Animal Crossing is the hugely popular cozy life sim which is beloved by millions of fans. However, there are many terms that you’ll need to get used to throughout the game, so I’ve created this glossary to get you up to date.
The A-Z
ACNH
The initialism for Animal Crossing: New Horizons
ACNL
The initialism for Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Bells
The currency of Animal Crossing. You can earn them by selling items, shooting down balloons, or planting money trees. You can spend them in Nook’s Cranny and with other vendors in the game.
Blathers
The owl who runs your museum. He’s afraid of bugs but will still give you information on them when you bring them to him. He can also appraise fossils and determine whether a piece of art is fake or not.
Bugs
One of the collectible features in the game, bugs will spawn around your island, and you can catch them with a net. You can sell them to Flick for double the price you’d receive at Nook’s Cranny.
Celeste
Blathers’ sister, she will sometimes visit your island on days where meteor showers are likely. She gives you DIY recipes involving star fragments.
C.J
A fishing enthusiast who visits your island from time to time. You need to complete a fishing challenge for him each time, after which he’ll buy your fish for double their usual price. He also runs the fishing tournament.
Cooking
Added as part of the 2.0 update, you can find cooking recipes and create dishes at any kitchen surface, such as an oven or a stove. If you don’t have one in your own home, you can use another villager’s.
Crops
You can plant these on your island and harvest them to use in cooking recipes.
Cyrus and Reese
These adorable married llamas are available to unlock as vendors on Harvey’s islands. They can customize your furniture for a price, which varies depending on the item.
DIY Recipes
There are plenty of items to craft in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and you learn how to make them by finding DIY recipes. These can be given to you by other villagers, bought from Nook’s Cranny, and found in bottles that wash up on the shore of your beach.
Dodo Airlines
This is the airport where you can fly to other islands, whether offline or to visit other players. It’s often shorted to DAL.
Dreamies
A term meaning the villagers you most want to live on your island. Your dream villagers, if you will.
Fish
These can be seen as dark blobs in the water around your island (ponds, rivers, or the sea). They’re one of the things you need to collect and can be used in some cooking recipes.
Flick
A bug enthusiast who will visit your island from time to time. He buys bugs at double their usual price. He also runs the Bug Catching Contest.
Fruit
There are five main types of fruit available in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Apples, cherries, oranges, peaches, and pears. You will start with one native fruit, which will sell for 100 bells each. You can get the others by visiting other players’ islands, and non-native fruit sells for 500 bells each. You can also plant coconut trees on the beach, and coconuts sell for 200 bells each.
Fossils
You can find these by digging up cracked spots on your island or mystery islands. They can be assessed by Blathers. They are one of the things you need to collect for the museum.
Gyroids
Added with the 2.0 update, these are special musical items that can be dug up from the ground. They come in a range of colors. You can also find Gyroid Fragments, which need to be buried in a hole and then watered, after which they’ll turn into a Gyroid the next day.
Happy Home Paradise
Also represented as HHP, it was the DLC released for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Harv’s Island
Harv will visit your island near the start of the game, and once you speak to him, you will be able to visit his island. He has a photography studio, as well as a commune which gives you access to many different services.
Hot Items
These change daily and are items that sell for double the price at Nook’s Cranny. You can find what they are by checking the sign outside the shop or talking to Timmy and Tommy.
Isabelle
A sweet yellow dog who works in Resident Services on your island. She reads the daily announcements, and you can speak to her to customize various elements of your island life.
Jolly Redd
This sneaky fox sells artwork, but be careful! Some of his items will be fake, so you need to carefully examine anything he tries to sell you. All the artworks will cost you 4,980 bells each. He can occasionally be found moored at the secret beach behind your island, and you can unlock him as a character on Harv’s Island.
Kapp’n’s Islands
Added as part of the 2.0 update, you can find Kapp’n on the pier of your island. Once a day, you can pay him 1,000 Nook Miles for a boat tour, where he’ll take you to a mystery island. These islands have a chance to give rare resources.
Katrina
A fortune teller who you can unlock on Harv’s Island. You can speak to her to increase friendship with your villagers. She can also tell your fortune, which will either give you good or bad luck the next day.
K.K. Slider
The most famous music artist in Animal Crossing, K.K is a singing dog who will do weekly concerts outside Resident Services once your island reaches 3 stars. He also gives you the records of his songs, which you can keep or gift to villagers.
Leif
He’s a character who comes to your island to sell you plants and buy your weeds. You can also unlock him as a character on Harv’s Island.
Mystery Islands
You can fly to these special islands by taking a Nook Miles Ticket to Dodo Airlines. They contain various resources, and if you have an empty plot on your island, you can find new villagers on them.
Nook Miles
You earn these for completing various tasks around your island. They can be used to purchase items and services in the game.
Nook Miles Tickets
These can be purchased from the terminal inside Resident Services for 2000 Nook Miles each. You can use these to fly to a Mystery Island.
Nook’s Cranny
The shop that Timmy and Tommy start on your island. You can sell items, check the price of turnips (which changes daily), and buy unique items which change each day. You can also look in the cabinet for items that are consistently there, such as tools and basic DIY recipes.
Poki
The currency of the Happy Home Paradise DLC. You earn poki by completing vacation homes for clients and can spend them in the Paradise Planning shop.
Saharah
She’s a camel who visits your island to sell you Mysterious Rugs. She can also sell you Mysterious Wallpaper or Mysterious Flooring. You can also unlock her on Harv’s Island.
Saharah Tickets
These are tickets you earn whenever you buy a rug from Saharah. The amount you earn depends on the size of the rug you buy. When you save up 5 tickets, you can get a free Mysterious Wallpaper or Flooring.
Sea Creatures
These are found by diving under patches of bubbles in the sea. You will need a wet suit to be able to swim out to them. There are a number of different creatures to be found, and you need to collect them for the museum.
Star Fragments
If you wish upon a star during a meteor shower, you will find star fragments on your beach the next day. These can be used in crafting. You can also find them in special rocks on one of Kapp’n’s Islands.
Timmy and Tommy
Tom Nook’s nephews, they run Nook’s Cranny.
Tom Nook
The mogul behind your island home, he’s a money-grabbing raccoon who will do anything to get his hands on your bells. He resides in Resident Services with Isabelle. He sells you house upgrades and manages island events.
Tortimer
An elderly tortoise, he’s unlockable as a character on Harv’s Island. You can access your storage catalog if you speak to him, which is convenient if you’re customizing furniture with Cyrus and Reese.
Turnips
An item you can buy from Daisy Mae when she visits your island before midday on a Sunday. The price for these changes in Nook’s Cranny every day, and they can be a great way to make money, especially if you visit other players’ islands.
Uglies
A term meaning the villagers you hate and would least want on your island. This can be based on their looks, personality, or something else.
Vacation Home
You design these for clients that you find on the archipelago of Paradise Planning. This is the purpose of the Happy Home Paradise DLC.
Villagers
These are the Animal Crossing characters who can live on your island (or other location, depending on which game you’re playing). The term applies to all the villagers whether or not they are currently living on your island.
Learn more about Animal crossing by reading the guides below:
Animal Crossing Smug Villagers: A Complete Guide
Animal Crossing Special Characters Guide
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