Lifting Slings

Rigging Slang Terms: Do You Know These Common Industry Terms?

person Ben Hengst
event January 31, 2025

Understanding Rigging Slang in the Lifting Industry

The rigging industry is packed with slang terms—and depending on where you work, what you’re lifting, or who you’re talking to, the names for rigging gear, equipment, and techniques can vary widely!

Do you know what a “Choker,” “Headache Ball,” or “Pork Chop” is?

Whether you’re working in construction, mining, steel fabrication, automotive, shipping, or manufacturing, understanding the right terminology is critical for workplace safety, efficiency, and communication.

In this comprehensive guide, we break down the most common rigging slang terms so you can speak the language of rigging like a pro!

What You’ll Learn in This Guide:

  • Common Rigging Industry Terms & Equipment Definitions
  • Regional & International Rigging Terminology Variations
  • Slang Terms for Slings, Shackles, Hooks, and Hardware
  • Different Names for Hoists, Cranes, and Control Systems
  • How to Improve Communication in the Field & Ordering Process

Why Knowing Rigging Terminology Matters

For riggers, lift directors, crane operators, EHS specialists, site supervisors, and safety trainers, clear communication can prevent costly mistakes and safety risks. Purchasing agents and other lifting and rigging professionals, especially in international teams, need to accurately specify and communicate about rigging equipment.

Misunderstanding a lifting sling, wire rope assembly, or hoist control term could lead to equipment misuse, improper load handling, and potential workplace hazards.

This guide bridges the terminology gap, making sure everyone—from riggers in the field to procurement teams ordering rigging equipment—is on the same page.

Check out our Brief Rigging Glossary of Basic Industry Terms You Should Know, as well as A Dictionary of Rigging Slang Terms, for a written guide to basic rigging vocabulary!

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is essential for:

  • Riggers, Crane Operators, & Lift Directors – Ensuring team members are properly understood on-site
  • EHS Specialists & Safety Trainers – Improving safety training and compliance
  • Site Supervisors & Construction Managers – Streamlining workplace communication
  • Purchasing Agents & Procurement Teams – Ordering rigging gear with accuracy
  • International Teams & Training Developers – Bridging terminology gaps worldwide

Where to Get Rigging Equipment & Training

Need high-quality lifting and rigging gear? Browse our online rigging shop or contact our experts for custom rigging solutions.

Transcript

Intro: Do you Know Rigging Slang Terms?

– Hi, my name’s Ben. That’s also Ben. And today, we’re going to break down some of the slang terms used in the world of rigging. The industry has a lot of names for products and processes, but these might not be the names that you use.

We’ve been working to compile a list of terms to help you navigate the world of lifting and rigging, but if we miss something, be sure to drop it in the comments. Let’s get into it.

What is Rigging? Industry Uses & Terminology Differences

Let’s start with the term rigging. Rigging is a complex practice that’s used across many industries like mining, construction, steel, automotive, shipping, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

– Entertainment is a whole different list.

– Rigging is the act of using equipment or gear, such as slings and rigging hardware to move or secure materials. But did you know, depending on where you are in the world, what you are moving, or the specific rigging job you are doing, you might not even call it rigging?

– Sometimes people call it slinging and dogging, especially the Aussies and in the UK.

– And there are a whole bunch of other terms that get thrown around just like that.

Lifting Slings & Assemblies: Common Rigging Slang Terms

Here at Mazzella we hear all types of different names for different rigging gear. Mazzella started as a company that made wire rope slings, but if you are in the field, you might call it something else.

– That’s a choker.

– And we also make a lot of multi-leg sling assemblies. We can make them out of chain, wire rope or synthetic materials.

– That’s a spreader or a bridle, and it depends on how many legs it has. Like if it has four, it’s called a quad.

– Right. Multi-leg sling assemblies or spreaders, have sling legs that are connected to a master link.

– Well, that depends on what it looks like. Like some call it an oblong, ring, pear link, D-ring, bull ring. You got to look at the shape.

– Right. And as I mentioned before, slings can be made out of different materials. For example, this is a synthetic flat web sling.

– Straps, synthetics, nylons, flat webs, softies.

– And not only do slings come in many different materials, but they can also come in different shapes and configurations. Sometimes slings have eyes at the ends and sometimes they’re in a continuous loop configuration called an endless sling.

– Depends on what they’re made of. Sometimes they’re called belts. If they’re made of wire rope, they’re called grommets.

– And if a wire rope sling is not endless, you can get them with different eye types depending on their application.

Sometimes a standard eye wire rope sling is right for your application. While other times, you may want thimble eye wire rope slings.

– Soft eyes without a thimble, hard eyes with a thimble.

– And sometimes the eyes are made in different ways. Hand spliced, Flemish spliced, or just folded back on itself and called a turnback eye.

– The Flemish splice is sometimes called a mechanical splice, and turnbacks are sometimes called loop backs or fold backs.

– If it is a commonly purchased sling or assembly, some industries may have their own nicknames for them.

– A single-leg wire rope sling with standard or thimble eyes that is used to attach to a tong on a drilling rig can be called a snub line.

A single-leg wire rope sling with thimble eyes, where one end has a master link and the other end has a hook or a shackle can be called a stinger.

– And no matter what type of sling you are using, what it is made out of, if you are lifting anything with an edge, you should be using cut protection. Sling protection such as edge protection, abrasion protection, or cut protection is an important part of every lift.

– Softeners.

Rigging Hardware and Equipment: Slang Terms and Definitions

– And when you are rigging using slings, you often are using different pieces of rigging hardware too. One of the most common pieces of rigging hardware is a shackle.

– Some people call that a clevis, or a D-ring, or Crosby.

– There are different types of shackles including round pin, screw pin and bolt type shackles.

– Sometimes call bolt types four parts: body, bolt, nut, pin.

– And in rigging, there are lots of different hooks like this one called a sorting hook.

– That’s a shakeout hook / layout hook ’cause you use it when you’re shaking out steel.

– Hoist hooks are required to, and most sling hooks should have a self-closing safety latch.

– Safety latch equals catch, flappers or mouse.

– And no matter what type of rigging you use, it is always important to look at the WLL or working load limit. This tells you the maximum amount of weight that that piece of equipment is allowed to lift.

– A lot of people use the old version, SWL or safe working load.

– And some loads or devices will include built-in lift points that swivel. These are called hoist rings.

– Or lift rings or load rings.

– If you are lifting something flat like a plate of steel, you may want to use a plate clamp.

– Plate clamp or plate dog.

Crane and Hoist Slang Terminology

– Slings and hardware are important parts of rigging, but you can’t forget about the cranes and hoists. Whether that be a manual hoist or a powered hoist, there are several kinds. This is a lever hoist.

– Most call that a come-along.

– And up here is a hand chain hoist.

– Chain block or chain fall.

– There are electric hoists and even pneumatic or air hoists.

– An air hoist cable is sometimes called a tugger wire.

Electric hoists are sometimes just referred to as motors.

– If a hoist or crane is powered, you need controls to operate it. These controls can be wireless using a remote or a radio transmitter and receiver, or they can have a push button pendant that is attached to the hoist itself.

– Pendant, banana, pickle.

Wire Rope Accessories & Hardware Terminology

– Another important part of the rigging process is wire rope. Wire rope can be used to make slings and create barriers. Specialty wire rope is used on hoists and winches, to hold up bridges, and more.

Your application will often determine the different wire rope end termination that you use. Wire rope clips are a common wire rope end termination.

– Cable clamps.

– Often you will see clips like this: U-bolt style wire rope clips.

– A lot of times those are just called Crosbys.

– Or this fist grip wire rope clip.

– Sometimes known as monkey fists or double saddle clips.

– Wire rope clips are often used in cable-tensioning systems. One of the tools you can use when working to tension your cables is a wire rope grip.

– Also known as a pork chop, rope dog, cable grip, Haven grip, or wire rope puller.

– When utilized on cranes, wire rope clips are often used in conjunction with a wedge socket.

– Also known as a Becket or turnback Becket.

– And a wedge socket is often used to install an overhaul ball on a mobile crane–

– Headache ball.

Rigging Technique Terminology

– There are a ton of slang terms out there for different pieces of equipment as well as rigging techniques. For example, what the heck is bull rigging?

– A bull rigger is someone who uses hand rigging or drifting or Tarzaning to move something using chain falls, come alongs, winches, skates, or whatever, when a crane can’t be used.

How To Get Rigging Equipment and Training

– So again, depending on the industry that you work in, the part of the country or the world you live in, or even the job that you do, the terminology might change.

Hopefully, this guide will help you better communicate when purchasing equipment, understand rules and regulations, have a clear understanding when out in the field, or improve your effectiveness in the role you play in the lifting and rigging industry.

If you need any of the rigging products we mentioned today or anything else, no matter what you call it, here at Mazzella, we have it, and we have the experts who could help you make the right purchase so you can get your job done safely and efficiently. Feel free to contact us. Links below.

If you found this video useful, informative, entertaining, or you just feel like being friendly, then hit that like button so we can get this information out to everyone who needs it. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a video. If you have a question, drop it in the comments so we can get you an answer.

– [Pair] Remember, safe rigging is smart rigging. My name is Ben. Stay safe out there.

– Cut. Cut.

– Cut.

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In this video

0:00 – Intro: Do you Know Rigging Slang Terms?

0:34 – What is Rigging? Industry Uses & Terminology Differences

1:24 – Lifting Slings & Assemblies: Common Rigging Slang Terms

4:28 – Rigging Hardware and Equipment: Slang Terms and Definitions

6:02 – Crane and Hoist Slang Terminology

6:58 – Wire Rope Accessories & Hardware Terminology

8:14 – Rigging Technique Terminology

9:03 – How To Get Rigging Equipment and Training

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Disclaimer:

Any advice, graphics, images, and/or information contained herein are presented for general educational and information purposes and to increase overall safety awareness. It is not intended to be legal, medical, or other expert advice or services, and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate industry professionals. The information herein should not be considered exhaustive and the user should seek the advice of appropriate professionals.