Hold On To Your Hats! Trading Terminology For Beginners (Sort Of)

Susi Hogan
Jun 30
2 min read

Updated: Jun 30

Ever caught a glimpse of a trading floor on the telly?

If that video’s anything to go by, it’s a blur of shouting, hand signals, and what sounds like code words from a spy film.

From the outside, it doesn’t look like a sophisticated financial hub - it looks like a heart attack waiting to happen.

And honestly?

You’d be forgiven for thinking this whole industry runs on caffeine, chaos… and some sort of secret handshake.

You’re not entirely wrong. But you’re not right either.

The “Trading Floor Follies”: More Than Just Madness

That wild, slapstick energy you just watched?

It’s sort of true — and it’s also part of the problem.

For most newcomers, that’s the only view they ever get of trading.

It’s intimidating. It’s exclusive. It’s ridiculous.

But behind the flailing arms and barked commands is a real system — a structured, centuries-old method of understanding markets, risk, and opportunity. It just sounds mad until someone translates it.

Where the Madness (and the Lingo) Came From

Before algorithms and headsets, there were coffee houses in Amsterdam.

Men in wigs shouting about cargo ships in the 1600s. Honestly.

From those noisy beginnings came the language we still use today.

Take “bulls” and “bears” - daft? Maybe.

But simple, once you get it:

A bull strikes upwards → price going up = a bull market.
A bear swipes downwards → price falling = a bear market.

It’s visual. It’s visceral. And suddenly, all those yelling traders shouting “it’s gone bearish!” make a lot more sense.

That’s how this language works: built for speed and clarity… if you know the code.

Why It Feels Like a Secret Club (And Why It Shouldn’t)

Here’s the real issue: trading isn’t deliberately confusing - it’s just badly explained.

Most beginners aren’t lacking intelligence. They’re just given jargon instead of guidance.

At CLiK, we’re traders ourselves - not marketers, not lifestyle influencers. We’ve made the trades, taken the hits, and built the processes that keep it real.

We created this series - and our whole training model - because we’re tired of seeing smart people turned off by stupid language. Or worse, lured in by hype.

From Chaos to Confidence: That’s the Journey - TRading Terminology For Beginners

This blog is your first step.

We’re going to break it all down — one strange term at a time. No fluff. No nonsense. No shouting required. Trading Terminology for Beginners starts here!

In the next post, we’ll tackle a classic:

“Going Long vs Going Short”

Spoiler: It’s not about height. And it’s definitely not about jogging.

So take a breath. Close the YouTube tab promising daily profits from your sofa.

We’re going to learn this the right way.