1. Betting on the English Language
This article was originally published on the Acclaro blog.
Category: Documents, "Spot" on Language
Welcome to Las Vegas and the 24/7 craps tables. While
not the easiest game to play in the gambling
pantheon, craps is the one most like a team sport.
Players actively root for one another and often bolster
each other’s bets. When a table is “hot”, players scream,
holler, give high fives and yes, even do chest butts.
When it comes to the English language, craps has
actually contributed its fair share of terms into our day-
to-day speech. However, be careful when using craps
and other gambling terms in your documents and
marketing campaigns that eventually need to be
localized. These terms, although common in English,
may or may not “translate” well into other languages
and may require substantial reworking by a translator,
ultimately adding extra time and cost to your localization
project. Read more about how to write for international audiences.
Now, let’s return to the craps table. I’ll bet you think that the word “crap” comes from the game
of craps. Well, that’s incorrect. Hand over a $10 chip to the author. The word “crap” originates
from the Middle English, Old French, and Medieval Latin for “one of a cluster of words generally
applied to things cast off or discarded”. It took a while for it to be related to the bathroom in the
mid to late 1800s.
Here’s a quick look at some craps terms that have permeated the English language:
Crap out – a losing throw of the dice that makes all players lose their bets. Basically, letting
everyone down or reneging on a promise. Sample English sentence: “He crapped out of his
promise to mow the lawn.”
On a roll – on a winning streak, wherein the “shooter” continues to throw the dice. Sample
English sentence: “That team is on a roll. I think they will win the whole tournament.”
Page 1: Betting on the English Language Copyright © Acclaro 2012

2. Play the Field – A craps term, however the English expression of avoiding commitment
actually originated with horse betting. Sample English sentence: “He’s playing the field and
going out with a different person every night.”
A Natural – a win when “coming out” of the point; someone who is born with a talent
(although this has also been attributed to a boxing term). Sample English sentence: “She’s a
natural at math and didn’t need to study for the test.”
One more bit of craps trivia: How much will you bet you know the origin of the word croupier,
the casino employee who distributes craps bets with a stick? One chip goes to you if you knew
it’s French. But a bagful of chips go to you if you know that the origin has nothing to do with
gambling and everything to do with horses. It comes from the noun croup, which is the rump of
a horse. The croupier was the person who rode on the rump behind the horseman. The
craps’ croupier is considered the back-up man to the main dealer at the craps table – hence the
title croupier (or person on the rump, as it were).
About Acclaro: Acclaro is an international translation and localization company that
helps the world’s leading brands succeed across cultures. We translate websites,
marketing campaigns, documents and software to give clients an authentic voice in
key language markets.
North America: 1-866-468-5106 Worldwide: +1-914-468-0222
www.acclaro.com sales@acclaro.com
Page 2: Betting on the English Language Copyright © Acclaro 2012