What signals do bookmakers use at racecourses to convey odds?

If you have ever been to a racecourse, you will likely have noticed that some bookmakers still like to use the old method of hand signals to communicate information about the odds on a race.

This specific form of sign language used by bookmakers is called Tic-tac. Although sometimes it is denoted as Tic Tac or Tick-Tack.

In this post, we will learn more about the long history of this famous sign language and just why it was so important to bookmakers in the pre-digital era.

What was Tic-tac used for?

Although now technically not required due to the development of the Internet and WiFi technology, many bookmakers will still occasionally use Tic-tac at the racecourse. However, its use is declining fast thanks to the advent of modern technology.

Famous TV racing pundit John McCrirrick often used tic-tac when informing viewers of the odds of a race, and some of the lingo remains in use today. Often in a different context. Initially, bookmakers used Tic-tac to ensure that their odds were not radically different from those of other bookmakers at the racecourse.

Bookmakers would convey the odds changes made on runners to other bookmakers by means of a series of hand gestures and signals. They would also then read signals from other bookmakers at the course which informed them of any changes to odds other bookies had made.

Bookies who used Tic-tac to communicate would wear bright white gloves to make it easy for other bookies to see the hand gestures.

Alongside hand gestures and signals, bookies also developed a language used to describe the odds. The language was very similar to ‘cockney rhyming slang’. Chiefly in the fact that the phrases used sometimes rhymed with the odds they represented, or had some other often obscure link to the odds.

Tic-Tac played an important role in racing for many years, starting at the turn of the 20th century and continuing until the dawn of the digital era.

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When was Tic-tac Developed?

The origins of Tic-tac go back to the late 1800s. Two bookmaking brothers, Charles and Jack Adamson, claimed they developed the language to use at Middlesex racecourses. Starting in 1888.

While this claim is not verifiable, there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that this may be true.

From there, the use of Tic-tac spread around the country in the following years as bookmakers realised the value of aligning their odds across the course.

It remained used extensively throughout the 20th century until advances in telecommunication technology enabled odds to be instantly transferred across the course to all bookmakers.

Since then the use of Tic-tac at the course has become far less prevalent. By 1999, it was estimated that just three bookmakers in the south of England used Tic-tac to communicate odds.

Now, the language is obsolete, but a few practitioners within the betting industry are keeping it alive.

Tic-Tac Signals and Terminology

So, what is this secret semaphore language of the racetrack? Tic Tac is split into two forms: gestures and language. We will explore both below.

Tic Tac Gestures, Language and Their Meaning

Gestures made by a Tic Tac always relate to the odds of a horse running in a race. Some of the most common ones are shown below together with any slang used to refer to the odds shown in brackets.

Evens - Flap hands in front of the chest. (Levels)
11/10 - Extend arms in front of the chest and touch the tips of your fingers
5/4 - Slap your right hand on your left wrist. (Wrist)
11/8 - Make an ‘L’ shape with your left arm then touch your elbow then wrist with the right hand. (Up The Arm)
6/4 - Use the back of the right hand to touch your left ear. (Ear ‘Ole)
13/8 - Curve your left arm and touch finger tips with right, then use back of right hand to touch the left ear. (Unlucky)
7/4 - Right-hand touches the left shoulder.
15/8 - Touch your left shoulder twice with your left hand. (Double Tap)
2/1 - Right-hand touches your nose. (Bottle)
9/4 - Both hands on the top of the head. (Top of the Nut)
5/2 - Both hands on your face either side of your nose. (Bice n ‘Alf)
11/4 - Both hands on your face either side of your nose, then move hands outwards and touch tips of fingers in front of your face. (Elef a Vier)

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3/1 - Right-hand touches the top of your chest just under the chin. (Carpet)
100/30 - Curve arms to touch fingertips and then use right hand to touch the top of the chest. (Burlington Bertie)
7/2 - Both hands touch chest. (Carpet n ‘Alf)
4/1 - Hands out in front of body and then move right hand in an ‘L’ shape.
9/2 - Both hands on the top of each shoulder, left hand on left shoulder, right hand on right. (Shoulders)
5/1 - Right hand on top of shoulder
11/2 - Right hand touches left shoulder then left elbow.
6/1 - Right hand touches right shoulder then the top of the head. (X. IS)
7/1 - Right hand touches shoulder then nose. (Nevis)
8/1 - Right hand touches right shoulder then the top of the chest. (T. Aitch)
9/1 - Outstretch both arms sideways then bend left arm to touch top of the head.

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10/1 - Make a fist with your right hand with right thumb extended upwards. Move into an open left hand. (Cockle)
11/1 - Same as 10/1, but after completing touch the top of the head.
12/1 - Same as 10/1, but after completing touch the tip of the nose. (Stretch)
14/1 - Punch fists together then draw an ‘L’ shape in front of your body with your right arm.
16/1 - Same as 14/1, but then touch the top of your head.
20/1 - Same as 10/1, but simply complete the gesture twice.
25/1 - Same as 20/1, but followed by right hand touching left shoulder. (Pony)
33/1 - Arms crossed across the chest. (Double Carpet)
50/1 - Place the right fist above the left fist. (Bullseye)

Now that you know a little more about the secret language of the racecourse and what those secret gestures and hand signals are that the bookmakers send to each other!

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What signals do bookmakers use at racecourses to convey odds?

What was Tic-tac used for?

When was Tic-tac Developed?

Tic-Tac Signals and Terminology

Tic Tac Gestures, Language and Their Meaning

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