Rolling Glossary: Crutch, Roach, Canoe, Doink and Other Terms

Quick answer: The words you'll hit most when rolling: a crutch (also tip or filter tip) is the insert at the mouth end; a roach is the stub left at the end; canoeing is when one side burns faster than the other; a backroll is an inside-out joint with less paper; a hash hole has a rope of hash or rosin through the middle; and a doink is slang for a joint, often a big one. Paper sizes run single wide, 1 1/4, king size slim and king size. Definitions for these and more are below, with links to the full guides.

New to all of it? Start with how to roll a joint.

Rolls

Joint. Cannabis rolled in rolling paper. In the US the word usually means no tobacco. More in joint vs blunt vs spliff.

Blunt. Cannabis rolled in a cigar wrapper or blunt wrap. Traditional wraps are tobacco leaf; tobacco-free wraps exist. See types of blunt wraps.

Spliff. Cannabis mixed with tobacco and rolled in paper. In Jamaica, where the word comes from, it can also mean a joint with no tobacco.

Cone. A roll that's narrow at the tip and wide at the far end. You can roll one or buy it pre-rolled and just fill it.

Pre-rolled cone. An empty cone, already shaped and usually tipped, that you fill and twist shut. See the pre-rolled cones guide.

Pre-roll. A joint sold already filled and rolled.

Hash hole. A joint with a thin rope of hash or rosin running through the center, packed in with flower. Some people call it a donut. See what is a hash hole joint.

Doink. Slang for a joint. Collins defines it as a large one, and our 12mm tip listing uses it that way: "roll doinks."

Parts of a roll

Crutch / tip / filter tip. The small tube at the mouth end. It gives the roll structure, keeps the end open and keeps loose bits out of your mouth. All four words mean the same thing in rolling. Full explanation: what is a filter tip.

Roach. The leftover stub at the end of a roll, especially one with no tip. A crutch is there so you don't burn your fingers getting to it.

Gum line (glue strip). The strip of plant gum along one edge of the paper. You moisten it to seal. What it's made of is in what are rolling papers made of.

Mouth end / lit end. The tip end and the far end you light.

Papers and sizes

Single wide. The smallest common size, about 69 to 70mm long and 36 to 37mm wide. Pairs with a 6mm tip.

1 1/4. About 77 to 78mm long and 44mm wide. The everyday size for many people. Pairs with a 7mm or 8mm tip.

King size slim. About 108 to 110mm long and 44mm wide: king length, 1 1/4 width.

King size. About 108 to 110mm long and 53mm or wider. Pairs with an 8mm or 12mm tip.

98 special. A cone length name, about 98mm. In many cone lines it's the 1 1/4 size.

All sizes vary a little by brand. Full chart: rolling paper sizes.

Booklet. A pack of rolling papers.

Unbleached. Paper that skipped the whitening step, so it's tan or brown.

Blunt wrap. A sheet or leaf for rolling a blunt: tobacco, hemp, palm leaf or banana leaf.

Rolling techniques

Tuck. Folding the near edge of the paper around the filling to start the roll. A tight tuck is most of what makes a joint even.

Backroll (inside-out, insi). A joint rolled with the paper flipped so the extra paper can be torn off, leaving about one layer. Steps: how to backroll a joint.

Packing. Pressing the filling down from the open end with a pen or packing stick so it burns evenly.

Twist. Closing the open end by twisting the extra paper shut.

W fold (accordion fold). The zigzag fold inside a homemade crutch. See pre-rolled tips vs folding your own.

Rolling machine. A small roller that shapes and rolls the paper for you. See how to use a rolling machine.

Rolling mat / tray. A surface to roll on that catches loose bits. Our Rolling Mat is 15.5 x 31.5 in, 3mm neoprene.

Burn problems

Canoe (canoeing). One side burns faster than the other, so the lit end hollows out on one side like a canoe.

Run. A single line burning up one side of the paper ahead of the rest.

Causes and fixes for both: why does my joint canoe.

Products are for adults 21+.