Tic Tac is a traditional method of signs used by bookmakers and their runners (staff) to communicate the odds of certain horses. It is often referred to as the “Bookies’ Secret Language”  and can still sometimes be seen on race courses in the UK, although its use has become rather limited in times of mobile phones, WiFi and Laptops. Look out for a  “Tic-Tac Man”, who will usually wear bright white gloves to allow his hand movements to be easily seen.

Some examples of Tic Tac signals:

Signalling Odds of 10/1 (called “cockle” or “net”) – put your fists together with the right-hand thumb protruding upwards, to resemble the number 10.

Signalling Odds of 9/4 (called “top of the head”) -Touch the top of your head with both hands.

Signalling Odds of 33/1 (called “double carpet”) – cross your arms with your hands flat against the chest.

The names have evolved over time in a mixture of backslang and Cockney rhyming slang. For example, 4-1 is known as rouf (four backwards).  Essentially, bookies use Tic-Tac as a way of communicating between their staff and ensuring their odds are not vastly different from their competitors, an advantage punters could otherwise exploit. In particular, if a very large bet is placed with one bookie, this may be signalled to the others as a way of lowering the price with all of them.

Tic-Tac terms:

Odds

• Bottle – 2-1.
• Burlington Bertie – 100-30.
• Carpet – 3-1.
• Century – 100-1.
• Ching – 5-1.
• Cockle – 10-1.
• Double carpet – 33-1.
• Double net – 20-1.
• Double tops – 15-8.
• Ear’ole – 6-4.
• Elef – 11-1.
• Elef a vier – 11-4.
• Enin – 9-1.
• Exes – 6-1.
• Face – 5-2.
• Handful or hand – 5-1.
• Levels (you devils) – evens.
• Macaroni – 25-1.
• Major Stevens – evens.
• Net – 10-1.
• Net and Bice – 12/1.
• Net and Ex – 16/1.
• Net and Rouf -14/1.
• Neves or nevis – 7-1.
• Pony – 25-1.
• Roof or rouf – 4-1.
• Sais a wang – 6-5.
• Scruffy and dirty – 100-30.
• Shoulder – 7-4.
• Neves to rouf – 7/4.
• Shoulders or On the shoulders – 9-2.
• Straight up – evens.
• TH – 8-1.
• Tips – 11-10.
• Top of the head – 9-4.
• Up the arm – 11-8.
• Wrist – 5-4.
• Xis – 6-1.

Other Terms

• Beeswax – Tax.
• Jolly – a favourite.
• Kite – a cheque.
• Knock – not pay up when owing.
• Monkey – £500.
• Rock Cake – a small bet.