Learn all the in-jokes, references, and terminology from Mr OOC, V1, and Jay Hunter of the brilliant OSW Review podcast. For similar see our previous piece detailing the top 10 OSW Review catchphrases.
Ahola Arn – One of the most well-known OSW catchphrases, the so-called ‘Aloha Arn’ is a patented spot of Arn Anderson in which “The Enforcer” tries at all costs – often in vain – to not fall into a sunset flip roll-up pin. It is named such as Arn’s attempts to stop himself being brought to the mat replicate an effect similar to a hula dance and as such ‘Aloha Arn’ is sung to a Hawaiian-esque tune. Although the phrase was not used, it was first alluded to at WrestleMania V.
Arn has commented on the spot on his The Arn Show podcast, stating: “It’s called working your ass off. It’s adding drama to literally something that nobody ever added drama to beforehand.”
It has developed beyond Arn and is used for any wrestler using the spot, with Arn’s name switched to the appropriate wrestler.
“Aloha Arn worked. Like, he regained his centre of balance and punched him in the head.” (OSW #56: Starrcade 1994)
Another Day, Another Dollar – A phrase used to prelude to host Jay Hunter revealing a fan has got an OSW tattoo. The phrase signals that tattoos from the fans are a regular occurrence with the phrase “Another day, another dollar”, notably used in The Simpsons, meaning that things are routine and ordinary.
Backne – Terminology relating to ‘roidy magoos’, in which large-physiqued athletes have notably acne-ridden backs, likely due to steroid use.
“And they the bout with EC3’s incredible ‘roid backne…got those fucking little volcanoes on his back, like.” (OSW #64: Bound For Glory 2017)
Bag of Ham – A reference to the in-joke that TNA paid Abyss in bags of ham. As a catchphrase, it commonly follows the name of Abyss’s Black Hole Slam finisher, alluding to Soundgardem’s 1990s single “Black Hole Sun”.
Jay: “Raven Effect failed and Black Hole Slam,
V1: “Bag of ham! (OSW #66: Bound For Glory 2007)
Barse – A term for the area between the genitals and buttocks, a portmanteau of balls and arse.
“[Earth]quake who spends most of his time spread-eagled on the mat, presenting his barse. I call this the ‘William Regal camera angle’ because in WCW, it is just right up his barse.” (OSW #72: Survivor Series 1992)
Big Black Bully Cock – Mr OOC’s nickname for The Blacktop Bully, who competed in the infamous WCW King of the Road match at Uncensored 1995 against Dustin Rhodes. The nickname will reliably be name-checked whenever mentioning Barry Darsow or Goldust.
Jay: “It’s the final singles Pay-Per-View match for Repo [Man]…then to WCW…what match am I going to reference? What match do I reference all the time?”
Mr OOC: “Oh, fucking, not Big Black Bully Cock?” (OSW #29: SummerSlam 1992)
Bollocks – A popular OSW term for something that is so bad that it goes full circle and becomes good. The OSW lads are huge fans of wrestling bollocks such as The Dungeon of Doom, the fake Undertaker angle, and the Irish martial arts farce Fatal Deviation.
“The only thing I’m missing is a Hogan promo, just give me some “Hollywood” bollocks.” (OSW #102: Fall Brawl 1998)
Boy – A classic OSW Review term, a boy is defined by OSW as someone who is unsuccessful (never a major world champion), unpopular (not generally acclaimed or well respected), and untalented (a certain cringe factor in admitting your love of them), albeit there are some exceptions. William Regal is highly-respected but is a ‘boy’ by the skin of his teeth whilst world champions such as Ronnie Garvin and Jack Swagger are de facto ‘boys’.
The term first cropped up in OSW #40: Capital Carnage, in which top boys are discussed at length. Fans with tattoos are allowed to nominate their boy stable (the stable is a literal stable as the ‘boys’ live with the horses in the barn).
Prime ‘boy’ candidates include Marty Jannetty, Finlay, Test, Ed Leslie, and Steve Blackman.
“It’s such a shame that [Lex Luger’s] been champion, he’s such a boy.” (OSW #59: World War 3)
Brah – Emanating from the repeated use of the main vocative of Crush. The phrase has been expanded to relate to the allegedly once-used phrase: “Doink, brah, making kids cry, brah!” When there is a plural quantity of one thing, the second version is a ‘brah brah’.
Mr OOC: “There was wall-to-wall Doinks, wall-to-walls brahs…”
Jay: “Wall-to-wall making kids cry.” (OSW #73: First Monday Night Raw)
Bret’s Rope – A term for the middle rope, named after Bret “The Hitman” Hart who often hit his pin-point elbow from this position, barely ever going to the top rope. Perhaps more so than any term, the phrase has entered regular wrestling vernacular. Bret’s rope is regarded as the most dangerous rope.
“Razor should have known better than to try a move from Bret’s rope as he’s the master of that rope.” (OSW #76: King Of The Ring 1993)
Brucie Bonus – Terminology for a surprise review of a wrestling segment. The name derives from the long-running TV game show Play Your Cards Right, which ran from the 1980s until the early 2000s.
The show was hosted by the iconic British personality Bruce Forsyth. The late, great presenter would nickname prizes given to contestants as a “Bruce Bonus.”
“We chronically critique pro wrestling storylines Pay-Per-View by Pay-Per View, this is not that…In a very special Brucie Bonus episode, it’s Exposed: Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets.” (OSW #82: Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets)
Carny – Old school wrestling terminology for someone working at a carnival, deriving from the development of wrestling at the turn of the 20th century. The term is used to insult the weird parts of the wrestling business such as an excessively strong commitment to kayfabe, the use of insider wrestling phrases, and a term for old school wrestling as a whole
“When a much more famous comes in who doesn’t know locker room etiquette…because he’s not a carny, would they hold that against him?” (OSW #94: Slammys 1994)
Damn it, D’Lo! – Old school wrestling terminology for someone working at a carnival, deriving from the development of wrestling at the turn of the 20th century. The term is used to insult the weird parts of the wrestling business such as an excessively strong commitment to kayfabe, the use of insider wrestling phrases, and a term for old school wrestling as a whole
“Damn it, D’Lo! Match number one: Gangrel gets the win after Edge hits a dropkick; not a clean finish. Match number two: Droz, he fights with Animal and then gets rolled up and blah, blah, blah; another shitty, non-clean finish that doesn’t put the winner over, right? Third fucking match: clean win but Goldust gets his heat back the second it fucking ends. And this match: feet on the fucking ropes and Edge gets his heat back the second after it ends. Four horrific finishes in a row.” (OSW #40: Capital Carnage 1998)
Duckarse – Nickname referring to Bob Backlund, who often did warmed-up by moving his body and limbs, jumping from side by side. Although suiting his technical abilities, as pointed out by OSW, it was seriously out of place by the 1990s with the ex-WWF champion’s movements first noted in the WrestleMania IX review when compared to Donald Duck. Since then, ‘duckarse’ has become his OSW title.
This has developed into listing songs that are ‘duckarsey’, including “The National Anthem” by Radiohead and “All That She Wants” by Ace Of Base. The most ‘duckarse’ song however is Brass Against’s cover of Tool’s “The Pot”, which was described as being “99% duckarse” by Mr OOC.
“Backlund gives us a bit of duck arse, just before Senshi comes in, steals his spotlight.” (OSW #64: Lockdown 2007)
Eamon Dunphy – An Irish football pundit, the boys often bring up Dunphy, often in referencing his distinctive soundbite style or live animated analysis of games.
“I’m pretty sure this was lifted straight from Eamon Dunphy.” (OSW #72: Survivor Series 1992)
Gary Strydom, wow! – A quote from Vince McMahon’s commentary during the short-lived WBF (World Bodybuilding Federation) in relation to bodybuilder Gary Strydom. The top name of the promotion, Strydom was an impressively-physiqued performer and as such the phrase is the best representation of Vince McMahon’s apparent love for big, sweaty men and often brought up in such situations. See OSW’s WBF retrospective in OSW #28: WrestleMania VIII.
GrappleVision – The kayfabe way OSW is filmed. The name was derived as a satirical parody of the gimmicky film studio names, especially those emerging in the mid-20th century. This particular name comes from host Jay’s brother Joey, who suggested the name after seeing that the forgotten 2nd WWE PPV The Wrestling Classic was filmed in “WrestleVision”. Every, or at least, the vast majority of episodes are prefaced with Jay telling the audience the episode is filmed in “Glorious GrappleVision.”
Jay Hunter Special – Named after host Jay, who in their old online wrestling federation, had a number of notable gimmicks such as back and eye rakes and wearing a waistcoat.
Jay: “Straight to the outside, back rake.”
Mr OOC: “The Jay Hunter special!”
V1: “I actually made note of that: Jay is going to love this match!” (OSW #56: Starrcade 1994)
Kane Bump – A term referring to a distinctive landing of a bump onto one’s knee(s). Protecting yourself from potential pain, it may aid with career longevity but looks really lazy and makes the move look flat. Similar OSW-referenced bumps include The Undertaker bump (putting a hand up from a chair shot from the on-set) and Samoa Joe bump (landing on your back from a move not designed to, referring to when Samoa Joe sold a Booker T Scissors Kick but falling backwards).
“Jarrett’s Kane-level selling of the Pedigree, lands on his knee.” (OSW #40: Capital Carnage 1998)
Kane Frizz – Scale used to measure the ‘frizz’ on a wrestler taking part in a match. This often corresponds to the amount of baby oil put in the hair before a match. Kane notably often looked like a poodle by a long match’s end, his oiled hair gathering in a noticeably wild and unkempt manner.
“Oh my God, Kane’s full-on floor mop; 100% frizz, maximum capacity.” (OSW #47: Royal Rumble 2001)
Knacker – An Irish colloquialism used on a regular basis to describe someone who is repulsive or loathsome. According to Urban Dictionary, the term is used within Ireland is used as a derogatory term for a gypsy.
The term is quite malleable, able to describe a person [“Like a knacker, his eyes wide open looking at her.” (OSW #57: Fall Brawl 1995)], an immobile object [“What do you think of Jericho’s knacker tattoo sleeve?” (OSW #99: AEW Revolution 2021)], or the actions of a person [“Jimmy, the big knacker, sleeps it rough in the woods.” (OSW Fatal Deviation Review)].
Little Bitch – The OSW name for Sean Waltman’s 1-2-3 Kid character. Noting how insulting the name The Kid was, due to his meek promo ability and low confidence, he was branded a bitch. Although one of the most skilled workers of the New Generation, his lack of charisma led to derision of his work in this era.
“His character, a meek, grateful, low-confidence dude, I submit to you the most damning evidence that he is, in fact, a little bitch. In Your House VI: Razor vs 1-2-3 Kid, Razor wins clean and post-match Ramon breaks out talcum powder, 1-2-3 Kid’s on his back, Razor lifts his legs up like you would with a newborn child and he’s gonna talc his bottom!”
Mo Me Meow/Myah Myah Myah – OSW’s imitation of the theme song of Black Reign (Dustin Rhodes) in TNA. His theme used the phrase in question over and over again, being the go-to phrase when discussing the gimmick. So popular was the infamy of the character that a whole story arc was constructed around him.
“Oh my God, mo me meow!” (OSW #68: Christmas iMPACT! 2007)
Mountain Dew KFC Gold Honey Mustard Gotta Be Gotta Be Dominos Pre-Show – A reference to the overly-advertised WWF Pay-Per-View events. The most famous was the long-spanning sponsorship with Dominos, which, in the mid-1990s, saw an agreement where the WWF had to mention Dominos 60 times.
Despite the difficulty of the phrase, Jay learned it off by heart and seems very proud to show people that he has! The topic was discussed in OSW #90: Sunday Night Slam, for example.
Neo – The name of the former OSW Review member who appeared in the first few episodes. According to the OSW website, Neo simply disappeared after WrestleMania III, no longer showing up to recordings, being last seen at OOC’s 30th birthday.
Since leaving the show, Neo has been the butt of many jokes including not showing up, having a lesbian’s voice, and terrible pro wrestling move execution.
“Goldberg[‘s]…Neo armbar where he’s pulling on the socket rather than trying to bend the joint, loved it.” (OSW #108: Halloween Havoc 1998)
New Year’s Baby – A frequently brought-up incarnation of the Big Show. In 2013, WWE had Big Show dress up as a New Year’s Baby, complete with a dummy, milk bottle, and – most embarrassingly – a nappy. Anytime a mention of Big Show is close, a New Year’s Baby is not too far away.
“I love how they shorten babyface to “the baby”. It’s like, “where is the baby?”, “here comes the baby”. Talking about the baby though, where is the Big Show?” (OSW #82: Exposed! Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets)
Nogger – One of the earliest running gags, a nogger is a bar of vanilla ice cream and a nougat filling with a chocolate shell.
Its origin is from “What Bar?” when V1 compares Virgil’s gear to a nogger, commanding one of the most ecstatic reactions in OSW history.
The Annual Golden Noggers award has since become a yearly fixture for OSW in which the ‘best of’ different categories is crowned, such as quotes, episodes, and induct new OSW Hall of Famers.
“Virgil, he is a nogger.” (OSW #25: This Tuesday in Texas)
OOC Special – Named after Mr OOC, whose gimmicks from his online wrestling federation days include smoking and wearing a shirt whilst wrestling.
Jay: “The Giant, the OOC special…is so out of shape, he’s now wrestling in a t-shirt.”
Mr OOC: “[…] The real OOC special, which is walking to the ring having a smoke – which I love as you know but fuck you, that’s my thing! (OSW #108 Halloween Havoc 1998)
Paul! – A reference to the infamous Million Dollar Mania where Vince McMahon regularly gave away six-figure sums of cash to listeners. During the segment, Vince was crushed by a stand and when being put on a gurney, shouted out to Triple H using his real name Paul.
The moment comes up every few episodes at a mention of the name Paul or any other excuse.
It was first brought up in OSW #1.
Mr OOC: “At least we know where Vince got his Million Dollar Mania thing from.”
Jay: “”Paul! I can’t feel my legs!””
Mr OOC: “It’s been at least three episodes since we broke that out lads!”
Jay: “I can’t believe you found a way to get it in.
Mr OOC: “I was like “Yes, yes! This is it!”” (OSW #102: WCW Fall Brawl 1998)
Pearl Harbour – A term for a pre-match brawl in which one opponent attacks another from behind.
Coined by commentator Gorilla Monsoon, the term is a thinly-veiled and perhaps offensive reference to Japan’s 1941 attack on the US naval base.
OSW have more recently retooled the phrase to a WCW, i.e. “WCWs him from behind.”
“He pearl harbours him in front of him!” (OSW #73: WWF First Ever Raw)
Pittance – Taken from a once-used phrase by Diesel in a Coliseum Exclusive clip after being accidentally kicked by Shawn Michaels.
Considering the lack of use of the word and the way he uses it to slur the tag belts has made it an iconic OSW Review moment.
It was also used once by the Ultimate Warrior as highlighted during the Warrior in WCW arch, to which the boys marked out.
Mr OOC: “”What a pittance!”. What an amazing word to use!”
Jay: “He’s never said the word before or since.”
V1: “One of the three highest accolades in the world of wrestling: “What a pittance!”” (OSW #94: WWF 1994 Slammys)
Samoa Joe Bump – A reference to the unique way in which Samoa Joe would sell the Booker T scissor kick. Instead of falling forward, he would turn 270 degrees and take a back bump. Pretty much nobody else has bumped in such a way, brought up to imply a lazy or illogical sell job.
V1: “We get the Samoa Joe Bump. The anti-gravity bump.”
Jay: “So he gets hit in the back of the head and he’s three-quarters towards the mat but he decides “I’m not taking a bump on my face, I’ll just go 270 degrees all the way round, flat back bump.” (OSW #118: TNA Steiner Returns!)
Shave Them Sideburns – Coming from The Simpsons Season 3, Episode 17 “Homer At The Bat” in which Mr Burns askes player Don Mattingly to “shave those sideburns.” This is inspite of him having no sideburns.
It is thus used to reference wrestlers whose hair is too long or pronounced around the temple.
“Bob, mate, shave them sideburns.” (OSW #95: Royal Rumble 1995)
Smellness – Refers to drug testing in wrestling. No wellness policy used to be in place and instead drug testing was less regulated and more sparce, hence smellness.
In OSW, the term ‘smellness’ often follows descension as a reference to Survivor Series 1989 when a real-life drug test prevented Tully Blanchard from competing, with the kayfabe explanation of descension.
“Ventura gets over that there is descension in The Heenan Family, descension that only existed a couple of days ago when Tully Blanchard failed his smellness test.” (OSW #15: Survivor Series 1989)
Spider Bret – A term given to Bret Hart, who often tries to grab onto the ropes when falling to brace the impact of the move. In getting tangled in the ropes, he is like a spider, hence the phrase, also a nod to the Spider Pig inn The Simpsons Movie.
“Hit Man” must be really bollocked because he didn’t Spider Bret to break his fall.” (OSW #76: King Of The Ring 1993)
State Of Your… – The Irish lads way of pointing out how truly awful something is. The phrase, often along the lines of “state of your x, mate” or “the fucking state of…”, has been used to mock everything from wrestlers’ names to ring attire to a whole company.
“The fucking state of the two of them, particularly Mr Del Ray, with his big rape ‘tache and ginger nipple hair.” (OSW #81: SummerSlam 1993)
Virgil – Known for his money-snatching ways at conventions, Virgil has become part of OSW lore due to his conniving monetary tactics.
In 2007, Mr OOC met Virgil at a convention and stole his $10, which was a permanent gag. One viewers had a $10 signed by Virgil which he mailed to OOC. It holds pride of place on his wall.
Virgil’s character is also brought up for other reasons too such as his punches, jobber status, and attire – yet all are secondary to his run-in with OOC.
What Bar?– Perhaps the single biggest legacy and staple of OSW Review, “What Bar?” is a long-running but sadly increasingly rare segment in which the lads describe the distinct attires of particular wrestlers by comparing them to chocolate bar colors.
It extends beyond bars however, with “What Smokes?”. Products such as Brittany Spears, Trojan condoms, and Rodimus Prime.
It has become a signature of the channel, with its own “What Bar?” shirt and bar.
Whoopsie – The name given by OSW to the seated senton drop, as done by the likes of Earthquake and Doink The Clown. The move somewhat looks like the wrestler dropping and falling on the opponent accidentally.
“Earthquake does the two-year-old tantrum and hits the Whoopsie!” (OSW #19: SummerSlam 1990)
Whopper – Synonym for amazing. High praise indeed!
“I love her, she is whopper!” (OSW #23: SummerSlam 1991)
Worzel – Allusion to longtime WWE road agent and backstage figure Rene Goulet. Goulet could often be seen during schmozes, as a backstage figure walking out to interrupt brawls.
Early in OSW history, V1 pointed out how Goulet immediately drew the eye whenever on screen. Jay has on several occasions referred to him as “Jim Bowen in a blonde monk’s wig.” However, what stuck was V1 calling him Worzel, a reference to Worzel Gummidge, the television character scarecrow played by Jon Pertwee.
He appeared so often in the early reviews, he got his own ‘Worzel alert’ sound whenever he appeared, with an exclamation mark appearing above him, as if a Metal Gear Solid character. OSW paid tribute with an opening graphic when he sadly passed away in 2019.
“There’s a Worzel alert in massive writing here!” (OSW #25: This Tuesday In Texas)
Ya Fookin’ Animal Ya! – A reference to Robogarda’s famous video in which he dons a dodgy Marge Simpson mask and yells the phrase.
It has since been used as a congratulatory phrase for people who have watched OSW videos, received OSW tattoos, and celebrity shoutouts.
You’re Out Of Here! – What the lads yell when somebody is forced to leave. It is most often accompanied by a count from one to ten, like a referee giving a count-out.
This is not a comprehensive list but more of a complete compilation than the current OSW dictionary.
GRIFFIN KAYE.