Better names for "orthogonal adjacent" and "orthogonal+diagonally adjacent" (solved)

There is a lot of the population that doesn't know the word "orthogonal". In my instructions, I defined a new term for "group" and that it was "connected squares (not diagonal)" and it seemed to work well enough. It remains my most difficult to understand concept in my game.

I would almost rather use hexes and count steps rather than have to explain it again.

I am an interested party of someone else has a good solution to this.

The Plus "+" could be "NEXT TO", Diagonals "x" could be "ADJACENT" and if you want ALL around it could be "MELEE" (as opposed to RANGE). I am using something similar in my own "Crystal Heroes" (CH) but I am also using the cards themselves to indicate what attacks are permissible. Here's a sample (I know I've shared it before -- just to explain):

On the bottom left-hand corner is the "Attack Pattern". That's how my Game Tiles are designed to allow the players to SEE what kind of attacks are permissible. This is just an example, the TERMS I cited before may be more appropriate even though I too "struggle" with defining the "positions". The table is easier to visualize and comprehend versus verbose language.

In the case of "around" the player, you don't really need a keyword. Something like "Target Any" (makes a lot of sense, no?) since this means any position around the center... (Hear me out -- the idea is ALL versus some)

And then you NEED a Keyword for "plus" ("+") ... I'm not solving the problem just re-defining it so you can get BETTER suggestions!

So "Target Any" is all around. And "Plus" someone has to come up with something clever... IDK. This is 50% of the problem solved. You only need ONE (1) Keyword that relates to the "Plus" positions.

Update #1: "Target Next to" could be the "Plus" positions. And so my suggestion would be "Target Any" or "Target Next to". This sounds logical to me... IF you need to actually "write it down" somewhere.

Clearly the "box" needs one word.
What about "around" ?

So, adjacent and around.

Would take some effort to remember that around and surrounding are two different things, and then remember which one is which. Maybe for a native English-speaker the difference is clearer, but lewpul's suggestion makes a lot of sense to me.

Sorry, I misread, when you said in bold "both "Surrounding" and "Around" are exactly what I was searching for" I read that as if you made up your mind to use those two words for the two different things.

Then I would complain about using two words for the same thing. Just decide on one and use that. :)

But I still would not intuitively immediately understand which one is adjacent and which one is around/surrounding. Maybe if I had to guess I would say that surrounding has to be all nine squares. Around sounds more vague.

I just remembered in Advanced Squad Leader they use "Adjacent" and "ADJACENT" for two different types of being adjacent. I do not even remember what the difference is in that game, since it has a hex grid, so it is never a question of being diagonally adjacent. I think there is some subtle difference when units are in different Locations in the same hex or something like that... Very confusing anyway, like the three or more different types of moving/movement that exists in that game.