A number of words and phrases that have come to describe different styles and aspects of graffiti and its subculture. Like other jargon and colloquialisms, some of these terms may vary regionally, taking on different meanings across different cities and countries. The following terminology originates primarily in the United States.
A–D
angels
Famous or respected graffitist who have died. The people who admire them tag their names on a wall with halos above them or make tribute pieces with their faces or tag with the dates of their birth to death.
all city
The state of being known for one's graffiti throughout a city. Originally, this term meant to be known throughout the five boroughs of New York City through the medium of subway cars.
autorack
Type of freight rail car that is tall, long, low, and flat.
back-to-back
Graffiti that covers a wall from end-to-end, as seen on some parts of the West-Berlin side of the Berlin Wall. Similarly, trains sometimes receive end-to-end painting when a carriage has been painted along its entire length. This is often abbreviated as e2e. End-to-ends used to be called window-downs but this is an older expression that is falling from popularity.
backjump
A quickly executed throw up or panel piece. Backjumps are usually painted on a temporarily parked train or a running bus.
bencher
An individual who takes photographs of graffiti. The term originated in New York when the graffiti writers and non-graffiti writers would sit on benches at train stations waiting for the trains to go by to take pictures and admire graffiti.
black book
A graffiti artist's sketchbook. Also known as a "piece book." It is often used to sketch out and plan potential graffiti, and to collect tags from other writers. It is a writer's most valuable property, containing all or a majority of the person's sketches and pieces. A writer’s sketchbook is carefully guarded against the police and other authorities, as it can be used as material evidence in a graffiti vandalism case and link a writer to previous illicit works.
blockbuster
A large graffiti with simple, legible letters. Often painted by a brush or a roller.
bite
To steal another graffitist's ideas, name, lettering or color schemes. Seasoned graffitists will often complain about toys that bite their work.
bomb
To bomb or hit is to paint many surfaces in an area. Bombers often choose to paint throw-ups or tags instead of complex pieces, as they can be executed more quickly.
bulls
Security patrolling an area on the lookout for any on-the-whim individuals
buff
To remove painted graffiti with chemicals and other instruments, or to paint over it with a flat color.
burn
To beat a competitor with a style. To rat out an accomplice or crime partner either intentionally or unintentionally.
burner
1. A large, more elaborate type of piece. The piece could be said to be "burning" out of the wall, billboard, or train-side. Because they take so much time and effort, burners in downtown areas are more likely to be legal pieces, painted with the consent of the property owner. The early writers of New York City also did burners illegally on trains, and adventurous modern writers sometimes still do large-scale illegal pieces in heavily trafficked areas. 2. More recently, any quick chrome bombing or throwup.
burning
Any work having not been removed. "That piece is still burning on main street."
cannon(s) A slang term for spray paint cans. This term is thought to originate in Brooklyn, New York.
cap
1. The nozzle for the aerosol paint can, also referred to as "tips." Different kinds are used for different styles. New York Thins, Rustos, and New York Fats are the most commonly used caps. 2. To slash or in any other way ruin a piece made by others. Derives from a writer named "Cap" who was infamous for making throw-ups over others' pieces.
clown or ass-clown
Any writer who is extremely careless to get himself caught and arrested, especially with observant citizens and even the police watching the writer in the act