Knowing the lingo will help you sound like a seasoned pro. Let’s hop right into the secret language every magician should speak!
Flash
When a magician accidentally reveals a secret move or hidden prop to the audience.
"Dude, your pass flashed so badly, even Richard saw it from the back row!"
Clean
When there's nothing to hide from the audience and props can be examined.
"That ending was out of this world! You're completely clean and can hand out the cards for examination."
Pass
A technique where the magician secretly swaps one half of the deck with the other, usually to control a card or beat a cut. Notoriously very difficult to perform deceptively. Also known as a “hop” if performed at the table.
"Your pass was smoother than Akira Fujii’s. I didn’t see, let alone detect the action."
Reset
To return props or effects to their starting position for the next performance,often used for table hopping or close-up performances.
"Dude, your Professor's Nightmare routine resets so fast and plays big."
"Your favorite control"
A personal preference for controlling a playing card, typically to the top of the deck. Often used in written descriptions of card tricks when the author is too lazy describe a relevant control.
"Wow, Lee, i’m losing it over your control. It was squeaky clean. ”
Triumph
Not the name of a fast motorcycle. Triumph is an effect created by the legendary Dai Vernon. Cards are mixed face-up and face-down, then magically right themselves, except for the selected card. There are many variations and handlings of this classic Routine.
"Wow, Dani’s in-the-hands Triumph was smoother than a buttered dolphin!"
Commercial
An effect that's practical and effective for real-world performances.
“Dude, your mentalism effect is so commercial, Mark Mason and Jay Sankey are fighting over the rights."
Diabolical
A particularly clever or devious method, often with very few sleights.
"Did you see Wayne’s routine? The method is so diabolical it could get a standing ovation!"
Force
This isn’t the power to move objects with your mind or control people’s thoughts. Forcing is a technique to make a spectator select a specific card or item while having the feeling of a free choice.
"Did you see Darwin's force? It was as wooden as a tree in a petrified forest."
Sandwich
An effect where a selected card is found between two other cards, often in a surprising way.
"Ishkabibble, that sandwich effect was faster than anything I've ordered at Subway!"
DPS
Diagonal Palm Shift. A card steal and palm from the middle of the deck. Described in The Expert At the Card Table (aka The Bible) 1902 by S.W. Erdnase and popularized by Dai Vernon. Often a rite of passage for card magicians as it is difficult to execute imperceptibly.
"Hey, show me your DPS"
"Dude, Ricky's DPS is clean! Single pump, no finger flash, and a light riffle to finish it off.”
Criss-Cross
This isn’t an angry version of magician Criss Angel. The criss-cross or cross-cut force is a diabolical force involving two packets of cards.
"Yo, if you add a time-delay between the cut and the reveal, your criss-cross force will be much more deceptive."
Glide
A sleight where a card at the bottom of a deck is slid back and the next card taken.
"Dang, your glide looks so natural" - said nobody ever
Comment below if you can think of any other essential magic terms!
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