Glossary
« back to the 'Magic Explained' page
If you're new to magic, you may not know some of the terms used. Hopefully the follwing should help. If there's a word or phrase used on this site (or anywhere else!), that's not listed here, feel free to email us your query:
Note: The list is not complete yet, we'll add more explanations as we think of them.
Abracadabra: A magic word used to indicate to the audience that something amazing is about to happen. Other magic words and phrases include: hocus-pocus, alakazam, sim-sala-bim, shazam, presto etc.
Afghan Bands: TO BE ADDED.
Angles: TO BE ADDED.
Bicycle Deck: A brand of playing cards usually used by magicians. Most trick and gimmick cards use this brand.
Bobo Switch: TO BE ADDED.
Book Tests: Predicting specific words from specific pages in books, as chosen by the audience.
Bottom Deal: TO BE ADDED.
Breakaway: TO BE ADDED.
Breakaway Props: TO BE ADDED.
Burn: TO BE ADDED.
Cardician: A magician that specialises in card magic.
Centre Tear: TO BE ADDED.
Charlier Cut: TO BE ADDED.
Clean: TO BE ADDED.
Cold Deck: TO BE ADDED.
Confederate: See ‘Stooge’.
Conjurer: TO BE ADDED.
Corporate Magic: Magic performances performed at corporate events. Often close-up magic and one-one-one where the magician walks around between the guests.
Crimp: TO BE ADDED.
Deck: A pack of 52 cards. Ace-10, Jack Queen & King in four suits - Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades.
Deal Seconds: TO BE ADDED.
Deal Middles: Deal surreptitiously from the middle of the deck.
Deal Bottoms: Deal surreptitiously from the bottom of the deck.
Distraction: See Misdirection.
Ditch: TO BE ADDED.
Double Back: TO BE ADDED.
Double Face: TO BE ADDED.
Double lift: TO BE ADDED.
Dove Pan: TO BE ADDED.
Dovetail Shuffle: TO BE ADDED.
The Effect: Whatever it was that the magician was attempting to do.
Electric Deck: TO BE ADDED
Elmsley Count: TO BE ADDED.
Egg Bag: TO BE ADDED.
Fakir: TO BE ADDED.
False Shuffle: TO BE ADDED.
False Transfer: TO BE ADDED.
Faro: TO BE ADDED.
FISM: TO BE ADDED.
Flash Paper: TO BE ADDED.
Flies: TO BE ADDED.
Flourish: TO BE ADDED.
Force: TO BE ADDED.
French Drop: TO BE ADDED.
French Drop: TO BE ADDED.
Gaff: TO BE ADDED.
Glide: TO BE ADDED.
Glimpse: TO BE ADDED.
Gimmick: This is basically the part of a trick that makes the trick so special, i.e. the mechanism, hidden wire etc.
Gung Ho Silk Box: TO BE ADDED.
Hat Production: TO BE ADDED.
Head Chopper: TO BE ADDED.
House Curtain: TO BE ADDED.
Key Card:TO BE ADDED.
Lapping: TO BE ADDED.
Legerdemain: TO BE ADDED.
Levitation:TO BE ADDED.
Load: TO BE ADDED.
Magic Dust: TO BE ADDED.
Magicians Choice: TO BE ADDED.
Magician's Wax: TO BE ADDED.
Manipulator: TO BE ADDED.
Marked Cards: TO BE ADDED.
Mentalism:TO BE ADDED.
Misdirection: TO BE ADDED.
Miser's Dream: TO BE ADDED.
Overhand Shuffle: TO BE ADDED.
Packet Trick: TO BE ADDED.
Palm/Palming: TO BE ADDED.
The Pass: TO BE ADDED.
Passe Passe: TO BE ADDED.
Patter: TO BE ADDED.
Plant: TO BE ADDED.
PK: Psyco-Kinetic - Mind control of objects - usually uses strong magnets.
Prestidigitation: TO BE ADDED.
Pull: TO BE ADDED.
Riffle Shuffle: TO BE ADDED.
Routine: TO BE ADDED.
Self Working Effect: A trick that needs no sleight of hand of special skills.
Servante: TO BE ADDED.
Shell: TO BE ADDED.
Shuffle: To mix a deck of cards in a controlled and stylish way.
Sightlines: TO BE ADDED.
Silk: TO BE ADDED.
Sleight of Hand: TO BE ADDED.
Slide: TO BE ADDED.
Slip: TO BE ADDED.
Spirit Cabinet: TO BE ADDED.
Spirit Slates: TO BE ADDED.
Spring Flowers: TO BE ADDED.
Stack: TO BE ADDED.
Stand-Up Magic: TO BE ADDED.
Steal: TO BE ADDED.
Stodart Egg: TO BE ADDED.
Stooge: A member of the audience that you have planted and who is part of your act.
Street magic: TO BE ADDED.
Stripper deck: TO BE ADDED.
Sub Trunk: TO BE ADDED.
Substitution: TO BE ADDED.
Sucker Trick: TO BE ADDED.
Svengali Deck: TO BE ADDED.
Switch: TO BE ADDED.
Table Shuffle: TO BE ADDED.
Thumb Tip: TO BE ADDED.
Topit: TO BE ADDED.
Zig Zag: TO BE ADDED.
Zombie Ball: TO BE ADDED.
