Animal Crossing Glossary of Terms Guide - Creature Crossing (2024)

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 forAnimal Crossing: New Horizons

ACNL

The initialism forAnimal Crossing: New Leaf

Bells

The currency ofAnimal 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 inAnimal 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 forAnimal 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 inAnimal 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 theHappy 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 theHappy 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:

Cookie Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing Smug Villagers: A Complete Guide

Animal Crossing Special Characters Guide