* indicating a beverage stop

Beer Master: mismanagement member in charge of ensuring an adequate beverage supply for hash events; also "biermeister"

Beer Near: trail mark* indicating proximity of beverages; can be associated with a beer check, on-in, or on-home

Blow Job: see Bad Trail

Boob Check: trail mark* indicating a check or intersection which must be solved by female hashers before the pack can proceed; see Gender Confusion

Box: square area marked on ground within which hashers must remain at the whim of the GM or Tyrant; often used during ceremonies conducted before and after the trail

Butt Chug: See Debauchery

Butt Painting: See Debauchery

B-Van: vehicle used to transport beer, food, hash bags; see also Chase Vehicle

C
Caught Hare: a hare who has been overtaken and physically caught by a member of the pack; normally honored during Down-Downs

Chalk: basic substance used for marking trail; see also Flour, Paper

Chalk Talk: trail instructions for virgin or visiting hashers

Chase Vehicle: see B-Van

Check: trail mark* indicating an intersection where true trail may take another direction; see also Decision Point, Intersection.

"Checking!": answer shouted by FRB to pack when asked "Are You?", indicating that FRB has not determined whether the trail he's following is true or false

Circle: assembly of hashers at trail's end, normally for the purpose of conducting down-downs

Circle Jerk: a circular section of trail laid for the purpose of slowing down FRBs

Co-hare: hare's assistant . . . in many hashes it is normal to have two or more hares laying trail together; in others it is a rare event

Couth Monger: see also Hash Devil

Cranium: acceptable substitute for the word "head"

Cranial Gear: anything worn on the head while performing Down-Downs; see also Hat

C-word: euphemism for "competition" or "competitive"

D
Dead Fucking Last (DFL): last member of pack to finish trail, sometimes honored during down-downs (though this goes against the grain of hashing's "non-competitive" ethos)

Dead Hare: hare who lays the entire trail before the pack sets out; sometimes accompanies the pack to ensure it doesn't get lost (see Sweeper)

Dead on Trail (DOT): hopelessly lost

Debauchery: Any of several morale-building mixed-sex activities indulged in by hashers, usually during aprés, usually (but not always) confined to American hashing circles

Decision Point (DP): see Check.

Doo-Loop: looping section of trail designed to slow down the pack and give the hare more lead

Down-Down: the ceremony of quaffing a beverage (an honor)

Down-Downs: the ceremony of honoring deserving hashers after the trail

Down-Down Box: a clearly defined square or rectangular area in which all down-downs are consumed. Anyone who enters this box, for whatever reason, must do a down-down

Dry Bag: see Shag Bag

E
Eagle Trail: an optional section of trail, longer or more difficult than the standard trail

Erections: mismanagement elections, normally accomplished during the AGM

Expat, Expatriate: any hasher not residing in his native country (yeah, I know that's wrong, but that's how hashers abroad like to think of themselves)

F
False Trail: see Bad Trail; a section of trail going nowhere, designed to slow down the pack and give the hare more lead

F.B.A.C.: Fat Boys' Athletic Club; a kinder, gentler subset of the hashing community with rigorous membership standards

Flour: a basic substance used to mark trail; see also Chalk, Paper

Front Running Bastard (FRB): faster member of the pack, also the one member of the pack who finishes trail first (and is normally "honored" for same, since one should not be competitive)

Full Moon: frequently an occasion for an evening hash; many kennels hash every full moon throughout the year

G
"G": A.S. Gispert ("G"), the father of modern hashing

Gay: general-use adjective used to describe something as limp, lame, bland, or wimpy; opposite of Slutty

Gender Confusion: Down-Down awarded to male hashers who run through a Boob Check

Grand Master: mismanagement member, ceremonial leader of the kennel; also Hash Master

Grand Mattress: mismanagement member; sometimes used as the title for a female grand master

Grand Mistress: mismanagement member; sometimes used as the title for a female grand master, but often used as the title for someone who organizes hash parties and dinners

GrrrAnimals: matching or coordinated running attire worn by poofters, normally a punishable offense

H
Handle: a hasher's nickname; see Hash Name

Hare: hasher who lays the trail; see Live Hare, Dead Hare

Hare Arrow: trail mark*, normally means "true trail," but not always

Hare Raiser: mismanagement member in charge of lining up hares for future trails

Harrier: any hasher, male or female; in some hashes, a male hasher

Harriette: female hasher

Hash: 1) the Hash House Harriers, as in "I run with the hash"; 2) an individual kennel, as in "I run with the New York Hash"; 3) the actual event, as in "I'm hashing tonight"; 4) trail marks*, as in chalk, flour, or paper

Hash Bag: bag of dry clothes and other post-trail necessities; see also Shag Bag

Hash Cash: 1) mismanagement member; the treasurer; 2) financial resources of the hash

Hash Crier: mismanagement member; calls other members to let them know when and where runs will start

Hash Devil: mismanagement member; in some hashes, the person in charge of down-downs or singling hashers out for violations; see also Couth Monger

Hasher: any Hash House Harrier

Hash Etiquette: euphemism for "rule"; also see Rule # 1

Hash Flash: hash photographer

Hash God: see Self-Appointed Officious Assholes

Hash Haberdasher: mismanagement member in charge of T-shirts, hats, mementos, etc

Hash Harlot: mismanagement member, often a female religious adviser; meaning varies between kennels

Hash Horn: mismanagement member; carries a horn or bugle on trail, blows it to encourage and guide the pack

Hash House: 1) the Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur, meeting place of the Mother Hash; 2) any hash hangout, usually a bar

Hash House Harrier: any hasher

Hash House Harriers (HHH or H3): 1) hashers; 2) the hash

Hash House Horrors: hashers' children

Hash Hymn: song sung by the pack during down-downs; see also International Hash Hymn

Hashing: the act of running a hash trail

Hash-L: international e-mail list for hashers (click here for subscription instructions)

Hash Master: mismanagement member; see Grand Master

Hash Name: nickname, sometimes unsavory or indelicate, usually bestowed on a harrier or harrierette by the grand master, mismanagement, or the circle after a set number of runs or in honor of a notable incident; not used by all hashes

Hash Olympics: games played during interhashes, usually involving drinking; can involve debauchery

Hash Quack: mismanagement member in charge of administering first aid to injured hashers

Hash Respect: paying attention during down-downs or the circle (also see Respect)

Hash Scribe: mismanagement member normally in charge of writing the hash trash

Hash Shit (Hash-It, Hashit): offensive or embarrassing object given to a hasher for notable on-trail accomplishments, normally carried by the awardee on subsequent trails until it is awarded to someone else; sometimes also used as a nickname for the awardee

Hash Trash: newsletter containing writeups of past runs and announcements of upcoming events

Hash Time: an erratic measure of a precise phenomena. If the hash is scheduled to start at 2:00 pm, the actual start may be 2:17 or 2:29, or ???

Hat: in most hashes, not to be worn while doing down-downs

Hounds: the body of hashers in pursuit of the hare, see also Pack

HUYA: a plunger, acronym stands for "head up your ass"

I
Interhash: regional, national, or world hash gathering

Intersection: see Check

International Hash Hymn: "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"; see Hash Hymn

J
Joint Master (JM): co-GM; in some hashes, an assistant to the GM

K
Kennel: Hash House Harrier chapter or club

Knitting Circle: group of harriers or harriettes (usually the latter) who spend more time walking and talking than hashing.

L
Live Hare: hare who gets a nominal head start and is pursued by the pack as he lays trail

Loop: see Doo-Loop

Long-Cutting Bastard (LCB): 1) slower member of the pack; 2) someone who gets horribly lost and comes in late

M
Mismanagement: hash officials; sometimes elected, sometimes appointed

Mooning: mild form of debauchery

Mother Hash: Kuala Lumpur Hash House Harriers, first organized in 1938, still going strong and an inspiration to us all (except for the bit about "no women")

M-word: euphemism for "marathon"

N
Naming Committee: group of hashers who bestow hash names upon new hashers

Nash Hash: a national interhash

New Boot: see Virgin

New Shoe: drinking vessel used during down-downs; see also Tea Bag; heinous violation of hash etiquette

No Blow: hasher who forgets his whistle, normally honored with a down-down

O
On-Afters: see Aprés, On-On-Ons, On-On-On-Ons

"On-Back": shouted by FRBs to the pack when FRBs encounter a back check

On-Before: where hashers gather before the start of the hash, usually a public establishment

On-Home: 1) trail's end, also On-In; 2) trail mark* indicating proximity to end

On-In: see On-Home

On-Off: start of trail

"On-On": 1) shouted by FRBs or hounds to indicate they're on trail, sometimes used only to indicate true trail; 2) trail mark* in lieu of a true trail arrow

On-On-Ons: see Aprés, On-Afters, On-On-On-Ons

On-On-On-Ons: see Aprés, On-Afters, On-On-Ons

"On-One" ("On-Two," etc): shouted by FRBs or hounds to indicate the number of flour marks they've seen on an unexplored trail, usually after a check

On-Sec: mismanagement member normally in charge of hash rosters, run records, etc

On-Sex: more than one on-sec

"On the Ice!": 1) in many kennels, the block of ice upon which honorees sit during down-downs; 2) command given by the GM or RA to down-down recipients

On-Up! (or down, under, over, through, etc): what hounds sound to let those following know that the trail has become a challenge and the type of challenge being encountered

On-X: trail mark* meaning "on across," usually found near freeways, airport runways, rivers, etc

Oz: Australia

P
Pack: hashers in pursuit of the hare, also Hounds

Pack Arrow: mark left by a member of the pack indicating direction taken; follow at your own peril

Paper: basic substance used to mark trail; see also Chalk, Flour

Pelican Drinking: See Debauchery

Phantom Hare: secret hare, unknown to the pack

Photo Hash: theme hash where a photograph shows the pack where to run to; another photograph will be hidden at that location, and so on . . . a variation is the "Clue Hash," where hashers find their way by written clues

Pick-Up Hash: hash where the hare is chosen at the last minute, usually through a drawing or game of chance; head starts are shorter and the hare is expected to be caught often--the hound catching the hare becomes the next hare, and so on

Piss: see Beer

Piss Drinking: See Debauchery

Pissed: drunk

"Piss Off": go away, get fucked, etc

Piss-Up: drinking session; a party

Piss Wagon: see B-Van

Player: obnoxious asshole; see also Poofter

Poofter: literally, a homo; in hash use, 1) a homo; 2) anyone not welcome at the hash (see Rule # 6); 3) a poseur; 4) a person who hangs around the hash but isn't really a hasher; 5) a major whinger; 6) a non-contributor in general; 7) a "player"; 8) a hasher who stops at a check and waits for other hashers to solve it before proceeding

Poofterism: behavior associated with poofters

Pre-Lay: act of laying the trail or sections thereof before the hash; sometimes a violation, sometimes not, depending on kennel traditions; like masturbation, widely practiced but seldom admitted

Private Party: act of participating in a non-circle conversation, thereby showing disrespect to the GM during down-downs

Q
Queef: say what?

R
Racism: any mention of racing, including use of the word "race"; see R-word

Ranging: the process whereby certain hounds run with total disregard for the trail

Receding Hareline: list of upcoming hash events, normally printed in the hash trash

Red Dress Run: theme hash where hares and pack wear red dresses; variations include lingerie runs, mini-skirt runs, muumuu runs, nude runs, etc

Rego: registration form

Regroup: trail mark* used in some hashes, where FRBs must wait for all members of the pack to arrive before setting out again

Religious Adviser/Advisor (RA): mismanagement member normally in charge of blessing the hash and settling disputes over tradition; sometimes in charge of down-down ceremonies

Respect: reverential attitude of right-thinking pack members toward the GM during the circle and down-downs (also see Hash Respect)

Road Whore: mismanagement member, responsible for organizing road trips to other hashes or hash events, encouraging participation in same

Rule: universally-understood tenet of acceptable hash behavior; never called a "rule" but often euphemized as "tradition" or "hash etiquette"

Rule # 1: "There are no rules"

Rule # 2: "See Rule # 1"

Rule # 6: "No poofters!"

R-word: euphemism for "race," "run," or "rule"

S
Self-Appointed Officious Asshole: see Hash God

Shag Bag: a bag of dry/warm clothing for use after the hash; see also Dry Bag and Hash Bag

Shandy: "lady's" down-down drink made of beer and ginger ale; most often seen in the UK or Down Under

Shiggy: jungle, thick vegetation, rocks, cliffs, streams, etc; especially mud

Shiggy-Shaggy (aka Zicky-Zacky): a chant made by the hash in response to anyone verbally screwing up. The offender must drink beer, but not necessarily a full down-down

Shitty: adjective used to describe a really good trail

Short-Cutting: the act of attempting to short-cut the trail, see also Zenning

Short-Cutting Bastard (SCB): habitual short-cutter, a title of esteem in most hashes

Singapore Back Check (SBC): trail mark* indicating that true trail branched off somewhere between the SBC mark and the previous check

Sixty-Nine: a number fraught with significance

Slutty: general-use adjective used to describe something as strong, robust, or satisfying; opposite of Gay

Song Master: mismanagement member; leads down-down songs

Sweeper: hasher, normally an experienced member of the pack, assigned to follow the pack in order to ensure no one gets lost; this function is sometimes performed by a dead hare

T
Tea Bag: sock or sole insert from a new shoe, the liquid from which is wrung out into a violator's mouth after he or she has finished a down-down from the offending footwear

Tradition: euphemism for "rule"; also see Rule # 1

Trail Recce: act of scouting a potential trail; hare practice

True Trail: the correct trail that leads to the on-in

True Trail Arrow: trail mark* indicating true trail

Trusted Agent: Hound who has been told where the on-in is in case the pack gets lost

Turkey Trail: optional section of trail, normally shorter and easier than the main trail

Turtle Check: trail mark* indicating that FRBs should wait at the mark until the slower hashers (the turtles) have caught up; normally used on dead hare trails to keep the pack together (in some hashes this is known as a Circle Check)

U
Up-Up: trail mark used to taunt the pack on a hilly trail

V
Violation: any infraction of hash etiquette or tradition, on- or off-trail

Violator: he or she who must be punished, normally by down-down

Virgin: first-time hasher; also applied to first-time hare

Virgin Lay: 1) a virgin hare's first trail; 2) a new kennel's first hash

W
Walkers: infant, infirm, or elderly hashers

Wanker: literally, a masturbator; in English/Australian use, a sort of "Sad Sack" character; in hash use, an everyday hasher

Wet Bag: variation on Shag Bag, but containing post-trail swimming or hot tub gear

Wherdafugarwee?: from a hash song, what a hound might say when lost

Whinge: whine

Whinger: whiner; see also Poofter

Whinging: whining

X
X: trail mark* used to indicate a check or intersection

Y
Yak Circle: a clearly defined circle next to the Down-Down Box in which all vomitus is deposited

YBF: bad trail mark*; stands for "You've Been Fucked"

Z
Zenning: striking out cross-country in anticipation of finding the on-in; see also Short-Cutting

Zicky-Zacky: see Shiggy-Shaggy

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* astericked trail marks are normally made only by the hares; non-astericked trail marks may be made by either the hares or members of the pack

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Half-Mind Dictionary © 1996-2001 by Paul "Flying Booger" Woodford
NOSPAM.booger@half-mind.com (remove "NOSPAM.")
http://www.half-mind.com
Updated May 2, 2001