Since the birth of modern-day graffiti back in 1960s New York, graffiti writers have put brand new meanings to words as a way of communicating graffiti culture.
After all, what is a culture without a shared language that everyone involved understands?
So whether you’re just starting out with graffiti or simply interested in learning the lingo, here’s a list of 45 graffiti slang terms you need to know.
Contents
- 1. Active
- 2. All city
- 3. Bite
- 4. Blackbook
- 5. Bomb/Bombing
- 6. Buff
- 7. Bumpkin
- 8. Burn
- 9. Burner
- 10. Cap
- 11. Catch a tag
- 12. Crew
- 13. Dog/Line out
- 14. Diss
- 15. Dub
- 16. End to end
- 17. Fill-in
- 18. Hall of fame
- 19. Hot
- 20. Inactive
- 21. King
- 22. Mission
- 23. New school
- 24. Old school
- 25. Outline/Hollow
- 26. Piece
- 27. Plot
- 28. Rack
- 29. Safe
- 30. Scar/Ghost
- 31. Shout out/Hit up
- 33. Snitch
- 34. Tag
- 35. Tagging
- 36. Third rail
- 37. Throwup
- 38. Top to bottom
- 39. Toy
- 40. Up
- 41. Whole car
- 42. Wildstyle
- 43. Window down
- 44. Writer
- 45. Yard
1. Active
A graffiti writer who is actively painting.
2. All city
A writer whose tags, throw-ups and pieces can be found everywhere.
3. Bite
To copy another writer’s letter structures, characters or graffiti style.
4. Blackbook
A sketchbook or marker pad containing a graffiti writer’s sketches.
5. Bomb/Bombing
To completely cover something or somewhere in graffiti.
6. Buff
To chemically clean graffiti from a surface.
7. Bumpkin
A writer from outside of a major city.
8. Burn
To paint very well with maximum style.
9. Burner
An incredibly well painted piece.
10. Cap
Nozzles that attach to the top of spray cans. For example, skinny and fat caps.
11. Catch a tag
Tagging a name somewhere.
12. Crew
A collective of graffiti writers who paint together.
13. Dog/Line out
To put a line through or go over another writer or crew’s work.
14. Diss
To disrespect or insult another graffiti writer.
15. Dub
A quick outline of a writer’s name, traditionally with chrome and black colours. A term used mostly in London.
16. End to end
A piece covering the entire length of a train carriage.
17. Fill-in
The inside colour of a piece, throwup or dub.
18. Hall of fame
A legal or chill graffiti spot that’s painted frequently. Usually by graffiti legends.
19. Hot
A risky spot which is usually watched by the police or has a high chance of police being called.
20. Inactive
A writer who has temporarily stopped painting.
21. King
A legendary or prolific writer.
22. Mission
A high-stakes painting trip.
23. New school
A newer generation of graffiti writers.
24. Old school
An older generation of graffiti writers.
25. Outline/Hollow
A throw-up or piece painted with only the outline and no fill-in.
26. Piece
A graffiti painting, short for masterpiece. Usually painted with many colours in a complex, detailed style.
27. Plot
A spot that a graffiti writer is planning (or plotting) to paint.
28. Rack
To steal. Can apply to anything, but usually means stealing spray paint.
29. Safe
A spot which isn’t very dangerous or can be painted without much risk.
30. Scar/Ghost
Graffiti that is still faintly visible after someone has cleaned it.
31. Shout out/Hit up
To put another graffiti writer’s name up.
33. Snitch
A writer’s name or signature.
34. Tag
A writer’s name or signature.
35. Tagging
Actively writing a name or signature.
36. Third rail
The dangerous rail that carries electricity on a train track.
37. Throwup
A quick bubble-style outline of a writer’s name.
38. Top to bottom
A piece reaching from the top of a train carriage to the bottom.
39. Toy
A new graffiti writer who lacks style and/or knowledge.
40. Up
A prolific writer who can be found everywhere.
41. Whole car
A piece covering the entire side of a train carriage.
42. Wildstyle
A complex graffiti style that uses stylised, hard to read letters.
43. Window down
A piece painted below the windows of a train carriage.
44. Writer
Someone who writes graffiti.
45. Yard
A depot where trains are held overnight.
Just getting started with graffiti? Take a look at 10 Essential Graffiti Supplies Every Beginner Needs.
