Defunct Climbing Terminology

JCM wrote:

Full description of the art of boinking, back from when Climbing occasionally published good content:

https://www.climbing.com/skills/better-boinking/

I think the point is that to the belayer it doesn't really matter that much if you boink or are just yarding up because the easiest position for the belayer is to be suspended in the air. I think I just tell my belayer to take in all the rope when I am trying to get back on. I think boinking, taking, and jugging are all appropriate things to say, even if its not the exact specific action that needs to happen.  I think it is also hard to miscommunicate what is about to happen since the rope is in tension your belayer should be able to figure it out. 

I think in general climber terminology is quite cringy, so I try to maximize the insanity of the terms I use. My wife who is not a climber will just throw out random climbing words to mess with people. When I was at wild iris, some poor lad asked my wife if I was gonna be long and she said, "he is a punter this is his yellow point go." My friend thought it was so funny, they didn't clarify it. They then kinda walked away. Later that day, she was chilling in a picnic chair and the same person cameback and asked if she was about to jump on the climb. She said, "naw the condies are mega." The person then realized she was joking the whole time as should pulled out her sudoku. 

Edit: PW I thought there might be a more specific word adopted somewhere!

Tony Sartin wrote:

I don’t know if these have been mentioned yet…

the “dynamo” for dyno

When I first started talking about static vs dynamic moves, I used the language of gymnastics at the time. "Dynamics" or "Dynamic move" or "Aerial move". I knew Bachar and Long when they were young, and I think it may have been Long who gave us "Dyno" when the Stonemasters were formed. But I'm not sure. This thread just sparked my interest in the history of the sport.  

Elijah S wrote:

Can we add “Biner” to this list?

I think the Brit’s call em “krabs” which is way cooler anyway 

I'll have to assume that "crabs" no longer means what it did when I was younger??? Having crabs was not a good thing to tell your partner(s) bitd.   

phylp phylp wrote:

And I wonder if “doubled back” has completely fallen out of use since so many harnesses now are sewn such that you cannot undo the buckle. 

Kids at my gym (aka everyone under 40) definitely don't know what it means, nor would they know how to double-back a traditional buckle. Perhaps the only harness on the market these days that still needs to be doubled-back is Metolius SafeTech or Misty? When I worked wilderness therapy years ago, we put the kids in unpadded ABC seatbelt-webbing harnesses that required three double-backs, so I reflexively check for it.

Also, Mrs. Puppy Lover sounds like an excellent human being. I literally laughed out loud and knocked over my PBR (but caught it with lightning-fast trad reflexes that they don't teach in the gym these days). Please continue procreating and make sure your progeny inherits her sense of humor.

I'm adding Dülfersitz just so I can type an umlaut.

Bb Cc wrote:

After you Dülphersitz anyone would um-laut.

... because after that kind of trauma, your ballnuts say "peace out playa we had enough of this scheiBe" and vacate your Totem to become dots above a vowel?

John Gill wrote:

When I first started talking about static vs dynamic moves, I used the language of gymnastics at the time. "Dynamics" or "Dynamic move" or "Aerial move". I knew Bachar and Long when they were young, and I think it may have been Long who gave us "Dyno" when the Stonemasters were formed. But I'm not sure. This thread just sparked my interest in the history of the sport.  

I think in California they originally used the term dynamo. I believe “Big Moe” in Joshua Tree refers  to the big dynamo move, or dyno, that initially stumped Gaines, Gingery, and the rest of the first top-rope ascent crew. 

Jake Jones wrote:

I cringe when I hear non-climbers say "free climbing" when they are referring to free soloing.  I shit my pants with rage when climbers do the same thing.  I have to consciously fight the urge to say "you know, you just got finished free climbing" and watch their eyes glaze over with befuddlement.

My wife makes it a point to mess this one up on purpose because she knows its enraging. Maybe I'm just pedantic but like cmon let's use the right words here. 

Tony Sartin wrote:

I think in California they originally used the term dynamo. I believe “Big Mo” in Joshua Tree refers  to the big dynamo move, or dyno, that initially stumped Gaines, Gingery, and the rest of the first top-rope ascent crew. 

Oh and also probably a play on words considering Mari’s boyfriend, Mike Lechlinski (nicknamed Moe) was part of that first ascent crew.

Mark E Dixon wrote:

Weren’t Hiebeler clamps the first ascenders? But not much used in the Valley, if at all. 

According to this: https://verticalarchaeology.com/2014/02/07/salewa-hiebler-ascender/

...they were developed in the "mid-60's". Jumars were produced in 1958. [ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascen…(climbing) ]

Shows how good my memory is :-)

Clucking. A term so prominent in the 90s, even MTV did a thing on it. Now you have to google the climbing term to understand it. 

Marc801 C wrote:

According to this: https://verticalarchaeology.com/2014/02/07/salewa-hiebler-ascender/

...they were developed in the "mid-60's". Jumars were produced in 1958. [ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascen…(climbing) ]

Wouldn’t a friction hitch of some kind be the first ascender?

F r i t z wrote:

Kids at my gym (aka everyone under 40) definitely don't know what it means, nor would they know how to double-back a traditional buckle. Perhaps the only harness on the market these days that still needs to be doubled-back is Metolius SafeTech or Misty?

I’ve still had to show that I’m doubled back at gyms… with harnesses where it’s not necessary. The BD big gun also doubles back, we wear those at work. My climbing partner for Denali had some knock-off from Nepal that needs to be doubled back but he didn’t realize it was important and it was hard to do with gloves on… so he just didn’t. That could have been fun if he stepped into a crevasse.

“chocks” for nuts

This one for sure. I used to say “chock pick”. I think most folks now say “nut tool”? 

Safety knot

Haven’t read all the posts, but did see someone mention “stoner flash” for climbing a route you have done before but don’t remember. I know some used the term “Alzheimers onsight” for the same thing but when climbed by…uh… well… us more mature folks. Has the latter term become politically incorrect?

“In direct” should be on the list of defunct terms since it serves zero practical purpose.   You are either on belay or off belay.  I watched a climber yell “in direct” at a local crag and the belayer took him off belay and went to grab some water.   Then the climber yelled “on you”.   The belayer had to yell up that he was off belay and sprint for the rope to get the climber back on belay.  

I don’t care if you are “in direct”.   I may go in direct when working a climb or aid climbing but there is no need to let my belayer know since it doesn’t mean they take me off belay.     Can we just stick to “on belay and off belay?

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

“In direct” should be on the list of defunct terms since it serves zero practical purpose.   You are either on belay or off belay.  I watched a climber yell “in direct” at a local crag and the belayer took him off belay and went to grab some water.   Then the climber yelled “on you”.   The belayer had to yell up that he was off belay and sprint for the rope to get the climber back on belay.  

I don’t care if you are “in direct”.   I may go in direct when working a climb or aid climbing but there is no need to let my belayer know since it doesn’t mean they take me off belay.     Can we just stick to “on belay and off belay?

Strongly disagree on this one.
“In direct” is very useful if you are routinely spending 30-45 minutes working out moves on a route.

However, I would be careful about using the phrase in the unlikely event I was climbing with someone other than an experienced hang dogger. 

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

“In direct” should be on the list of defunct terms since it serves zero practical purpose.   You are either on belay or off belay.  I watched a climber yell “in direct” at a local crag and the belayer took him off belay and went to grab some water.   Then the climber yelled “on you”.   The belayer had to yell up that he was off belay and sprint for the rope to get the climber back on belay.  

I don’t care if you are “in direct”.   I may go in direct when working a climb or aid climbing but there is no need to let my belayer know since it doesn’t mean they take me off belay.     Can we just stick to “on belay and off belay?

After jugging up a sport climb after a fall, I clip directly into the top bolt and tell the belayer, “ok I’m in direct.” The belayer can then reset themselves and give some slack on the rope. 

I was belaying a guy on a route once and he took a massive 40+ foot whipper. I pulled his ass up the route and by the time he reached the top bolt I was deep in the bushes behind the base of the route. He said nothing as I hiked back to the base and took in the remaining slack. I then hear pissed-off swearing from above and realize he had already started to climb. As I’m trying to release the gri-gri, he shouted, “You’re pulling me off, man!” before falling again. Technically, I was in the wrong, but if he had been more communicative about what he was doing, it wouldn’t have happened. 

So, yeah. Non-zero practical purpose. It is also great to use if you’re working a route and want to give your belayer a break while you hang at a bolt. It just means they can let up some slack and maybe even tie you off, get a drink of water, put on a layer, etc. It does *not* mean off belay, and it should never be used at an anchor.