Metal Detecting Lingo Glossary for Newbies

This is a list of some of the metal detecting lingo adopted by detectorists as they pursue their hobby, this list is not complete, but I have gathered the most commonly used words identifying them as I understand them. Feel free to post more or correct some because I know I may have missed some.

HH - happy hunting
MDing - metal detecting
TH'ing - treasure hunting
tector - metal detector

clad - any US coin that is "sandwiched" with alloys of different metals.
merc - mercury dime
rosie - silver roosevelt dime
wheatie - wheat back penny
injun - indian head penny
cartwheel - silver dollar
mint mark - a special mark placed on coins to let you know where or who made it.

coinshooters - detectorist who look mainly for coins
beach hunters - detectorists who mainly hunt beaches
relic hunters - detectorists who hunt mainly woods

probe - A tool to pinpoint the target while still in ground
the machine - your detector
digger - the tool used to dig your targets
topsoil - first 4 inches of ground

hipmount - mounting the control box of your detector with a belt on your waist
display - the target identification on your detector
ground balance - adjusting the detector to the mineralization in the soil
disc - ability of your detector to reject unwanted metal
tweak it - adjusting the detector
whispers - low, barely audible tones
beep beep - the sound certain detectors make.

dig it - just dig it up
find - something you found
finds - the good stuff you found
multi-targs - an area with a lot of targets
keepers - the targets that you keep whether good or bad
cache - a large amount of coins or jewelry buried together in a container
nice haul - a comment on your great finds
thingy - something you find and don't know what it is
sand stuff - normal trash you find in the sand
globola - a black corroded glob
black gunk - in the water where the sand don't move
snippers and snappers - small items you find

hunting - grabbing your detector and going!
newbie - someone new at the hobby
loner - a detectorist that doesn't belong to a club

dry sand - The sand people lay there blankets and lawn chairs
wet sand - The high tide line to the low tide line, at low tide
blanket line - first 10 ft in the dry sand, from the high tide line
hot rock - a black volcanic rock, meteorite, or a rock that gives a off a metallic signal
erosion - a part of the beach that will strip right down to bedrock.
black sand - iron particles that are so small they look like sand

coil - the round thing at the end of your detector
WOT coil - a 15 inch coil made by Coil Tech, for Minelab detectors
hard wired - a modification or quick fix to your detector
swingin' coil time - the amount of time you spent detecting
pulseor PI - a waterproof detector that locates all metal targets
VLF - auto discriminates against iron
Target ID - a meter or display that shows you what your target might be.
Tone ID - different sounds identifying different target's sounds

Thats an extensive list youve put together there. I like it that we have our own jargon, were unique!

HH Tristan

A very complete list. If I may, I would like to add a few:

S-rod - MD rod bent like as S at the handle

Straight shaft - as described, a straight pole which usually has a stick like protrusion for a handle.

/bing

UMO - Unidentified Metal Object - Wasted coin
Beach Toast - another form of wasted coin

J.........im - no description

HH
Mike

Thanks for the glossary! I am new to this and sometimes I didn't know what was an abbreviation or phrase meant. I think every hobby or profession has its own lingo.

For instance, I assumed that "HH" meant "Heh Heh"(like laughing) (not "happy hunting") because that's what a partner at the accounting firm that I used to work at would write on the tax research that I would do (he started with "heh heh", and then just used to write 'hh') , nicest guy in the world, always encouraging, kind of a mentor.

I suspect that I am not alone in my lack of knowledge.

Maybe a glossary could be a permanent posting on the board, not "pinned" or anything, but, you know, something that a newcomer could look at and go "Oh...I see what they mean!". Just a thought.

Hey Argisht,

I think I know which forum you got the list from. Thanks for posting it here....
but you might want to go back to that forum again as additional terms have been
added to the thread.

Hmm, in one of our previous forum incarnations we had a glossary. Wonder if we
can get it back.

What does AU stand for ? Example Au4GREG or AU King and Queen ? I know of 3 people out there that know for sure ! I know it must be something as simple as the nose on my face , be darned if I can figure it out ! :wacko: Thanks in advance . :D

I got it from the gometaldetecting.com forums. Do not credit me. However if someone may wish to go to the forums over there and see the updates that would be nice. I am in class right now and must leave bye

dirt doctor posted:

What does AU stand for ?




Au is what gold is designated as on the Periodic Chart, dirt doctor. Here are a couple more for you Ag, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Na, K and NaCl. And for the politically inclinded AuH2O. Also, the one most detectorists hate Al.

Au is the symbol for gold. Check your handy dandy Periodic Table of Elements.

Glenn