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Geocaching Glossary

Geocaching glossary

There are various acronyms and words commonly used when discussing geocaching.

General:

  • Cache – A box or container that contains, at the very least, a logbook
  • Geoswag – The items that can be found in some larger caches.
  • Muggle – A non geocacher that is in some way preventing you from finding a cache.
  • Muggled - Being caught by a non-geocacher while retrieving/replacing a cache; also, a muggled cache has been removed or vandalized by a non-geocacher, usually out of misunderstanding or ignorance.
  • Smiley - A cache find. Refers to the "smiley-face" icon attached to "Found It" logs on some listing sites.
  • BYOP – (Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil) The cache in question lacks a writing device for the logbook.
  • CITO - (Cache In Trash Out) and refers to picking up trash on the hunt.
  • CO - (Cache Owner) The person who is responsible for maintaining a cache, usually the person who hid it.
  • DNF – (Did Not Find) Did not find the cache container being searched for.
  • FTF – (First To Find) The first person to find a cache container.
  • GPS - Short for Global Positioning System, also occasionally refers to the receiver itself
  • GPSr - Short for GPS receiver

Logging a hunt:

  • TFTC - (Thanks For The Cache) This is often used at the end of logs to thank the cache owner.
  • TFTH - (Thanks For The Hunt or Hide or Hike) It shares the same purpose as TFTC, but can also be used when the cache was not found.
  • TN - (Took Nothing) no trade or traveling item was removed from the cache.
  • LN - (Left Nothing) no trade or traveling item was added to the cache.
  • XN - (eXchanged Nothing) combines the previous two acronyms; nothing was removed or added.
  • SL - (Signed Log) used when the participant visited the cache and signed its logbook.

Note: the various acronyms in this section are often combined in various ways, such as "TNLNSL, TFTC!"

Location description or hint:

  • GRC - (GuardRail Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • GZ - (Ground Zero or Geo-zone) refers to the general area in which a cache is hidden.
  • ICT - (Ivy Covered Tree) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • LPC - (Light Post Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • MKH - (Magnetic Key Holder) used in the description on the type of container used for the cache.
  • PLC - (Parking Lot Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • POR - (Pile Of Rocks) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • POS - (Pile Of Sticks or Stones) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
  • UFO - (Unnatural Formation of Objects) a pile of material that obviously did not form naturally and is a likely cache hiding spot.