What Are These People Talking About?
You may find yourself surrounded by hashers that seem to be speaking in tongues. It could be the drink speaking, but most likely they’re speaking with hash words. Here is a list to get you started.
RU (Are You?)
Question yelled by Hashers to determine if you are on trail. You respond with “Checking”, “On-On”, “Looking” or “Lost”. Alternately, blow a whistle.
Auto Haring
Laying a trail (either live or prior to the hash) exclusively using a vehicle for certain legs.
Auto Hashing
Riding along in the beer wagon during a hash due to injury or other circumstance. If you’re just being lazy, you’ll get called out for it in circle.
Back Check (BC#)
A mark that tells the pack to back check on the trail they’ve been running. The hare(s) is trying to prolong his/her trail by setting a trail that only looks like true trail. Once the pack has found the back check, they must go back however many number of hash marks indicated and look for true trail from that mark.
Backslider
A named hasher who hasn’t been a hash in a while for no damn good reason.
Bad (false) Trail
Three parallel lines placed close together. This is similar to a back check, except that the trail just stops as indicated and the pack must return to the last checkpoint and look again for true trail. Every kennel has their own version of this and it may also be known as a wrong way, re-group, YBF, or (our kennel’s favorite name) a blowjob.
Beer Check
(BC or a B inside a circle) A special check with beer and water somewhere along the trail.
Beer Near (BN)
This is by far the most important mark on trail. A mark indicating that beer and/or the On-In is close by.
Beer Wagon
Some hashes will have a vehicle containing the sacred nectar that travels from beer stop to beer stop. Not all hashes will have these, so it’s wise to check with the hares if you need a lift in the beer wagon due to injurious circumstances.
Chalk
A white (sometimes colored) substance used to mark trails.
Chalk Talk
The explanation of trail markings at opening circle. Usually, if there are marks which differ from standard trail markings, the hare(s) will instruct the pack during opening circle on what they mean prior to departing. Otherwise, the GM will call in the FNGs and illustrate what each mark means.
Check or Checkpoint
A mark made by the Hare in the shape of a circle with an X in the center (our kennel just uses an X). At this mark it is necessary for the FRB’s to spread out and find the trail. The trail could lead in any direction from a check.
Checking
A Hasher who has reached a check and is looking for the trail. A response to “Are You?” assuming that is what you are doing.
Circle
The time before – or after – the pack has finished the trail. Closing or ending circle is when miscreants, visitors, virgins and other deviants are punished with a down down. Usually run by the RA or the GM (or both). Can be excruciatingly long, just about right, or too damn short.
DFL
Dead Fucking Last, usually the opposite of the FRB, unless the FRB is in fact DFL.
DOWN DOWN
A Hash tradition where a Hasher drinks 12 ounces of his/her favorite beverage. Once you start, you must finish the entire contents prior to removing the vessel from your lips. As the Hash saying goes, “What doesn’t go in you, goes on you!” Inversion of the drinking vessel upon completion of the Down Down is absolutely necessary as proof of its accomplishment. The wearing of headgear, hats, caps, visors or other head based paraphernalia is expressly prohibited in Music City during a Down Down. You have been warned.
FNG
If you don’t know what it is, you are one. The GM and the RA will instruct you prior to the pack departure time about things you need to know.
FRB or FBI
Front Running Bastard or First Bitch In. Overachieving Hashers who forget that Hashing is non-competitive. A good trail will confuse the FRB’s so that they regularly end up being DFL and running past the rest of the pack two or three times.
GM
Grand Master, usually the senior or most experienced Hasher. In some Hashes they sometimes take on an advisory role, while in others they provide leadership for the mismanagement. Usually complains about how Hashing has changed since the old days. Runs the Circle in conjunction with the RA. Female GMs are known as Grand Mistress or Grand Mattress.
Haberdashery
Haberdashery – or hab – is another term for hash stuff. Everything from whistles to patches to happi coats to t-shirts to socks to bottle openers to keychains can be purchased from the haberdasher of each kennel. If a kennel doesn’t have a haberdasher, you can likely find what you’re looking for online.
Happi Coat
A happi coat is a traditional Japanese straight-sleeved coat. Hashers have adapted them into signifiers of home kennel; a way to display patches; and to show unique individuality. They are generally ordered when there’s enough interest from new hashers in purchasing one.
Hare
A Hasher who lays a trail for the pack to follow.
Hare Raiser
“Encourages” Hashers to hare runs. Better known as the dumb sucker.
Hare’s Arrow (or harrow)
An arrow which indicates that you are definitely on trail. If you’re a virgin, check with other Hashers as this mark varies from Hash to Hash (usually an arrow with three parallel lines drawn perpendicular over the tail end of the arrow).
Hare’s High
A euphoric state usually brought about as a result of the impending run, sometimes it is beer-induced. Symptoms include: skin rashes, shortness of breath, beady eyes, tunnel vision, horniness and erect nipples.
The Hash
The collective group of misfits, miscreants, the morally bankrupt and criminally insane.
Hasher
Male and female Hash members.
Harrier
A Male hasher (usually).
Harriette
A Female of the species. Or a male of the opposite gender.
Hash Mark
Typically flour or chalk.
Hash Cash
The Hash embezzler, responsible for skimming money from the Hashers who turn up. Treasurer of the Hash.
Hash Hotline
The Hash Hotline was 615-852-MCH3 (6243). We have no idea who has that phone number now. But you’d do better to join MCH3 Yahoo Group.
Hashit
A special symbol of individual Hashes, sometimes a toilet plunger with various Hash accoutrements, but could be most anything. MCH3 does not have an official Hashit, although Donkey’s Ass (may he rest in peace) did have a lot of items accumulated in a special box at his house.
Hash Name
Your parents had no idea what they were doing when they named you. The Hash will fix that. A Hash Name is a fond nickname bestowed upon a Hasher after a certain number of runs, on special occasions or when the Hasher has done something so absurdly stupid that the Hash couldn’t wait to name them. It is considered bad form to call a Hasher by another name whilst at the Hash. Of course if your parents gave you a really embarrassing name like Archibald or Cuthbert you might keep that as your Hash name. * Note: Don’t be too eager to get a Hash Name. It is usually something you would rather NEVER tell your mother.
Hash Scribe
Responsible for publishing newsletters, etc. Usually the only literate Hasher in the Hash. MCH3 Hashers all seem to have to much to do for anyone to last more than 1 minute as scribe.
Hash Stash
An extra bag or two of hash (flour, chalk, etc) hidden in advance on the route of the trail so that the wise hare doesn’t have to carry too much with him from the start. Much kudos (beer) is gained by the SCBs who locate the Hash Stash before the Hare gets there.
Hash Trash
A Hash newsletter written by the scribe.
“Just” [Nerd Name]
In order to not use nerd names on trail, hashers who are not yet named are deemed to be “Just”s. If your name is Anne, you will then be referred to on trail as “Just Anne”. Other kennels use the term “NFHN” or “NFN”.
Kennel
The name for a (mostly) organized official group of hashers. Examples of kennels are Music City H3, Rocket Shitty H3, Governators H3.
Looking
A Hasher who hasn’t seen a mark in some time and is looking for the trail. Another possible response to “Are you?”
Mismanagement
The collective group of undesirables elected/forced to mismanage the affairs of the Hash. They handle money, buy beer, recruit Hares, scribe newsletters and loosely organize the Hash to prevent chaos. If you believe you can do a better job and therefore complain about the piss-poor job being done by the current lot then you will be erected to the mismanagement committee in order to put your money where your mouth is.
Nerd Name (a/k/a Mother Given Name)
What you had the misfortune to be named at birth. Never used on trail, else you will be called into circle for a down-down.
ON-IN
The end of the trail.
ON-ON
Shouted to encourage other Hashers by indicating that you are on true trail. Two short blasts of a whistle also work. The usual response to “Are you?”
ON-ON-ON (or On-After)
After the trail is run, beer gone, and the half-witted only half-filled, it’s time for the ON ON ON. A place to continue the festivities. Beer is a must.
On-One, On-Two
When looking for trail, as marks are found one calls out “on one! on two!” Once you’re on three you are ON ON unless the hare pulled a YBF in which case, go back to the check and start searching again. At MCH3, three poofs and you’re on (unless you’re not, in which case, see above.)
On-Sec
The Hasher who keeps track of runs, etc. Usually the only person in the Hash who can count or knows someone who can.
Pavement Pounder
Can also be called “pavement” – refers to a trail that is mostly urban or on streets. The converse of shiggy.
Pack Arrow
A half-arrow left by members of the pack, usually FRB’s, to indicate where the pack has gone. This mark varies from Hash to Hash (could be chalk, a scraping of one’s foot, or any object an FRB can grab that’s readily at hand). It is not always accurate!
Poof
Another word for a dollop of flour, or a mark.
Prelube
Getting together for a beverage before trail.
Religious Advisor (RA)
Leads the Hash in various songs, punishes sinners during circle, provides atmosphere and generally is a pain in the arse to everyone else.
Road Whore
Hashers who are visiting away kennels or who are frequent visitors to other hashes will be called this at times. Not (usually) derogatory, though if you’re a backslider at your own kennel you can draw your own conclusions.
SCB (a/k/a Zenner)
Short Cutting Bastards. Sneaky, devious Hashers who manage to find a shorter, but not always better, route to the On In. Motivated by beer, susceptible to becoming lost and prone to trespassing. The goal of all SCBs is snaring the hare, regardless of what they say. Quite often an SCB actually turns out to be an LCB (Long-cutting Bastard) and turns up about an hour after everyone else.
Shiggy
Trees, brush, briars, poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac, obstacles, rivers, creeks, streams, mud, swamps, hills, valleys, and most things that are natural. Most Hashers reckon that a good trail should contain lots of shiggy.
Vessel
It’s what holds your beverage! Usually a good idea to bring a spare one.
Whistle
Use this to tweet your location and to alert other members of the pack where you – and the trail – are. Can also be used to alert the other members of the pack where you are and the trail isn’t.