The lingo of metal detectorists is full of colorful terms: A coinball is a clot of earth with a coin in it, a nighthawk is someone who detects without a permit under cover of darkness, a gold dance is a gleeful jig upon discovering precious metal, and canslaw refers to shreds of aluminum cans left after a lawnmower ran over them. The hobby of metal detecting is the subject of the quirky BC comedy Detectorists, about a pair of lovable nerds, and celebrated by more stylish enthusiasts on Instagram. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Coinball, Nighthawk, and Other Metal Detecting Lingo”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette, and I am sorely tempted to start a new hobby, if only for the slang.
What’s it this time? Painting bridges? Naming clouds?
No, no, no. I got tired of those.
But the vocabulary of the hobby I’m talking about includes terms like coinball, Nighthawk, gold dance, and my favorite, canslaw, C-A-N-S-L-A-W.
Canslaw, coinball?
Is this like something you buy at the fair?
I’ll have a cornball, coinball, and a corndog.
And an elephant ear.
No, these are all terms that come from the field of metal detecting.
Oh, right.
So a coin ball is a chunk of dirt you find with a coin inside.
And maybe in their lingo, it has friends. That is their other little coins in the same hole that you dig.
And can slaw is shreds of aluminum cans left after a lawnmower ran over them, which I think is just so picturesque.
And a nighthawk is somebody who detects illegally at night.
And a gold dance is what you do if you actually discover gold.
Oh, yeah, the little happy jig.
Yes.
The little happy jig of discovery.
Yeah, smile on your face.
Yes, and I was all excited about this, having watched the wonderful BBC series Detectorists.
Yes.
Have you seen that?
I’ve seen a couple episodes.
It’s fun but weird.
Exactly.
Well, it’s like us.
It’s a couple of passionate nerds who are maybe socially awkward.
Yeah, yeah, keep going.
Yeah.
I think it’s just hysterically funny.
I am really luxuriating in this show.
But apparently metal detecting is becoming very trendy in this country.
You can go on Instagram and see very fashionable photos of women with their metal detectors.
There are Instagram metal detecting influencers?
Is this what you’re telling me?
This is what I am telling you.
Look, unless you’re wearing white socks with sandals and you’ve got a dad bod, I don’t think you can be a real metal detecting influencer.
I just don’t think there’s an opening for you.
So, Martha, I guess you’ll be sharing some more metal detecting language later.
I absolutely will.
I am just so excited about this new hobby, new potential hobby.
Well, if you find nuggets of wonder and brilliance in what you’ve been reading and hearing, share it with us and we’ll share it with everyone else.
Or if you’ve got thoughts and questions about language of any kind, send them to us in email, words@waywordradio.org.
And if you’ve got responses or ideas, put them on Twitter @wayword.
