86'ed Banned from the lot. The term is in general use meaning "we have no more [ something]" or "to get rid of [something]." There are many 'folk etymologies' ex plaining the origin of the term, but all are dubious. A&S Man "Age and Scale" operator ("guess your age or weight" operator). More com monly known as "Fool the Guesser," the game can be operated as a hanky-pank (q.v .) or any of several other ways. AB Amusement Business, the trade magazine of the outdoor entertainment industry. ABA A commercial "traveler's check," often purchased under assumed names, useful for carrying and transferring large sums of cash without bank or I.R.S. scrutin y. Add-Up Joint, or Add 'Em Up Game where each play (each dart thrown, ball rolled, balloon broken...) scores points that are totaled for the player. In its most d irect form, it is a fair enough game (though it is illegal in some areas as a 'g ame of chance') but it is very similar to the larcenous "razzle dazzle' game whi ch adds a 'build up' feature (q.v.) and cannot be won. Advance Man Employee who handles details such as licenses and sponsors before a carnival arrives in town, and sometimes handles bribes to local officials for le aving the carnival alone. After-Catch Items sold to show patrons after they have paid their admission and seen the show. After-Show Blowoff (q.v.) Afterpiece A multi-gag comedy act closing a medicine show. Agent The one who works a game, especially a game that requires some skill and f inesse to sell to the marks, and most especially a rigged game. Sometimes the ow ner, sometimes an employee working on percentage. Many carnies feel that the nam e 'agent' implies dishonesty. Skilled agents would be bored (and overpaid) worki ng a no-skill joint like a dime pitch. Al-A-Ga-Zam Greeting from one pitchman to another. Alibi Store A game in which the agent gives you an alibi, an explanation of why you didn't win. Maybe "you threw the ball too fast," or how you violated the rul es (leaned over the foul line, etc.) He often offers you a "better" chance to wi n (for another fee, of course) but you'll never win a thing. There's no need to hide the gaff when the authorities inspect, and big replay profits (until the ma rk catches on, of course, and starts a beef.) Alligator Man Sideshow human oddity afflicted with skin condition, commonly icth yosis, that gives the skin a scaly, reptilian appearance. Amusement Business The trade magazine of the trade, originally "The Billboard". Many traveling showmen would use Billboard as their address the magazine would f orward mail to them along the show's route. Anatomical Wonder A sideshow performer able to do stunts such as 'the man withou t a stomach' (pulling the gut in until the backbone shows), pulling themselves t hrough a coat hanger or tennis racket, and other India Rubber Man stunts. Annex The area of a sideshow joint where the blowoff is located. Arcade A tent housing coin-operated amusement games normally only on larger show s. Arrow A paper sign, consisting simply of a large (usually red) printed arrow, us ed to mark the route between towns. Taped to road signs by the 24-hour man the d ay before the show moves. Can be placed in any orientation: the occasional strai ght-up arrow to tell you you're on the right track, a single tilted arrow to war n of an upcoming turn, and two or three tilted arrows in a group to indicate whe re to turn. At' Show (also called "catch wrestling") 'At' is short for "Athletic", and indic ates a wrestling show where locals are challenged to enter the ring and beat (or last a certain amount of time against) the carnival's champion wrestler. The lo cal boys might be persuaded to secretly cooperate, delivering an arranged win or loss as intended. Matches would usually last less than five minutes, followed b y a return to the bally platform, where the loser (always the towner in the firs t match) would loudly demand a rematch, complaining that he'd been cheated. Many in the audience would pay to go back in to see the local hero try again, watchi ng carefully to catch any cheating. This might be worth repeating several times until the locals tired of it or ran out of money. The traveling wrestlers had an effective repertoire of "concession holds", or "hooks," which would let them en d the match in an assured victory at will. The hooks were so painful that the lo cal boy would shout a loud "uncle" or "I give" or just "aaaaaargh!", eliminating any suspicion that the referee had ruled unfairly. Aunt Sally "Aunt Sally," originally a fairground game, is now a pub game played almost exclusively in a very small area in Britain. It featured a figure of an o ld woman's head with a pipe in its mouth. The goal was to to break off the pipe by throwing a baton about 18" long. The target has since been simplified into a small cylinder (still called "the dolly") atop a stake, to be knocked off by the baton. The game was sufficiently widespread and popular that by 1898 "Aunt Sall y" was a colloquialism in mainstream use meaning someone who was the object of e asy but unfair attack. B.C. "Be cool," a warning to stop whatever you are doing or saying. Perhaps the Chief of Police is watching you while you're about to take all his daughter's mo ney, so STOP whatever you are doing immediately and find out why the person said B.C. "Baby Needs Milk" When you see a fellow carny flirting with a townie, you might wander by and say this just to mess up your buddy's 'score', either as a joke or if you know that this particular townie has oh, say, the police chief for a fat her. Baby Show Also known as 'unborn,' 'life,' 'bottle,' 'freak baby' and 'pickled pu nk show.' Back End The far end of the lot, where the large shows and rides are located. Th is placement of strong attractions draws customers from the gate through the ent ire length of the lot. It doesn't help anyone if patrons linger at the front end and do not circulate, so a particularly strong back-end attraction can take hom e as much as 50% of its gross income, sometimes (when other back-end attractions are weak) even 100%. Concessions, wherever located, are considered part of the front end. Back Yard Sometimes also called "the living lot." Here, away from public access, are private trailers for living and storage. Back Yard Boy A general gofer, sometimes a 'roughie' but more often an inexperie nced helper. Backtracking When an independent attraction or a small carnival does not have it s entire season arranged beforehand, it may find that the only good lot in its n ext location has been already taken by another outfit. The only choice then may be to backtrack and replay a town you have already visited this season, resultin g in sparse business and discouraged agents. Baffle Blocks Six-sided or eight-sided or more logs used as dice. They resemble the dice used in some ancient Chinese gambling games. Bag Man or Fixer The official in the locale where the carnival is set up to whom protection money is paid, either to overlook actual violations or not to find i maginary ones. Bail the Counter As in "bail out of an airplane." Usually, the only way out of a joint is to "bail", or jump over the counter.

THE BALLY Bally or Ballyhoo The "Bally" is the "outside talker's" spiel drawing a crowd (k nown as a "tip") to see a sideshow. The bally is a sophisticated commercial, usu ally illustrated with quick appearances by the performers featured in the show. Its longer, original form, "Ballyhoo," has come into general usage meaning "to a ttract the attention of customers/voters by raising a clamor." The word originat ed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in the "Streets of Cairo" pavili on. The performers from the Middle East spoke only Arabic. Exhibit manager W.O. Taylor would call the Beledi dancers (a term later corrupted, also by Taylor, to "belly dancers") and musicians out during slack periods to attract a crowd. Sin ce these calls were on no set schedule, the tired performers would mutter "D'All ah hun", roughly meaning "Oh, for God's sake!", as they rose to the extra duty. Taylor began simply calling them to (as he heard it) "ballyhoo." We do not know, though we can guess, what else the performers may have had to say in Arabic abo ut the boss. The bally is also known as the "first opening," while the inside ta lker would introduce the crowd to the show with the "second opening." There are several distinct parts to the classic bally: MAKING THE OPENING "Making the opening" is attracting the attention of everyone within earshot. The object is to assemble a crowd they don't have to be eager attendees, they just have to be willing to pause for a moment to find out what you are yelling about. Ward Hall recently told the Sideshow Central website that "drawing a tip is just the start. Then you need to freeze the tip while the talker makes the pitch. Th e things that work best: daytime, a beautiful girl in a revealing costume holdin g a big fat snake. At night: fire eating with a fire blast, fire juggling, or ev en better, a strong freak." The word "free" is particularly attractive. The crowd is being separated from th eir money at every point along the way from the gate to the "back end" where the biggest sideshows are usually placed. Anything they can get free is a real reli ef (they don't quite catch on that the whole idea is to take even more of their cash). THATS RIGHT FOLKS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FREE SHOW RIGHT HERE, COME ON OVER FOR THE BIG FREE SHOW! GATHER AROUND AND WATCH WHAT WERE GONNA DO, IT'S ALL FREE AND IT'S STARTING RIGHT NOW! THIS IS THE ONE YOU'VE READ ABOUT, YOU'VE HEARD YOUR NEIGHB ORS TALKING ABOUT IT, AND HERE IT IS, ALL LIVE, RIGHT HERE AND STARTING RIGHT NO W!" To keep the crowd once you have their attention, build anticipation - something very interesting is going to happen and it's just about to be revealed! "WE'RE GONNA BRING OUT THE FIRE EATER, THE SNAKE GIRL, THE INDONESIAN MIDGETS WA TCH THE DOORWAY, HERE THEY COME, WERE GONNA BRING EM OUT HERE, ALL FREE, SO YOU CA N SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. HERE COMES THE PRINCESS OF FIRE, SHE'S GOING TO SWALL OW A LITTLE FIRE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW WATCH THE DOORWAY, KEEP YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN, YOU DONT WANNA MISS ANY OF THE ACTS, AND ITS ALL FREE The performers working the bally might work only there, and not appear inside. O n a busy evening, when a steady stream of people pass your spot nonstop from ear ly afternoon through late night, there is no time for the bally performers to go inside and entertain. The bally should only last five or six minutes, with do s ix to ten repetitions per hour. Ward Hall recently wrote that the best shows let three talkers each work one hour and rest for two, to keep up the ability to pr oject intense energy and to sense and respond to the finest current in the crowd 's mood. BUILDING THE TIP Youve assembled a gaggle of freeloaders, but they're not a "tip" until they're pa ying close and continued attention. A few people, successfully mesmerized, will attract a larger crowd ("What are all those people looking at? Let's go check it out!") You must keep them amused so they dont drift away. You might also use a " stick" (a shill) to subtly herd the tip people into a tightly-packed bunch so th at it becomes difficult for anyone to fight their way out of the tip (much easie r to stay and see the interesting stuff.) Add a "draw": a little business, a gag , some bull designed to draw the tip inexorably close to the bally platform. Bob by Reynolds was famed for pulling out a bill, rolling it into a cone, and saying "I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE MAGIC FOR YOU, THIS WAS TAUGHT TO ME BY OUR MASTER MAGIC IAN, JUST ONE OF THE TEN ACTS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THE INSIDE. WATCH THE BILL, " and he would stick it into his lapel. Every now and then he'd interrupt his pi tch to say "WATCH THE BILL" but he'd never go near it again and never actually p erform a trick with it. Nevertheless, people would push and crowd in until they were packed in like sardines with no escape, and nobody ever asked when the tric k was going to be done. To entertain is not the purpose of the bally. It is to s top people so you can sell the contents of the show. The entertainment is on the inside. THE PITCH Now you have a "tip," and it's time to give them "the pitch," the part where you describe in glowing hyperbole the glories to be seen inside. You might want to introduce a hook, a promise of something that is just about to happen or a feature you must not miss. Stall "I'M GONNA WAKE UP THE FAT LADY, SWEET LITTLE TAMMY FROM MIAMI, MY GOD IS SHE EVER FAT! IT TAKES FOUR MEN TO HUG HER AND A BOXCAR TO LUG HER - WHERE IS SH E? GO IN THERE AND DRAG HER OUT HERE. SHE'S 520 POUNDS OF BEAUTY - SHE'S GONNA D O A LITTLE DANCE FOR YOU, AND WHEN SHE DOES THE WHOLE TENT SHAKES. Stall some mo re "WHERE IS THE FAT LADY, GET HER OUT HERE!" Refresh the hook from time to time by referring to it or elaborating on it; for example, on a girl show, EACH OF TH ESE LOVELY GIRLS IS UNADORNED, JUST AS NATURE MADE HER, HER MODESTY PROTECTED ON LY BY A RED KIMONO. I WANT YOU TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THESE KIMONOS, THEY'RE HANDMADE OF THE FINEST SATEEN. STUDY THEM VERY CAREFULLY, BECAUSE ONCE YOU'RE IN SIDE YOU'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THEM AGAIN! SOME OF YOU MAY BE WONDERING ABOUT THE S ILVER WHISTLE BEING SHOWN BY THE LOVELY BAMBI LANE [blows whistle] THAT'S THE SO UND YOU WANT TO HEAR BAMBI, TELL THEM WHY! "(Bambi giggles, winks and says:) "EV ERYTHING GOES WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS!" Command, use your authority (people are used to following the instructions of so meone louder and higher than they are.) Then pitch what youve got inside, describ e the excitement they'll experience, the rare opportunity to see something thril ling. "YOU'LL SEE THE FREAKS, THE STRANGE PEOPLE, THE WEIRD PEOPLE, YOU'LL SEE W HAT THEY DO, HEAR WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT." Talkers became experts at painting word pictures: "YOURE GOING TO SEE JOHANN PETURSSON, THE VIKING GIANT. THAT'S RIGHT, THIS IS NOT AN ILLUSION, NOT A PICTURE BOOK, A REAL LIVE GIANT, HE STANDS NINE F EET SEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHS SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE POUNDS." No matter tha t the real Petursson's driver's license measured him at only 7'10". Every time y ou tell the story the numbers change what are they going to do, bring in a scale and a tape measure? A good talker could at implant the idea that this experienc e would be "interactive" and personally involving. "HE IS REAL, HE IS ALIVE, YOU CAN TALK TO HIM, HE WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. YOU CAN SHAKE THE GIANT BY THE HAND, A HAND THE SIZE OF A VIRGINIA HAM. HE IS POSITIVELY THE LARGEST MAN TO WAL K THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Strain credibility, even invite skepticism. "SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT! WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE FAT LADY, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK FROM WAY DOWN HERE TO WAY DO WN HERE, YOU'LL SEE ONE HUNDRED FEET OF BANNERS, YOU'LL SEE THE ELECTRIC GIRL, T HE SEAL BOY, THE ETHIOPIAN GLASS EATER, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EVERYTHING ON MY RIG HT, AND EVERYTHING ON MY LEFT, EVERY ONE OF THEM ALIVE JUST AS DEPICTED. IF YOU FAIL TO SEE EVERY FEATURE I'VE PROMISED, ALL ALIVE AND CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH, SE E ME AFTER THE SHOW AND I'LL REFUND YOUR MONEY AS GLADLY AS I'VE TAKEN IT." Use superlatives and florid language, but use it in a calculated way and refine it with practice or it will sound foolish. "NOW FELLAS, COME RIGHT UP CLOSE HERE FOR A GOOD LOOK, BECAUSE I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE TASTE OF THE BIG SHOW INSI DE. HERE COME JUST A FEW OF THE BEAUTIES YOU'LL SEE: DIRECT FROM LAS VEGAS, THE BEAUTIFUL BRANDI ALEXANDER HERE'S MISTY MORN, ISN'T SHE LOVELY? THIS IS THE SHOW YOU'VE HEARD YOUR NEIGHBORS TALKING ABOUT, AND NOW'S THE TIME TO SEE IT FOR YOU RSELF - AND HERE'S SERENA THE TEMPTRESS, THE GIRL THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE ACT THEY HAVE TO WHISPER ABOUT. THESE GIRLS ARE RED HOT AND WILD - THEY'RE GONN A TWITCH IT AND TWATCH IT WHILE YOU WATCH IT, AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE YOU'LL KNOW SOME THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE. MAN OH MAN, THEY'RE HOTTER THAN THE FOURTH O F JULY, THEY'VE GOT ALL THE THINGS YOU LIKE A GIRL TO HAVE AND THEY'RE GONNA SHA KE 'EM LOOSE LIKE A BUCKET OF JUICE. NOW YOU'VE GOT A CHOICE YOU CAN STAND THER E WITH YOUR HANDS IN YOUR POCKETS SHAKING HANDS WITH THE UNEMPLOYED, OR YOU CAN COME INSIDE - I DUNNO WHY THEY EVEN HAVE SEATS IN THERE, BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU'LL BE STANDING STRAIGHT UP. THIS IS WHERE YOU SEE THE FLAMES, SMELL THE SMOKE AND H EAR THE CANNONS ROAR, SO ROLL UP BOYS, GET YOUR TICKETS AND GO NOW, IT'S SHOWTIM E AT THE WHIRLY GIRLY REVUE !" The bally is both practiced and improvisational. Reading the crowd and reacting to them is an art. Ward Hall suggested the use of three talkers each working one hour and resting for two, to keep up the ability to project intense energy and to sense, and respond to, the crowd's mood. Bally talkers often specialized, wit h one talker making the opening and another making the pitch and turning the tip . Tyler Fyre, interviewed for the Sideshow Central website, said, "Often we get people inside the sideshow from a bally who [didn't] want to watch a sideshow at all. Thats when you know that the talker is really doing a good job." TURNING THE TIP and THE JAM The turn is the point at which the sales pitch becomes a call to action. The ter m probably comes from turning a herd of cattle, and what human cow could resist a bargain? For that matter, what human cow could get out of the assembled, tight ly-packed tip once the crowd started moving to the ticket booth and the entrance ? I WANT YOU ALL TO SEE THE MAGICIAN, THE FIRE EATER, THE FAT LADY, SERPENTINA, THE ELECTRIC GIRL AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT ACTS YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT, SO WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL. SEE THE SIGN THAT SAYS 'ADMISSION $2 FOR ADULTS AND $1. 50 FOR CHILDREN'? FORGET ABOUT IT. (JOE, PUT THOSE $2 TICKETS AWAY) OUR TICKET TAKER IS SETTING A TIMER FOR THREE MINUTES, AND WHILE IT'S TICKING HE'S GOING TO LET YOU ALL IN, ALL YOU NICE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STANDING HERE LISTENING TO ME , HE'S GOING TO LET YOU ALL IN TO SEE THE SHOW, THE SAME SHOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN P AYING FULL PRICE FOR ALL DAY, HE'S GOING TO LET YOU IN FOR JUST ONE DOLLAR - BUT THE $1 TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THREE MINUTES AND THREE MINUTES ONLY, SO THIS IS A MIGHTY GOOD TIME TO SEE THE SHOW, THE FULL SHOW, FOR JUST A DOLLAR, BUT YOU H AVE TO GO NOW." This begins the 'jam' and the momentum is kept up by a 'grind.' The jam is the r atcheting up of the call to action by introducing a sense of urgency. ("Just thr ee minutes? Gosh, I hope I can get up there in time!") Of course, no one is ever too late, but they think they might be. Think of a modern-day television commer cial: "Call in the next 10 minutes and we'll also include a second bottle free!" After the turn the bally talker might change his pace, or possibly even hand the m icrophone to a spieler or grind man who would, as they say, "grind": continue the se nse of urgency. "THAT'S RIGHT, THEY'RE ALL ALIVE ON THE INSIDE AND THE TICKETS A RE GOING FAST!" (What's he gonna do, run out of tickets?) "JUST TWO MINUTES LEFT , DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF IT! SEE IT ALL IF YOU ARE QUICK ENOUGH TO GET IN LINE, JUST A DOLLAR AT EITHER ONE OF THESE TWO TICKET BOXES. FOLLOW YOUR NEIGHBORS, T HEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING, THEY'RE GOING INSIDE, THEY'RE GONNA SEE THE FREAKS , THE WEIRD PEOPLE, ALL ALIVE, WAITING FOR YOU INSIDE. THIS SHOW IS ONE OF A KIN D, THE WORLD'S GREATEST GATHERING OF HUMAN CURIOSITIES. YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THESE PEOPLE FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOU'VE READ ABOUT THEM IN THE NEWSPAPERS, YOU'VE SE EN THEM ON TELEVISION, AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR YOU ON THE INSIDE, ALL REAL, ALL ALIVE. ONE DOLLAR, ONE DOLLAR, I DON'T WANNA HOLLER, IT'S JUST ONE DOLLAR, THE BEST VALUE ON THE MIDWAY, GO NOW, NOW'S THE TIME TO GO. JUST ONE MINUTE LEFT TO SEE IT ALL FOR THIS SPECIAL LOW PRICE! FRIENDS, DON'T GO OFF AND GET YOURSELF SO METHING TO DRINK AND COME BACK LATER THINKING YOU'LL GET IN FOR A BUCK, THE TIME R IS TICKING YOU HAVE TO GO NOW. MOVE RIGHT ON UP TO THE BOX, I HAVE TO GO IN AN D START THE SHOW, AND WHEN I GO IT'S GOODBYE TO THIS SPECIAL PRICE - LAST CALL O N THE DOLLAR DEAL, IT'S SHOWTIME ON THE INSIDE!" THE BLOWOFF After you have them inside, fairly captive, and have shown them the best you hav e, you have a chance to make your real money. Why? Because you don't have to spl it your "inside money" with the front office! Throughout the show, the giant has been selling huge rings, the Mule-Faced Girl and the Lizard-Skinned Man have be en selling pitch cards with their photo and bio, and on and on. Now it's time fo r a final "surprise" sales pitch. After you've delivered all you promised, the s tar attraction or the inside talker would always give the people a chance to see something really special for an extra charge. Here, the current of the carnival 's dark reputation runs deepest. Perhaps the additional attraction would be the chance to come up on stage and look down into the Blade Box, where the young la dy inside simply must be naked. Perhaps it would be the chance to buy a pitch it em "for men only," or to see a part of the tattooed lady's anatomy that might no t be appropriate to show women and children. Or the talker could suddenly slow t he rapid-fire parade of claims to draw attention by contrast of pace tell a stor y, and aim the appeal seemingly straight at the emotions (adding the suggestion of an awful horror just behind this curtain): "Ladies and children, i want to call you down to the platform at the far end, wh ere THE MASTER OF MAGIC will mystify you with feats of legerdemain. "And now, gentlemen, I want to draw your attention to a special added attraction not advertised on the outside and to give you a full appreciation of what you a re about to see, let me tell you a brief story. "One night a few months ago, our show was closed, there was a heavy rain, and la te at night I heard a sound outside my tent. There, standing in the mud, was a w oman with a bundle wrapped in a heavy cloth. I told her we were closed, but she said she had something to show me. and as she stood there and unwrapped the bund le, she revealed a sight I can never forget. She showed me what YOU ARE about to sEE BEHIND THIS CURTAIN little kashmir singh from mysore, india. "You men look like strong men like me, you think you have seen the worst the wor ld has to offer but when I looked down at the child she was holding, I wished to God I had never seen it. Gentlemen, when you get home, look at your children. L ove them, hug them, and give thanks to God that you do not have a child like thi s. " For a goodwill offering of just 50¢, you can go with me behind THIS curtain and see what I saw that rainy night. We make no apology for this small additional fe e, This is that woman's only means of support, She and her normal children back in mysore, INDIA, have no other income than these few meager pennies. and once y ou have seen the child behind THIS curtain, you will never forget it. " The exhibit, of course, was not alive, but a "pickled punk," a deformed fetus in a jar of formaldehyde - two heads, perhaps, or something worse. Band Organ A mechanical, air-pressure operated musical device, usually incorpora ting such instruments as a pipe organ or calliope, drums and various rhythm inst ruments, glockenspiel, etc. Operated, like a player piano, by a punched paper ro ll. The essential and charming accompaniment to the carousel, often located in t he ride's center column. Banner Canvas squares hung in front of sideshows depicting (usually in greatly e xaggerated form) the wonders to be found inside. A single show would have a bann er or two, a ten-in-one would have a banner line in "modular" twelve-foot sectio ns. Standard banner sizes were 8'x10' or 10'x12', with larger sizes, perhaps 14 or 16 feet, on the ends of a bannerline. Banners spanning the attraction's doorw ay might be 36'x8'. Taller doorway banners, perhaps 36'x10', were tied off at an angle at the bottom, affording enough room for the crowd to walk under them. Barker "Barker" was never an authentic carnival term. Carnies call the person ga thering a tip for a show a "talker" the "outside talker" attracts the tip and th e "inside talker" or "lecturer" conducts the crowd through a ten-in-one show, de scribing the acts and building interest in the "blowoff". Moreover, "hurry hurry hurry", the phrase you often hear chanted by the "barker" in movies, is far les s sophisticated than the real outside talker's intricately contrived appeals. So me authentic samples can be heard elsewhere on this disk. The term "barking" was in current use in mainstream culture in the early 20th Century to mean drawing customers by talking in a continual flow of repetitive lines and phrases. "Barki ng" was also called a "grind pitch" by some professional talkers. "Come on we go t tomatoes today girls, a tisket a tasket, I sell them by the basket." Used prim arily by vendors at a stationary spot, such as a vegetable stand or the doorway to a show (perhaps most recently heard from the doorways of Times Square sex sho ws.) It's easy to see how the general public applied the term to the carnival ta lker. Differentiated from the "street cries" of vendors who traveled the street in wagons, whose cries tended to be more musical and more piercing in tone to at tract the attention of people inside their houses. Barnstorming Operating an attraction from spot to spot with little pre-planning or advance publicity, hoping to generate enough business on short notice. Barnst orming would generally be done in the off-season when carnivals had ceased busin ess. Bat Away Orders (q.v.) giving the OK to take players money any way you want to. O nly used when the 'fix' is in to the degree that even legitimate beefs won't bri ng any heat from the cops. Bearded Lady A female "human oddity" with a beard, usually genuine, though there have been occasional gaffs. Beano Lotto-type group games go far back in history, and one called "Beano" beca me very popular as a carnival game in 1929. Players would buy cards printed with a matrix of numbers, the agent would draw numbered discs from a cigar box and p layers would mark those numbers which appeared on their cards with beans. The pl ayer who achieved an unbroken line of beans either across or vertically or diago nally was to yell "beano" to announce that he had won. In 1930, toy developer Ed win Lowe designed a version he could patent, hiring a mathematician to work out several thousand different game cards and titling his proprietary version "Bingo ." Beans, or Beanies Amphetamines ("stay awake for days" pills), often found in tru ck cabs during jumps, right next to the bulk package of condoms. Invaluable when you have to take down a ferris wheel late at night after closing and then drive all night and all the next day. Captain Don Leslie, interviewed for the Sidesho w Central website in 2004, said that one-day stands with the circus were particu larly taxing: "You were working 18 or 22 hours a day, you cant keep that f'n pace up very long. At night, when youd go to the office, theyd give you an envelope wi th gas money for the truck and thered be speed in there. The show gave them to yo u, so you wouldnt wreck their f'n trucks." Bed of Nails A common carny show stunt, and as with most such stunts (sword swal lowing, fire eating and the like) the secret is that there is no secret, you jus t do it. The usual bed of nails has so many nails set less than 1" apart that ly ing on them, though uncomfortable, does not puncture the skin. The average perfo rmer can safely allow an audience volunteer to stand on his chest while lying on the bed, and can allow a cinderblock to be broken on his chest with a sledgeham mer without ill effect (inertia keeps the shock wave within the cinderblock, whi ch isn't too hard to break.) Beef A complaint from a patron or law officer concerning anything about the show . You have the patch and your fellow carnies to back you up if you create a beef you can't handle, but to keep respect you should try to "never let a beef leave your awning." Bender Contortionist. Bendover Store Cynical nickname for a game joint involving thrown balls, where t he agent has to bend over hundreds of times a day to retrieve the balls. Bibles Items, often (but not always) miniature Bibles, sold for extra income by performers in a ten-in-one. The freaks might also sell pitch cards containing ph otos and biographical information, etc. Bill A poster (as also used in the circus.) Also, a roster of performers (as als o used in wrestling). Billboard See Amusement Business. Blade Box An act in which the performer (usually a woman) lies in a box while st eel blades are pushed through it, apparently a traditional "cutting a woman in h alf" illusion, until the "blowoff" is announced: "Sheila is going to step behind the curtain for a moment and remove her costume. We are not doing this to be le wd or crude, but this feat requires her to twist and contort her body so severel y that she cannot perform it while hampered by even this small item of clothing (here, honey, just hand out that costume and I'll fold it up nice for you) and n ow that she has prepared herself, she will recline in the cabinet and (opening t he curtain as Sheila, lying in the cabinet, waves her arm to the crowd) I'm goin g to close the lid. Notice that the lid has openings for 13 steel blades (the cr owd also notices even more openings they will get to peer through). Now I am not going to cut this beautiful young lady, because as I insert each blade she is b ending, twisting and contorting her body in and around every one of these blades of steel, just like a snake, just like a rubber band, she can bend her body as these blades threaten to sever the most delicate parts of her body. (Pause for a look down into the box.) And now, I'm going to give the real men in the audienc e a chance to come up on stage and see for themselves! Sheila invites each and e very one of you up here to see how she does it. You're going to see how her amaz ing body can twist around these razor-sharp blades, you're going to see the text ure of her skin! But you should know that this lovely and talented little beauty receives no pay for displaying herself to your eyes in this fashion. Sheila fee ls that exposing her act and her body this way is worth one dollar, because she is paid only through your curiosity and your generosity. Now if I can get you al l to line up at the foot of the stairs, just hand your dollar to the man at the foot of the steps and come up and see this beautiful little girl in the state sh e is in now, unashamed and waiting for you to view her." Of course, when you pai d your dollar and looked into the box, the girl (who had so conspicuously handed out her garments) was wearing a tight bathing suit, and that's all that was pro mised: she's not wearing the costume you first saw her in. The tip was moved thr ough the area so fast they hardly had a moment to figure out that they hadn't se en a nude girl, even though they had seen the "magic secret" of how she was cont orted around the blades. A classic "blowoff" feature. Blade Glommer A sword swallower. Blank An engagement with poor attendance, or a player who looks like a good mark but who actually has few dollars to spend. Blind Opening A bally by the outside talker, or introduction by the inside talke r, phrased in general terms that could apply to any (or a changing array of) att ractions. It might describe the horror and thrill you'll experience seeing natur e's strangest oddities, but it did not need to be specific about exactly which o ddities. Blocks Pitchman's term for watches. Blockhead Act An act in which a man "drives" a spike or into his nasal passage. Actually the spike inserts very easily, and the "hammering" is mimed. Blow Your Pipes To become hoarse from screaming at 'marks' all day long. Blowoff (sometimes shortened to "the blow") This is where the real money is. Why ? Because you don't have to split your "inside money" with the front office! At the end of a carnival show, the crowd (sometimes just the men) is often offered an extra added attraction for an extra fee, something you can either pay to see (if you have a strong enough stomach or perhaps a strong enough desire to see a lady you think might be naked, as implied with the "blade box") or you could "bl ow off" and leave without seeing the extra feature. Since the "inside talker" wa s also usually the magician, he would do his brief magic act for the ladies and children while the gents paid a little extra to go behind the curtain to see the blowoff. Always implied was the idea that the "good stuff" is in the attraction you havent paid for yet. It might be simple to the point of crudity: "OK boys, t his is how it works now that there's just us men in here, the tattooed lady is g onna go behind the curtain and any of you that wanna go with her can give me a d ollar and follow along. She's gonna sit in a chair, she's gonna lift up her dres s and she's gonna show you what you've all been waiting to see. Now who's man en ough to go back there and see for himself?" More often it was a bit more subtle: "Boys, we all know what you came here to see, and you've seen a good show alrea dy. I know there isn't a single one of you out there who doesn't think he alread y got his money's worth. But you came in here to see more than a set of knockers . And you're going to see A LOT MORE, I promise you. We couldn't tell you everyt hing on the outside because you know there's women and kids on the midway. But b ack here we can talk right out. It's going to cost you another half a buck but i f it's the last fifty cents you have in the world, it'll be well spent. Lulu's g oing to put on a show you'll remember the rest of your days. And there ain't no fooling, neither. She's going to come out just the way you want her to, and you' re gonna see it ALL!" It might even be possible to do a second ding after they'v e seen the lady naked: "Boys, us dancers, we don't get paid, only what we get in tips. Now I'm going to show you fellows something you may have heard about but I bet you ain't never seen it. And if you want to stay for it, why your tips wil l be the only pay I get. But it's worth it, believe me. You'll thank your lucky stars you did, and with what you'll learn tonight, when you go home you're going to make your own little ladies VERY happy they let you come in here! Let me giv e you a little hint. When I start this little private show just for you, there a in't going to be but two things on this stage, me and this soda bottle." Blue One A blue date is one that does poor business. Opposite: "red one." Booster Most often, a person dealing in stolen ("boosted") goods, but also someo ne you can look to for illicit substances. Booth A game run by community group or sponsors, not by professional carnies. Boston Version Cleaned-up version of a strong show routine. Bouncer A rubber reproduction of a pickled punk (q.v.). There were any number of reasons for using reproductions instead of genuine specimens including local le gal restrictions and easier availability. Bozark Rarely heard term specific to wrestling matches in carnivals: a female wr estler or boxer. Bozo Character who insults customers to induce them to try to throw balls to spi ll him in a dunk tank. The joint is usually named "Dunk Bozo," in less sensitive days it was known as the "African Dip" or (in even older days) "Nigger Dip". Bo zo's "calls" over a loudspeaker are very effective at drawing customers. Bozo is often made up as a sort of "nightmare clown," but (as in the great depiction in the Jodie Foster/Gary Busey movie "Carny") he's definitely not a sweet guy - hi s taunts grow more embarrassing, barbed at the start and increasing to real nast iness, trying to make the current mark so angry he'll continue throwing balls un til he hits the switch and dunks his tormentor. BR A fat-looking bankroll flashed by an agent to dazzle the mark, who comes to b elieve he actually has a chance of winning it. It might just be a "carny roll," a high-value bill or two wrapped around a lot of $1 bills. Broad Tosser Operator of a three card monte game, rarely seen in carnivals today because it is so widely known to authorities and public alike as an unwinnable swindle. Buck Slang for $100. "My speeding ticket was a buck forty!" Build Up A game offering the player an assured prize with continued play, PLUS a ll his money back, but each play costs twice the amount of the previous play. Si nce most people don't really grasp the amazing speed of exponential progression (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64) the cost grows huge. Most players give up and abandon their money, because even Bill Gates doesn't have the bankroll it would take to win. "Here buddy let me help you get even, we can play a little double-up-catch-up. W hatcha got ta lose? Remember, when you beat me you get all your money back and t his beautiful Rolflex watch. The only way you can lose at this game is to run ou t of money or drop dead, and you look healthy to me." [By the way, the watch wou ld be a knockoff marked 'Rolflex,' not a genuine Rolex.] As a verb, "to build up ." It also refers to the type of agent you are: flattie, alibi, buildup. Sometim es this term is applied to games that let you trade several small prizes (won fo r a single play) for bigger prizes. Building a Tip What the "outside talker" does, gathering a crowd of potential cu stomers (a "tip"). He then "turns" the tip, sending them to the ticket booth. Bull A promoter of wrestling matches. Bullet A round painted panel within a banner giving descriptive or promotional i nformation about the banner's subject. A banner, for instance, might depict a "F rog Boy" as a green frog-shaped animal with a human head. Now anyone with any se nse knows that such a creature could not exist. Inside is just a man with flippe r-like arms and legs. But the bullets on the banner are the convincers: "Alive! " says one. Okay, he's alive. "You won't believe it!" says another. And, indeed, as promised, the people coming out of the show can be heard to say "I didn't re ally believe he was going to look like that banner." Bumper Car Game "Bumper Cars" are a well-known ride, but the Bumper Car Game was popular at one time both as a hanky-pank or a gambling game. H.C. Evans (see th eir catalog in our "On the Midway" e-book) made a lovely chrome bumper car. Abou t the size of a roller skate and quite heavy (18 pounds), the car was pushed wit h considerable force to bounce back and forth along a short straight track with bumpers at each end. When the car stopped, a pointer on the side of the car indi cated one of a series of numbers painted along the track, thus choosing your pri ze or advancing game play. Bunkhouse A trailer providing extremely spare housing. The owner rents space to workers who don't own personal trailers and who don't make enough to afford a mo tel. The trailer is split down the middle, on each side are closet-sized cubicle s big enough for a mattress and about 18" to move around. Some "rooms" have one bed, some have bunks and others in the "fifth wheel" section have an elevated bu nk with a little more elbow room. Burn the Lot To allow agents to cheat brazenly and leave the locals so outraged that they won't allow yours or any other carnival in their town for a long time. Burr Operating expenses. Butcher Strolling refreshment merchant, peddler of lemonade, candy, pretzels, an d other edibles. Cake Eaters Locals, rubes. Cake Cutting Short-changing. Canvas Joint A game housed in a portable canvas-on-wooden-frame shack. Capper Confederate or shill. Call What an agent says and does to "call 'em over," attract marks to his joint "Hey, buddy, win the little lady a great big bear, just three in the basket, her e, you can try it free!" Dealing with innumerable passersby and needing to attra ct them with the 'joint' equivalent of a bally, certain phrases become second na ture when they are successful, so a particular agent might be associated with a certain call. Once the call has worked, the agent "closes the sale" using his tr ied-and-true assortment of "cracks." Carnival An outdoor entertainment usually consisting of an overall management th at carries some of its own rides and concessions, plus additional offerings by i ndependent showmen, ride owners and concessionaires. The benefits of being with a large carnival include a steady route with no planning, and many of the costs are included with the rent, like electricity, clean up costs, insurance and plac ing your concession. The downside is that you have to pay through the nose for i t. The basic nut is high rent will vary but most county fairs will run between $ 25 to $80 per foot (1999 prices). If your concession is a 10 foot center concess ion you will pay for a side and a half and it will come to between $375 to $1200 for 7 to 10 days rent. Additional dings may add up to $150 per spot plus money to the lot man. Also, the large shows always play a certain number of still date s or blanks on which you will still have to pay full rent; you can lose a lot of money and have to play a couple of spots to catch up. Carny Someone who works in a carnival. The term is also applied to the carnival itself. This by way of Todd Robbins: "As Chris Christ put it, 'Ward [Hall] and I are showmen. Don't call us carnies. Carnies are junky ride jockeys that are her e today and gone tomorrow. The difference between a carny and a showman is the d ifference between chicken shit and chicken salad!' And as someone who has tried at times to emulate them, I [ed.] can tell you that there is a vast difference b etween framing an attraction and being showman enough to present it effectively to the public. Carny Marriage Carnies are an unromantic lot, as a rule. According to others, as a sign that a couple intends to be monogamous (or relatively so) for a while, t hus keeping the individuals (more or less) from straying and from unwanted roman tic advances, they may engage in a carny marriage. The sign that they are "marri ed" in the eyes of their fellows is a ride once around on the carousel or ferris wheel; a divorce is less formal, sometimes with a ride turning in the other dir ection, but more often at the end of the season or when both parties just say "t o hell with it." Carny Roll A bankroll consisting of a high-value bill or two wrapped around a lo t of $1 bills, flashed by the agent to give the impression that a mark could mak e a lot of money playing this agent's game. Carousel A perennial favorite ride. A turning platform with seats, some made up on poles as animals, especially horses, and some of which move gently up and dow n in a slow "galloping" motion. Music (traditionally a mechanical band organ) pr ovides atmosphere. Carry the Banner To be penniless, to sleep in the town park. A medicine show ter m. Center Joint Concession that can handle players from all four sides (also "Four Way Joint"). Usually pays at least 1½ times the rent a similar-sized line-up joint would pay. Chart A table of values used to convert the numbers you rolled in game play to a final score. See "Razzle Dazzle" in the Games chapter. Enables so many possible ways of confusing a mark that an agent can easily "build him up" again and agai n, letting him believe that he is very close to a big win, but really never lett ing him get a winning score. A "Chart Store" is a joint featuring this type of g ame. NEVER play a chart game! Check Up When an accumulation of money is taken out of the agent's apron to a sa fer place. The money is counted in front of the agent, and the agent gets his cu t later. Chester A child molester. A carny might be more likely to notice someone's undue interest in and behavior toward children because he is always observing the beh avior of individuals in the crowd, and because venues like a carnival, where the re are a lot of children and more than the usual chaos, tend to attract such pre dators. Chill To get the mark to leave ("He was getting rangy, so I chilled him.") Or fo r the mark to lose interest ("He chilled when he'd spent all his money.") Chopped Grass Dried herbs used in medicines being pitched. Chump Sucker. Naive, gullible player (as in W.C. Fields line "Never give a sucker an even break or wisen up a chump.") Chump-twister A carousel. Ciazarn Carny talk, a sort of "pig-latin." A guide is on this page. Circus Candy Cheap candy in an impressive looking box. Circus Jump A difficult move between lots, usually calling for tearing down, dri ving, setting up and opening for business on the new lot without time to sleep. (to) Clean the Midway To be so skillful an outside talker that you can gather a very large tip and turn almost all of them. If you're good, and you're really "o n," the midway looks mighty empty after your bally. Clem Another term for "mark," particularly a gullible rural local. Clerk A concession employee, usually a less skilled person operating hanky-panks and other un-rigged games, whose chief function is to collect players' money an d make change. Paid much less than agents. Clutching "Riding" the clutch on a ride (same function as the clutch on a car), ostensibly to provide a few thrilling speed variations or outright jerks to plea se the riders, but really to generate "thrown change." Search under the seats af ter a few rides and you'll find all sorts of dropped coins. Coconut Shy A British fairground game, probably a variant of "Aunt Sally" (q.v.) , in which players throw balls to knock a coconut off a post. Players may win th e coconut, or other prizes. In British colloquial use, "to shy" means "to throw. " Color Blood, especially when drawn intentionally by "blading" with a small hidde n piece of razor, drawn for show, in carnival wrestling matches. Collection A build-up method of working a joint. You get the mark going at x amo unt a shot. You let him continue shooting and pay after he owes you several fees . When he gets so high you "collect": point out his prize (so far), collect the money you're owed, and try to keep him going for at a higher price for a bigger prize. The object is to keep him confused, still shooting, and owing you more. Committee Representatives of the local sponsor, usually a local charity with who m proceeds are shared. A sponsorship arrangement goes a long way toward cooling police scrutiny of the games, and often includes the sponsor's advertising and t icket-selling efforts as a part of the arrangement. Sponsorship makes it easier at times for the show to locate on public land. Members of the committee may cou nt tickets at the end of the day to make sure the charity gets its agreed share. Occasionally or often (depending on who you ask) the committee members may be o n the take. Concessions The food stands, games and shops on a midway, given the right to be there by virtue of a hefty payment to the carnival owner (usually on a dollars-p er-front-foot basis), often plus a percentage of the gross, plus electrical char ges, bribes and more. If you understand that the food stands, also called 'conce ssions,' at your local sports stadium are working under exactly the same arrange ment, youll understand why a hot dog can cost $5. Concession Manager Second in authority only to the carnival owner, the concessio n manager supervises the location of the concessions, arranges for security pers onnel, and handles beefs arising from concession operation. Generally takes home about half of the 10% collected from the games. Cook House, Cook Shack Sometimes a large eating establishment open to the public , like a restaurant or cafeteria. More often, the place where personnel eat, not open to the public. Cool Out Convincing a mark that he has not been taken. The term comes from the b ig con games. Cop To cheat or manipulate a sucker at some point in a game, or to take anything (particularly but not exclusively if you take it by subterfuge.) An agent might arrange his counter at just the right height and invite pretty marks to lean ov er for an extra-close throw so that he can cop a feel (of breast.) Also, when a rigged game malfunctions, carnies say that it copped. The H.C. Evans Company cat alog elsewhere on this disk sold pegs for a Pitch-Till-You-Win game with the cla im that they couldn be set to "cop or blow as desired," meaning they could be se t to easily accept a ring thrown by a customer or be impossible to ring. Corn Punk or Corn Slum A pitchman's remedy for corns. Count Store (or Add-em-up) A game in which the final score is counted up by the agent, certain numbers winning prizes. The agent miscounts or sets very unusual combinations of numbers as winning numbers, thereby reducing the payout. At on e time, count stores were not open in the daytime because women and children wer e not allowed to play. One former carny said, "The nice part of a 'count store' was that you never gave anything away. My game could not be beat. I only gave it away if I wanted to. I could always keep the same flash. If you packed it nicel y you could use it year after year. [And why did] they give me dollars if I did n't give them prizes? Entertainment, my friends! Many more people will pay for e ntertainment than will pay for teddy bears." Cowboy Hooligan who comes on the lot looking for ways to cause trouble. Crack A phrase an individual carny polishes and tweaks until it is super-effecti ve at getting the attention of passing marks to stop and play. Cracks are develo ped and learned by instinct and by observation, and different ones may be employ ed to influence different types of marks. All of these comments are "when he say s / then you say" phrases, as in, when he says "I've already spent too much," yo u say, "I know, with so much invested you're bound to win!" Crank, Cradle, or Strom A pedal or handle to secretly control a rigged game. Usu al tipoffs: Flattie sits at the counter (to be able to work the pedal without be ing noticed) - joint is framed with drapes going all the way to the ground and s ecured at the bottom so no one can see the pedal, extra drape hanging to the gro und on operator's side of the counter hiding his feet. Dead giveaway: a double r ow of horizontal stitching, four inches apart, around the sidewall at counter he ight, hiding the cable transmitting the pedal's movements to the game. With this arrangement, a flattie can secretly control the stop of a wheel, engage or rele ase the gaff on a cat rack, or (by miming the pull of a string as he works the p edal) demonstrate how easy it is to pull up a flashy prize in a string game. Crescent When there is not enough room to rig all your banners, you may crescent (curve) your banner line to avoid "drop offs" (q.v.) Crime Show A midway attraction featuring memorabilia from famous criminals ("Bon nie and Clyde's Death Car" was a famous feature). Cut Your (the agent's) share of the money, your percentage. Cut-In The fee for getting electricity hooked up to your joint by the electricia n (juice man). Dark Ride A "haunted house" that you ride or walk through. The animated scary su rprises inside are known as "tricks" or "gags." Dealer An agent who works a percentage game. Dead Man An extra anchor stake for a guy wire or banner line, buried in especial ly soft earth. Deuce Reader An "Admission $2" sign. Devil Baby A gaffed exhibit, ostensibly a freak featuring horns, fangs, hoofed f eet, and claws, usually constructed to appear mummified or otherwise preserved. Digger A coin-op featuring a flashy pile of prizes (some good, some worthless) i nside a glass case, with a claw device above guided by the customer to try to pi ck up the prize they want. It is possible to stock the best prizes in areas the claw can't reach, or rig the claw to drop heavier prizes. Dime Museum A collection of specimens, exotic objects and live acts and performa nces, usually set up in an old store front. These were both the original museums and the original freak shows, most popular primarily in the 19th and early 20th Century. Present-day roadside museums are their descendants. Ding (1): The offering, to those customers already inside your show, of the chan ce to see a really special added attraction, not advertised on the outside, for an additional fee. The blade box illusion is a classic ding ("Come up and see ho w she fits in there for just a quarter - she couldn't do it if she had any cloth es on") (2): Expenses (over and above the percentage) paid to the carnival opera tor, such as charges for utilities, trash collection, insurance, sales tax, I.D. badges, parking space for your camper or trailer, another fee to park your car, security, inspection fees, advertising, official shirts, and tip to the lot man ager. You might have to pay the operator's man to sell tickets, since they don't trust you. And, of course, they didn't tell you this in advance, nor did they t ell you about the "pay one price for everything" promotion (so most of the crowd will be riding all day instead of buying tickets to your show) and somehow the operator's percentage, quoted to you as 50% of your gross, has mysteriously jump ed to 57% and the guy who told you 50% is nowhere to be found. And those "inside sales"? Not this time, unless you want to pay 57% of that money too. And on and on You don't like it? Well, you're now blocked in by rides and trucks, and you'r e unable to leave. Ding Show I remember going into an "absolutely free" show in Atlantic City in th e 1960s. Inside, before getting to see "the real stuff," I was stopped at a gate way by the iron grip of the proprietor, saying "Aren't you going to give a contr ibution?" No mention of what I was contributing to, but for a buck I got to see a series of cardboard dioramas depicting great naval actions, obtained free from the local Navy recruiting office. A Ding Show is absolutely free, except that y ou aren't getting out without being strong-armed for a "contribution." Direct Sales Concessions where a customer can buy a souvenir or other similar it em. Do-gooders Individuals who are self-righteously convinced that the carnival busi ness is too disreputable to allow, that all show animals are certainly being mis treated, and that the display of human oddities is demeaning and immoral. They h ave succeeded in getting many restrictive laws and regulations passed, resulting in a lack of show work for freaks, who almost universally disdain do-gooders an d their motives. Dog House An enclosed booth occupied by the ride jock. Dollar Day (See "ding" above) One of the hated "hidden costs" a showman may be f orced to accept, offered as a promotion to the public by fair sponsors: $1 parki ng, $1 admission, $1 rides. You may have the most spectacular ride on the lot, b ut on Dollar Day everybody rides for a buck, and you can't "opt out" even if you r regular charge is $2 or $3 or more. Donniker A rest room or toilet. Derived from 'dunnekin,' in common use among low er-class Britons in the 1700s meaning 'outhouse.' Probably derived from 'dung' a nd "-kin", a suffix referring to a small container or private room (many euphemi sms for 'bathroom' refer to it as a 'closet' or 'the small room'). In Australian slang today, an outhouse is a "dunny". Donniker Joint, Donniker Hole A particularly unfavorably placed joint, or unfavo rable place to locate a joint. A bit like being seated next to the kitchen or re stroom door in a restaurant. Also "Larry loc," from "larry", meaning anything br oken. Double A two-performer medicine show bit; or to perform more than one role. Also , a $20 bill. D.Q. Short for "disqualified." To be thrown off the lot and ordered not to retur n. Might happen to a rowdy mark or to a worker who steals or messes with somethi ng he should leave alone, or causes more problems than he's worth. Draw Money, a small percentage of total pay, advanced nightly to the ride help. Give them too big a draw and they'll come back tomorrow drunk, if they come back at all. Also, a "draw" is an outside talker's inducement for the tip to pack to gether close to the bally platform - "Come in closer and look at the hole right here in the stage. If you're standing too far back, you won't be able to see the hole. I'm going to need everyone to come in closer so everyone can see this lit tle hole right here in the stage" Drop the Awnings To close down a joint after the night's work is done. Drop Counter Box Ticket box with a specially-rigged counter designed to drop a p ortion of the change a ticket-buying mark is due into a hidden box as it is push ed toward the buyer. Dropcase A briefcase or suitcase equipped with folding legs often used by street vendors to display their wares. The pitchman's "keister and tripe" was a differ ent arrangement for the same task. Drop-Offs Banners in a lengthy banner line for which there is no room at the cur rent engagement. Drug Abuse Show An act where the performer supposedly has been driven insane, be come deformed or mutilated, or has even given birth to a hideous mutant baby bec ause of drug abuse. It's really a basic geek or "wild man" show dressed with a m odern theme. The pitch or banner would usually say something like "See the shock ing and heartbreaking victim of drug abuse!" Ducat (sometimes 'ducket') A free game ticket or other free pass to something, d ispensed either as an enticement to play or to cool down a disgruntled player. G ive an unhappy man a ducat to the girl show and he may attain a happier attitude . Especially when the girl show operator, seeing the ducat, points the customer out for a little special attention from the girls. The agent who gave out the du cat will get a bill from the girl show for 'services rendered.' Sometimes also u sed to refer to money. Duck Pond Game in which customer selects a numbered toy duck from among those fl oating around in a circulating stream. Can be run straight or as an alibi store ("See, kid, those red numbers mean a prize from the bottom shelf only.") Or tho se 6's (the giant stuffed dog) become 9's (a penny plastic soldier) really fast. Duke When a shill (game operator's employee posing as a member of the crowd) per suades someone to play. The shill gets a fee for this, often a percentage of wha t the agent extracts from the mark. Duke Shot A demonstration game-shot made by the operator of an unwinnable game, or by the shill, to convince the mark that the game can be won. Also used to des cribe an immoral or illegal move by a carny. Educated Knowledgeable. A mark who has been "with it" at some point in life is p robably too 'educated' for the game. Electric Chair Act An act (often called "The Human Dynamo") in which the perform er (usually named "Mister Electrico" or the like) would appear to be immune to t he effects of electricity actually a phenomenon of high voltage electricity whic h permits an ungrounded person to light neon or fluorescent tubes at a touch, an d do other similar stunts without being harmed. The widespread availability of s econd-hand "quack" medical devices suitable for powering this phenomenon made it easy for carny electricians to rig the gaff, but this is a very dangerous stunt if done wrong. See Ray Bradburys classic fantasy novel "Something Wicked This Wa y Comes" for a wonderful depiction of this act. End The percentage of the gross a paid agent gets from the owner of the joint. Emby A particularly gullible mark. Fair Date An attraction booked to draw crowds to a sponsored stand. Often big-na me concerts, stunt driving shows, or wrestling matches. "Kenny Rogers is playing a fair date on the 15th" means that he will be a special featured attraction at [whichever] fair on that day. Fairbank When the agent allows the player to think the agent has "cheated" himse lf, giving the player an (illusory) advantage. He may allow the player to win a small initial game, give him an extra ball, miscount the score in the player's favor, all to get the player play longer in hope of winning big. Fakir The "Indian Fakir" was an early embodiment of the "Blockhead" and similar modern performers. With his "lifelong study of mystical Hindoo yoga," he might l ie on a bed of nails, swallow swords, eat fire, etc. The word does not mean "fak er," but comes from the Arabic "faqir", literally meaning a poor man (from "fakr " meaning "poverty"). A Muslim holy man who lived by begging, a fakir (like reli gious ascetics all over the world) might engage in stunts to show his piety and increase his income from begging. Fast Count A score tallied so quickly by the agent that the player cannot confir m the result. Feature A game that an agent operates especially well, his specialty. Fence-to-Fence Operation A carnival where the carnival owner also owns all or mo st of the concessions and rides. A reputable owner can thereby keep away competi tion and keep away dishonest games. See the alternative, the "independent midway ." Fireball Show A carnival of the most disreputable sort, full of dishonest games, really strong kootch shows and the like. Also a "Burn'em Up Outfit." First Call The right to a favored spot on the midway. Strategically good placeme nt (see "first on the right") can mean the difference between profit and poverty . Who gets first call can be affected by ownership (joints owned by the show had better get good holes) and how much you kick back to the layout man. First Count The right to be the first person to count the tickets or money, on t he theory that the first count is most likely to be the most accurate and honest count (unless, of course, they've been rehashing some of the tickets.) Also a g ood opportunity to divert some of the funds into your own pocket. First of May A novice worker in his first season. Shows usually play the season' s opening spot on the first of May, and you'll always find new help hired on the first of May who have never worked shows before. First on the Right The first 'hole' or two on the midway just to the right of th e entrance. The sweetest loc (location) for most joints, as joints in that locat ion are usually the first ones the crowd gets to. Fix or Ice A payoff to operate without too much scrutiny from authorities, eithe r as "protection money" to keep the police from shutting you down even though yo u're operating legally, or as a bribe to allow you to operate fixed games and 's trong' shows. Also 'patch,' which is also the term used for the person who puts in the fix with the local authorities. "Sheriff, we need a couple of your men to work off-duty security. Some of our games are a little tough, but we don't play to no kids. If a player feels he's been cheated have your men bring them to me and I will personally take care of any problem. By the way, we want to donate th is $500 to your favorite charity, I'm sure you'll see that they get it." Flag, or Flag's Up Signal that the cookhouse is open. Flash Showy display of large and expensive-looking prizes, even though they may be completely unwinnable by the player. Also, the decorating you do on anything, from making a better sign to making anything look nice. "His joint was flashed good." One former carny said, "Flash is everything - the prizes you put out ther e and the way they are arranged." Flasher A game using electronics or lights as indicators of the games result, byp assing local laws against mechanical wheels or similar devices. Flat Ride A ride that stays at ground level, like bumper cars or a carousel. Flat Store or Flat Joint A game that really has no winning number. As hard to wi n as many legitimate carny games are, this one is designed to be entirely unwinn able. So called because the "wheel of fortune" or whatever other rig is played t here, once set vertically for all to see, is now set flat horizontally so that o nly the player and the agent can see it. It should be noted that an agent can ma ke just about as much on a "hanky pank" (a game that you win every play, dispens ing "slum" prizes) as he can make on one that can never be won. Ostensibly paid off winners in cash, not prizes, except there were no winners, and after you los t a bunch of money they would throw you some sort of prize. "Almost all of the c arnies don't like the flatties because you can't win at their game and they take people for lots of money. I have seen a flattie take people for a week's pay, t heir car, sometimes even their home. There is no way any other type of agent com es close to making the money a flattie does." Flatten To stop operating a game in a winnable fashion (in which the operator ca n generally keep a pretty high percentage of the income) and start working as a flat store (in which the operator can keep it all). The operator might have peek ed an especially attractive poke and decided not to chance losing any of the mar k's money. Flattie The operator of a Flat Joint or any less-than-legal game. Flea Powder Pitchman's term for powdered medicines. Flea Circus An exhibit purporting to display "trained fleas" pulling wagons, swi nging on swings, etc. There are actually no fleas at all. The operator may have any number of ways to make tiny props appear to move by "flea power," from simpl e sleight-of-hand to elaborate miniature mechanical means. This is an excellent "draw" on a bally platform, as the talker urges the tip to move closer to see. Floater An operator who travels from one carnival to another. Floss "Candy floss" is the technically-correct name for what the public calls "c otton candy". Flukum Any mysterious liquid, from homemade liniment to back-room hacked-togethe r Sno-Kone flavoring. For It Often paired with "With It". Describes someone who doesn't travel or work in the carnival but is connected in some way. Four-Way Joint Same as "a center joint", a joint that can be approached from all four sides. (to) Frame a Show or Joint To build a new show or joint, or to gather a medicine -show cast. Freak Show A show where human oddities displayed themselves (often selling photo s, Bibles or other memorabilia). These were often ten-in-one shows and usually f eatured born freaks, 'made freaks' like tattooed people, and working acts like s word swallowers and fire eaters. Front Generally, the outside of a show (as in "show front", "talking the front", etc). A "200-foot front" means the entrance and banner line of your show stretc hes along 200 feet of the midway. Locations on the midway are usually paid for b y the number of front feet the concession occupies (in addition to many other di ngs). A center joint is sometimes charged for two sides, sometimes all four. Front End The place on the midway that has games and concessions, since the larg e rides are generally referred to as the "Back End". G-Top The "G" is for "gambling." An "after-hours club" open only to carnies. A c ombined convenience store, bar, snack stand and casino. The gambling might be ju st a friendly (but wary) game of poker, or it might be organized and more elabor ate. When the lights go out on the wheel, signaling that the lot is closed for t he night, the G-top starts filling up. One former carny said, "You haven't playe d games unless you've played with people who do it all day for a living! I've se en people lose a whole week's pay in 10 minutes cars they worked a year for, the money they were going to eat on tomorrow. That's how you learn the "tricks of t he trade", in the G-Top." G-Wheel A rigged wheel of fortune 'g' stands for 'gaff'. Gadget Girl-show slang for a "g-string." Gadget Show A midway attraction featuring mechanical novelties, like a miniature animated village or circus parade, usually housed in a trailer. Gaff The mechanism by which a game is secretly controlled or 'faked'. "The game is gaffed" is more frequently expressed as "the game is G'd". Along with "gimmic k," this term is still used by magicians to indicate the secret apparatus by whi ch a magic trick works. A gaff may also refer to a fake freak exhibit, like a "p ygmy mummy" made of rubber and cotton in someone's kitchen. Gaff Banner A very attractive banner promising a world of wonders and a plethora of famous attractions with cleverly-worded bullets like "Past and Present" indi cating that few (or none) of the attractions was actually there in the flesh. Ph otographs and other "museum" exhibits might show and tell you all about famous f reaks. Garbage Cheap souvenirs sold on the midway (pennants, balloons, hats, etc.) Gasoline Bill Baker House name for the editor of Billboard's pitchmen's departme nt. Gazoonie The lowest form of carny, the itinerant day laborers who come and go at the drop of a hat. Also refers to a very young and inexperienced worker (who pr obably won't be able to take the hard work and will be gone in a few days.) Geek An unskilled performer whose performance consists of shocking, repulsive an d repugnant acts. This "lowest of the low" member of the carny trade would commo nly bite the head off a living chicken, or sit in a bed of snakes. Some historia ns distinguish between "geeks" who pretend to be wild men, and "glomming geeks" whose act includes eating disgusting things. See the 1949 movie "Nightmare Alley " for a good geek story as well as for an excellent depiction of the mentalists t echnique of "cold reading". In later years the geek show turned into a "see the pitiful victim of drug abuse" show. "Geek" as a verb ("he geeked") is one of sev eral terms in use among wrestlers meaning to intentionally cut oneself to draw b lood. Genny (pron. "jenny") The generator truck. (See "Light Plant"). Giant Rat The sideshow's "giant rat," often billed as "giant killer rats from th e Amazon," usually capybaras, gentle animals but very high-maintenance. They pro duce incredible amounts of waste and require constant care. Showmen found that c apys drew good crowds, but if they delegated the animal care they soon had a dea d animal, and if they did it themselves it would eat up their time. Most operato rs switched to using nutrias. "These killer rats feasted on the flesh of dead Am erican soldiers in Vietnam!" Gibtown Gibsonton, Florida, retirement spot (or winter quarters) for many show p eople. Pioneered by Jeannie (the "half-girl") and Al Tomaini (the giant), a marr ied couple who retired from show business to open "Giant's Camp" fishing camp th ere. Gig To take all of a player's money in one short session instead of leading him to increasing losses on the belief that hell probably win in just one more try. C onsidered crude by more skilled carnies. Gig Artist An agent who lacks the skill to remove all of a mark's money without causing a beef, generally because he gets it all too quickly. Gill or Gilly Anyone not connected with the show; an outsider. Also, to carry st uff from place to place (see Circus term "Gilly Wagon," a small utility cart.) Girl in Fish Bowl ("Living Mermaid") An illusion show: the viewer looks into the "fish bowl" (sometimes a lens, more often simply a dry mockup) to see a girl, o ften with a fish tail, apparently living underwater. Girl Show A show in which pretty women are the primary attraction. These could r ange from the "review" (such as a "Broadway Revue" with fully-clothed performers ) to the racier "kootch" or "hootchie-kootchie" show (a strip show, and hey! Di d you see what she did with [uh that part of her body]?) Often, these shows are designed to play either "strong" (nude, and to varying degrees of raunchiness) o r partly or fully clothed. A girl show couldn't play without a "patch" or "fixer " on the lot, and demand was sometimes so strong that a large carnival might hav e as many as eight girl shows. In such an abundance, the shows might try to stan d out by adopting a theme: "Oriental" (belly dancers, or at least belly-dance-th emed), "Hawaiian" (sexy hula dancers), or "Rhumba Shows" (Latin themed), and of course in the days of segregation there might also be a black girl show ("Jig Sh ow," q.v.). Girl-to-Gorilla Show An all-time moneymaker, this illusion show features a girl being changed (magically or "scientifically") into a savage gorilla, which then "breaks out of its cage" frightening the crowd away. It uses a half-silvered mir ror ("one-way mirrors" are not really one way, they just show whichever side is more brightly lit). There are variations on the theme, like skeleton-to-vampire or in older times, "Galatea," after the myth of Pygmalion the sculptor and Galat ea, the statue he brought to life. Simple upkeep and a little showmanship can ma ke this show really frightening, but I have never seen it done with even the min imal care needed to arouse anything but disappointment. "Zambora, the ape girl, the ape girl, she's alive! Only the brave are invited to see the ape girl! She i s locked in a solid steel cage for your protection, and under bright lights you' ll see the change begin: her forehead will begin to recede, her eyebrows will pr otrude, fangs will begin to grow in her mouth, and her clothes will fall away fr om her body! A heavy coat of hair will grow from every square inch of her skin, the long straggly hair of a gorilla!" Glass Bender A midway joint craftsman who manufactures knicknacks (little unicor ns and the like) from glass rods using a propane torch. Often seen these days at booths in shopping malls. Go Wrong When an agent loses money despite his skill at keeping the game from be ing won. Going South Stealing money (some of it goes into the apron to be counted, other times you 'go south' with it.) Goon Squad On some shows, a gang of the tougher guys who act as 'enforcers,' bea ting up a carny because he's cheating the office or his boss, for instance. Grab Joint or Grease Joint An eating concession in which the customer takes away food served directly over the counter. Grease Any salve being pitched. Green Help New, inexperienced workers. Sometimes you just gotta have a warm body to work, but they rarely come with brains and either can't (or won't) do the jo b, or make expensive mistakes. Grifters The crooked game operators, short change artists, and clothesline robbe rs, shoplifters ("merchandise boosters"), pickpockets and all other types of cri minals associated with some carnivals. Grind In the "outside talkers" spiel from a show front, the compelling and rhythm ic verbal conclusion meant to move the patrons into the show. It differs from th e opening bally, which is meant to get the attention of midway strollers and "bu ild a tip", or sell them on the show they can see. Also means to stay in the joi nt and work even though there's almost no business. Grind Show A show or attraction the customer can walk through and see at any tim e without being guided through. It has no bally, no beginning or end time; the f ront men and ticket sellers just "grind away" all day. Most of the shows on carn ival midways today are grind shows, the grind blaring over the midway from an au diotape loop and sound system. Grind Store Usually a small game that needs a lot of action to make a profit, ge nerally one that operates on pennies, nickels, or dimes. Grinder, Grind Man Before the days of endless tapes luring people into grind sho ws, the "grind man," usually the ticket seller, would give a rhythmic and contin uous spiel. Considered a less-skilled job than "outside talker," since the grind man's chant was much less complex than a full bally. Grocery Wheel, Ham & Bacon Wheel A "wheel of fortune" joint in which lucky winne rs won grocery items. A relic of older days, still popular at charity events out side the working carnival setting. Grouch Bag A small bag used to keep one's valuables in when your costume had no pockets, as valuables would not be safe out of your sight in the dressing area. Ground Score Money or other goodies found while "reading the midway." Gunner A confederate who helps run a Six Cat. Half-and-Half A hermaphrodite, a very valuable blowoff attraction often forbidde n by local authorities. Some were real freaks, others were "made" by (at the lea st) shaving and making up one side of the body, or by the use of hormones to gro w breasts so a performer born male could also display his upper "female" half. " Now folks, behind this curtain you are going to see the most bizarre attraction you have ever seen and I'm going to introduce her to you all right now. Ladies a nd gentlemen, meet Albert-Alberta. This beautiful lady is our star attraction, b ut she is so unusual we are banned from advertising her on the outside. And sinc e she is not advertised on the outside, she is not included in your general admi ssion ticket, there is an extra charge for what you are about to see. We make no apology for this policy, because when Albert-Alberta goes behind this curtain, and you go with her, you are going to view her entire body, and you will plainly see that she is, in fact, a hermaphrodite. You've heard your neighbors talking about the half man/half woman, but Albert-Alberta is not half man/half woman she is all man and all woman. You will see her body in its entirety, as bare as my right hand that you see before you right here. Now you must be between 18 and 80 years old to enter, because if you're under 18 you wouldn't understand it, and if you're over 80 you couldn't stand it. When you enter I want you to go right u p to the edge of the stage. Get as close as you can so that you can see Albert-A lberta's body in every detail as she displays herself to you, unadorned, unasham ed, unlike anything you have ever seen before. The fee for this attraction is 25 cents, it's time to go in right now. And those of you who are under 18 years of age, please step down to the other end of the tent where you will be entertaine d by our magician on the main stage." Handle How a game is rigged. Also used in the "CB radio" sense to mean the nickn ame you go by. Hanky-Pank A game where every player wins a prize every time. A 5¢ prize dispense d for every 50¢ play adds up to big profits! Hard Cash Refers to all change, nickels, dimes, quarters, fifty-cent pieces, eve n the occasional silver dollar (more common in the past than now) or loonie (Can adian dollar coin.) Hawker A strolling refreshment or souvenir merchant, peddler of lemonade, candy, pretzels and other edibles (more often called a "butcher") Headless Illusion Illusion show where a living 'headless' person is displayed. I ts a simple illusion done with mirrors, using the same principle (but achieving e xactly the opposite effect) as the "Spidora" illusion. Usually pitched as a 'med ical miracle' following a tragic accident. Heat Problems, arguments or battles between the show, or its people, and townspe ople. Most heat was caused by the show conducting illegal activities, but someti mes an outfit "burning the lot" ahead of your perfectly fair "Sunday School" ope ration could leave a lot of heat for you. Heat Merchant You're trying to run your joint honestly after all, the crowds are good, your game's not rigged, and hey, who needs to cheat when you're giving aw ay 25¢ slum for a $2 play? Then the cops show up and close down every game on the lot, and maybe you can re-open when they've inspected your joint and you've prov en that the marks can win. And they'll get around to doing that one of these day s, after a hefty payment by way of the patch and when the Sergeant calms down hi s daughter's hurt feelings after her boyfriend lost $200 trying to win her a bea r and that jerk agent insulted her as well. That agent has been making life hard for all of us who just want to rake in some dough and go home for the winter. T he guy's a goddam heat merchant. Heat Score A sum of money extracted from a mark at the cost of some heat ("Looks like I pushed this guy too far.") Hey Rube! In the 'old days,' a call for help when a carny encountered more troub le with outsiders than he can handle alone. These days, 'hey rube' still works, but it's more likely to be "It's a clem!" or "wrang!" or simply "fight!" High Grass Slang for a particularly out-of-the-way rural area. High Pitch A sales pitch (generally for medicine) delivered from a raised platfo rm. High Striker Classic carnival game: A bell atop a high (sometimes 30-foot) post lined with lights and graded from "wimp" at the bottom to "he-man" near the top. Use a heavy maul to strike the lever at the bottom, and see if you are strong e nough to send the "follower" up the wire to ring the bell. Often the operator co uld, by leaning against a guy wire, slacken the wire leading to the bell, preven ting the follower from traveling all the way to the top. Hold Out, "H.O." To steal from the boss by "forgetting" to give him part of the cash. It's often assumed that you'd better do it to him, because he's certainly going to do it to you. Hole A place on the lot to put your joint, particularly (but not exclusively) if you have a center joint and need an open area. You would go to the lot man and say "I have a 20x20 center joint, do you have a hole?" Also used to mean a non-c ompeting vacancy for your type of concession (there might not be a hole for you if there were enough of your type of concessions already on the lot.) If you are an agent looking for a job you show up on the lot and say "I'm looking for a ho le." How many holes a joint occupies is based on its frontage. A 16' joint usual ly takes four 'holes'. (to) Hopscotch To book your joint at various individual dates throughout the sea son, playing your choice of events rather than traveling with a single carnival. Hot Snake A term (also used in zoos) for a poisonous snake. Human Pincushion An act in which the performer sticks sharp objects into his fle sh. Also known as "Fakirs," from the Indian term. The secret to this act (like t he secret to many sideshow acts) is that there is no secret. Puncturing one's fl esh is painful, but less so than the audience thinks; you can learn to tolerate the pain. Human Skeleton Human oddity who is extremely emaciated from a disease or muscula r disorder. Human Torso or Half-Man Human oddity born without legs, or without arms or legs. Ikey Heyman Axle A gaff for a wheel of fortune; a secret friction brake on the a xle stops the wheel wherever the agent wants. Illusion Show A show consisting solely of illusions, like Headless Girl, Spidora , Mermaid, Snake Girl, etc. Independent Midway On some engagements a single carnival owner, who has booked a nd approved rides, games, shows and food concessions to travel with the carnival for the season, may not contractually control the entire lot (fence to fence). Then the sponsors can rent spaces to others: booths for the Girl Scouts to sell cookies, hot dog stands run by the Lions, as well as rides, games and shows who play only independent stands. These independent operators may be as honest as th e Girl Scouts or they may, unbeknownst to the sponsor, be crooked. Either way, t hey operate entirely free from the supervision of the major carnival (which has a reputation to protect). The independent area is usually fenced off from the ca rnival and may not even charge admission, but the public doesn't know about the business arrangement; they just know that a game on that lot cheated them, and t hey blame the big show. Additionally, independent operators draw business away f rom the big show and its concessions and attractions. Inside Man The agent operating a game that depends on an "outside man" to build up business. Jackpots Troupers tall tales (regular folks might say "war stories") of their for mer exploits. "Cutting up jackpots" is the expression given to swapping these st ories. Jake One of the stock medicine show characters: a comic blackface character. Jam A small-time confidence game, or high-pressure selling by pitchmen. Jam Auction, Jam Pitch or Jam Joint (see previous definition of "jam") A show on the midway where giveaways of slum merchandise are used to excite and confuse t he audience into purchasing inferior goods, usually under the pretense that the auctioneer is distributing valuable items as an advertising promotion by the man ufacturer. The technique involves giving away small slum items to everyone at th e start, then unexpectedly alternating giveaways of slightly more valuable items with sales of them for almost nothing, confusing the marks as to whether, at an y given time, they are putting up money "as a good faith gesture" that they will get back or whether they are tendering payment. When the audience is thoroughly confused the agents add the final wrinkle: the sale of almost worthless (but ap parently valuable) merchandise for what seem like outrageous "bargain" prices. ( A much more detailed description is contained in my ON THE MIDWAY e-book) Jenny A merry-go-round. Jig Show Black girl show, from "jigaboo", a very uncouth epithet for black peopl e. John Robinson To give an abbreviated performance, or to set all the tops on the back end end-to-end to increade the midway's apparent size. Joing To "jo" a game is to rig it so that it cannot be won. Joint Any carnival midway concession. Described by their layout for placement pu rposes; line-up joints fit with others in a row, center joints attract customers to all four sides and need to be in the middle of an open area. You could have a stick joint (built on the ground) or a trailer joint. Jointee or Jointy An agent, a person working a game. There is a fairly firm soci al division between jointees and showmen. Juice Another term for bribes paid to local police. Juice Man The carnival electrician and operator of generators that can fill an e ntire 18-wheeler. Collects fees from each operator for "cut in" to the power sup ply. Jump The move to the next engagement. Kadoty "Stock" (merchandise in the joint). Kayfabe Primarily a wrestling term, occasionally heard on the carnival lot. Insi de information about the business, not to be disclosed to the public "the straig ht dope." Sometimes used as a signal to stop talking too frankly because outside rs, or the authorities, might overhear: "Kayfabe, guys! Have you met my good fri end Officer Jones?" To let something slip out because you just won't shut your m outh is to "break kayfabe." To "kayfabe someone" is to withhold information from them. KB When an operator has to give a disgruntled and complaining customer his money back. Keister A portable display case for the pitchman's wares, or a circus wardrobe t runk, or any luggage. You set up you keister on top of your 'tripes,' or tripod. Key Girl A swindle in which an agent sells keys to the room of a woman working i n the carnival to players who believe she will dispense sexual favors. The fooli sh victims might find anything from an empty room (the carnival having moved out while the victim went for his "reward). In a variation more commonly known as a "badger game", the girls angry "boyfriend" shakes the victim down for more money under threat of violence or exposure. Key to the Midway Any non-existent thing that you might send a pesky kid off to locate for you. "Hey, kid, you seem like a smart fellow, so go down to the other end of the lot, find Big Sam, and get the key to the midway for me." Or "lightb ulb grease" or a "left-handed monkey wrench" or a "board stretcher," maybe some "red lightbulb paint." Maybe send them somewhere to see if they have a "Long Wei ght." You might send them looking for the donniker foreman, or send them to a sp ecific carny just to bug your buddy, too. Kick The pocket (or wherever) a carny keeps his personal money. Kid Show Circus term for a sideshow. Kootch Show The raunchy version of the "girl show" no revue, no "posing," and de finitely no clothes, just a close-up view of what men want to see. According to stripper Ann Groff, quoted in Lewis' Carnival, "Only a few peddle their asses. A girl has to be pretty hungry or pretty drunk to lay a mark it just isn't done." Kunstkammer and Wunderkammer German for "Art Chamber" and "Chamber of Wonders," rooms or cabinets housing private collections of art and curiosities gathered fo r scholarship or merely wonder. These early "Cabinets of Wonders" were precursor s to the museum, dime museum and sideshow. Larry "Something's wrong with it." Might describe damaged merchandise, or someth ing worn out beyond any usefulness, or even a person who's a loser (however affa ble) - "He's just a larry." Lay Bear "Well hey, little darlin', you wanna win one of these big bears? Come o n, you get five balls to knock these milk bottles off the shelf, you can do it w ait a minute, you know, we're closing now, but there's one of these bears I got put away special for you in my trailer, would you like to see it? You would? Jus t come with me how old did you say you was? Fifteen I mean, you said 18, right? You're just gonna love this bear is that your sister? She can come too, I might just have two bears" Laying Dead When you have no booking for your joint, ride or show at some point during the season. Laying it Down When the agent describes how the game is played. Layout or Laydown The place on a joints counter where the "mark" puts his money t o bet, or the chart that shows odds, payouts, etc. Layout Man See "Lot Man." Layout Pin Stake used by the lot manager (sometimes called the "layout man") to mark where your joint is supposed to go on the lot. You may desperately want to move one of these while the lot manager's not looking but if you do, the lot man ager's going to take that stake and whack you upside your head without any doubt . Lecture Store A storefront rented temporarily by a pitchman. Lecturer An individual who talks inside the show, lecturing on the various acts. Often, acts (especially human oddities) lecture on themselves. Left Hand Side In relation to the entrance or main ticket booth, the left side i s considered a poorer location for concessions than the right side. Most people tend to enter and turn to their right, and many have spent all their money when they come around to the left hand side. Newcomers to the amusement business and people who don't make the lot man happy end up on the left hand side. Light Plant The "genny," the huge 18-wheel-trailer containing massive diesel-pow ered generators supplying electricity to the lot. Notorious for being an added e xpense ("ding") charged to carnies along with their rent, even more notorious fo r being shut down immediately when the lot closes for the night, leaving tired c arnies to trudge back to their trailers in the dark. Lineup The row of concessions side-by-side along the side of the midway. Line-up Joint A joint in a row of joints, as opposed to a "center joint" in the central axis of the carnival, or "four-way joint" that stands alone and can attr act business on all four sides. Lobster Man Human oddity with any of what are now called "limb reduction disorde rs," a birth defect giving their arms and/or legs the appearance of a lobster's claws. Loc (or 'loke') Your location on the lot. A loc near the major rides or on the r ight-hand side is usually pretty good, but a loc near the kiddie rides is a less favorable position. Lookie-Lou More a regionalism than strictly a carny term. Same as "lot lice," th ey'll walk around and see what they can see, but they won't part with a dime. "Losum Game" This term is often given by some as a carny term for a game play th at should be aborted. However, it is almost certainly a misunderstanding of the German or Yiddish "lassen ihn gehen," pronounced "loz im gain," meaning "let him go." If a carny knows that further playing of a particular mark will present a problem, he will tell his co-worker "loz im gain" instead of saying "You're flee cing the sheriff's son, you idiot, now cut it out!" The agent needs to end the g ame and possibly refund the mark's money rather than find out what the consequen ces might have been. You can see the phrase "in action" (though not in a carniva l context) in a scene featuring Mel Brooks as an indian in "Blazing Saddles." My source says "I remember an old flattie who was playing a mark and the head of t he store told him to "loz im gain". The mark, probably Jewish and thus knowing the term, replied "Hell, why didn't you say 'loz im gain' 40 bucks ago?" Lot The show grounds. Lot Lice Locals who arrive early to gawk and stay late to browse and don't spend anything. Lot Lizard A prostitute who works truck stops or rest-area parking lots. Not ter ribly important on the show grounds, but fairly familiar between stands. Lot Man, or Lot Manager, Lot Marker or Layout Man The guy you need to be very ni ce to, and pay (sometimes as much as 10% of your gross) because he decides where your joint is placed on the lot. Can make thousands of dollars in one large eng agement like a State Fair. Pay him well and stay on his good side and you get a good location; cross him and you won't make a dime. Low Pitch A sales pitch delivered from ground level, or from not much more than an apple box to stand on. Lugen An unbelievably dumb, easy mark. Major Ride A spectacular ride for adults, often owned by the carnival. Mark A carnival term for a townsperson, in the sense of 'victim.' When a carny s potted a towny with a big bankroll, he would give him a friendly slap on the bac k leaving a chalk mark so other carnies would know that this customer had lots o f money. Often the ticket seller would mark the 'mark.' The booth would have a h igh counter, above the average person's eyesight, and the ticket seller would sh ort-change the customer, leaving the change on the counter. If the customer didn 't notice or didn't count his change, the ticket seller would lean over to give him some "friendly" advice about the best attractions, putting his hand on the c ustomer's shoulder to point him toward the show he simply must see, simultaneous ly dusting his back with chalk from a hidden supply. If the customer instead com plained about the wrong change, the ticket seller could always push the remainin g change to him and say "I told you to take it." And what do you do when you spo t a mark? You "play" him - that's right, just like you play a fish. But a carny truism is, "Always leave the mark a dollar for gas." With gas money he can go ho me (you don't want him stuck there growing angrier with you every minute). Marker Stake The lot man places marker stakes to define your joint's space on th e lot. Get caught moving one and you might get hit with one. Mender A patch or lawyer who travels with the carnival. Mentalist Magician, often working with an assistant, whose act consists of 'read ing the minds' of the patrons. Merchandise Wheel A "wheel of fortune" that distributes as prizes blankets, doll s, novelties, groceries or any kind of merchandise. A classic "hanky pank" in wh ich the prize (won on every play) always costs far less than the fee for a singl e play. That means the wheels are making a profit and everyone is satisfied. Man y carnies and townies alike preferred this arrangement, because both the "games of skill" and games certified to have an element of chance both often ended in d isappointment, but merchandise games always sent you home with something and dre w large crowds. Merry-Go-Round Carousel (q.v.) Midway There's no "midway" on a carnival. When games and sideshows were attached to a circus, the midway was the game and sideshow area between the main ticket booth and the entrance to the big top, literally "midway" between the two. You w ould often hear sideshow ballys claiming that "the big show doesn't start for 45 minutes, there's plenty of time to see this entire exhibit." A carnival is real ly just a midway without an accompanying circus. The carnival lot, instead of be ing a straight alley leading from entrance to big top, is U-shaped, with the bes t locations on the right side as you enter, and the big rides and shows at the a pex. Military Payday Oh, lordy, everybody's gonna get well today! Payday at a big mil itary base: just think of all those lonely men with all that money in their pock ets! "Step right up, boys, the first ball's free and the girl show's right over there! You look like a healthy young man, private these girls can do things they just don't do back in Missouri! So you think you're a good shot, soldier? Try t o shoot the red star entirely off this little card!" Missing Link A person, ape-like in appearance (either faked or real), supposedly the legendary "missing evolutionary link" between prehistoric and modern man. Mitt Camp A fortune telling booth (from "mitt," slang for "hand," read by a palm ist.) Being alone with a fortune-teller makes a number of scams possible, from " Your money is cursed, wrap it in this cloth so I can bless it" (you'll never see it again) to "My daughter say he touch her breast, she just 14." See a sidebar on gypsies. Money Store A game that pays off with cash instead of prizes. Monkey Girl or Boy Human oddity afflicted with hirsutism. Such individuals might also be called Wolf Boys, Dog Boys, etc. The amount of excess hair might be as little as a moderate beard on a woman, or a coat of hair as thick all over the b ody as it is on the normal person's scalp. Mooch An especially easy mark. Moss-Haired Girl A "made" human oddity from the 19th century, also known as a "C ircassian girl" (the Circassians are a Caucasian people living in the Caucasus b ut not speaking an Indo-European language). A white woman would stiffen and bush her hair, much in the style of the 'Afro' hairdo. The pitch which usually accom panied the act involved kidnapping by 'Arabs' and being forced into harem life, followed by a harrowing escape culminating in refuge there in the show. Motordrome A daredevil show involving motorcycles which race around inside (and by centrifugal force) up the wall of a circular enclosure (generally billed as " The Wall of Death".) Mug Joint A concession that sells souvenir photos to customers. Mugboard The painted board with a head-high hole that you stick your face throug h to get your picture taken at a mug joint. Museum Show A show in which the exhibits are not alive. The show might contain p reserved, stuffed, or mummified freak animals, or other exotic items of interest , such as the weapons or cars used by famous murderers. Also called a still show . A very easy grind show to work, it could still be truthfully billed with the c laim "$1,000 reward if not absolutely real please do not touch or feed the anima ls on exhibit". Nail Store The object of this game is to drive a nail all the way up to its head into a thisk board with a single stroke of the hammer. It appeals to "he-men" a nd "do-it-yourself experts," but it can easily be gaffed the agent has regular n ails in one pocket of his apron to demonstrate, and in the other pocket he has n ails weakened so that they will bend instead of driving true. But it requires go od "people skills," because you don't want an angry mark with a claw hammer in h is hand at your store, either. Nanty Nothing. (Compare the British circus use.) Nelson A nelson (or "full nelson") is a full day's work on the lot, to be paid i n cash at the end. Watch out for a "red light job" when you go to collect your p ay! (I have not been told whether there is a "half nelson," a half-day's work al so known as a "quickie.") Both versions derive from the name of a wrestling hold . Notch Joint After hours, an empty wagon or joint may be a temporary place of bus iness where local prostitutes with extra energy service carnies with extra cash.

Novelty Act Wrestling term, a "freakish" performer hired to appear in wrestling events as a special attraction. Might be a giant wrestler, midget, "hillbilly," hairy beast, grotesque or deformed person, or a trained animal (such as "Man vs. Chimpanzee" matches). Nudist Colony A sideshow attraction that enjoyed considerable popularity over th e years. The prospect of seeing naked flesh was a strong lure, but the show on t he inside featured girls in skin-colored tights. Nut The "overhead," or operating expenses of a show or a joint (still used in th e movie theater business as "the house nut"). Supposedly from the idea of credit ors removing the nuts from wagon wheels and not returning them until paid. A sho w always seeks to 'make the nut' and begin making a profit above expenses. A sho w that hadn't yet 'made the nut' was said to be 'on the nut' and one that had wa s said to be 'off the nut'. It was good if you could count on your show to alway s 'carry the nut.' Also "burr". Nut Mob Three-shell (shell and pea) game, especially when operated with shills. (to) Oach To skim money from your boss - like a jointee pocketing a few of the m any dollars that come in over the course of the night. This, both in common parl ance and on the lot, would be "holding out", but carnies abbreviate it to "H.O." and through heaven knows what process, "oach" or "oaching." Some sources read t his as "oats", defining such horse fodder as the money that is held back ("I put a few oats aside.") Isn't a living language full of surprises? Octopus A flat store set up as a center joint - four counters, each with an agen t (four man trap), called an octopus because it has eight arms (four men) to gra b money with. Office The administrative office wagon. Also used as a signal that a confidence game is in progress and you'd better not say anything to queer the operation or clue the mark to his peril. "On The Lot And In The Air" "I have arrived at the lot, the attraction is set up , and we are ready to begin serving customers." Opening See "bally" Orders Restrictions set on the operators by the carnival owner, allowing or disa llowing the girl show to work hard, or games to cheat. Outcount In an add-up game, to count faster than the mark can count up his score , affording you the chance to count inaccurately (either to send him away too in timidated to see that he won, or to count in his favor to induce him to stay so you can build him up.) Outdoor Amusement Business Association The largest trade association for the car nival industry, with almost 500 member carnivals. Outside Man A shill used to promote a game by making bets to raise the payoff. Overcall To call marks when they are in someone else's frontage, considered unet hical unless you have established eye contact with the mark. Stretching this too far too often might get you a visit from the goon squad. P.O.P. "Pay one price," the admission plan allowing the customer to ride all he wishes and see every show for a single admission fee. Not good financially for s how operators. Panorama An popular early exhibition using a very long canvas, painted with vari ous scenes, often depicting the exotic sights seen on the lecturer's travels to exotic lands. The canvas would be rolled from spool to spool across the stage as the sights were described. Later lecturers successfully used motion pictures ta ken on their travels to exactly the same effect. Paper Posters, handbills or advertisements for a carnival. Paste Pitchman's term for razor-strop dressing. Also, cheap prizes (possibly fro m "paste" imitation jewelry). Patch Carnival employee who handles payoffs to local police and settles customer complaints arising from rigged games. Each agent working a rigged game pays som e amount every night so the patch can take care of problems that money can take care of. Peeking (peek joint) A game in which the operator looks at the number hidden und er a customer-selected game piece to determine the score. This arrangement allow s the agent to miscall a known score using either speed or sleight of hand. For instance, "that tickets not a 6, its a 9", or obscuring part or all of a number wi th a finger for instance, changing 138 to 38 by placing a finger over the "1". Peek the Poke When an agent employs an accomplice to search for and point out pl ayers with plenty of money so they can be selected for the swindle. Percentage The agent or dealer takes as his earnings a set percentage of the gro ss. An agent always works on points only. Theme parks hire some kid at a low wag e to be a game operator if you offered a real agent a wage he would laugh at you . PC Game "Percentage" game, a game which pays off in cash, essentially a gambling game. Physic Opera A medicine show. Pickled Punks A carny term, never used in front of the general public, describin g deformed fetuses preserved in formaldehyde. These were prime attractions, ofte n presented as the deformed offspring of crazed degenerate drug addicts. Real pu nks were sometimes seized by authorities, since possessing human remains is ille gal in most jurisdictions. Fake punks, called "bouncers," are now more often exh ibited, floating in jars of weak tea (the color hides the artificial look). Boun cers are also popular with showmen because they can be crafted with especially g rotesque features. Picture Gallery A tattooed man. Pig Iron Rides disassembled for transport. What do you do with pig iron? You hau l it, move it, bolt it, and then you block and level it. Hauling a major ride ma y take three 18-wheel vehicles, and setting it up may take two to three days, a hundred 18-inch sections of railroad tie, and a dozen men. Pigpen The area where you congregate the turned tip before admitting them to the main tent. Pinhead Human oddity afflicted with microcephaly, the head coming to a point, a fact which was often further emphasized by leaving a top knot of hair to emphasi ze the head shape. Pictured at left, the legendary and much-loved pinhead "Schli tzie". Pit Show Show in which the attraction is displayed in a pit, like an alligator, snakes, sometimes a geek. The "pit" would generally not be an actual hole in the ground, but might be an area of the tent sectioned off by a low canvas divider, or a ground-level area viewed from above by the audience filing through on a ra ised walkway, or a wooden box serving as a cage open only at the top. Pitch To sell merchandise by lecturing and demonstrating, once common on carniva l lots and city street corners, now almost exclusively found on late-night TV in fomercials (which would, in the old days, be called a "gadget pitch.") Many pitc hes included promises that valuable prize coupons would be found in certain boxe s. Medicine pitches had a life of their own. Medicine pitchmen would travel rura l areas, carrying entire crews of entertainers/salespeople, offering free entert ainment and repeated opportunities to buy the sponsor's "medicine", usually a t ype of liniment. Pitch Cards Cards containing photos and biographical information, sold for extra income by human oddities in a ten-in-one. The example pictured here was sold by Grace McDaniel, "The Mule-Faced Girl." She was a famous human oddity, much in d emand for her genuinely freakish appearance as well as her intelligence and prof essionalism. From a "Fat Lady" on the Strates Show in 1941: "I know you folks in here would like to see me walking around. And while I'm walking around I have a few little souvenirs that I'll pass out to the men and the men only. Something you boys can have fun with and you'll get more laughs out of than anything you'v e ever seen before. You can show them to the girlfriends or the wives, it's perf ectly alright. Now as I said before I pass them out to the men and the men only for 10¢ each. If you'd like to have one now I'm going to start on one end of the s how and pass them around here just one time." Plant or Power Plant Generator. Plaster Cheap prizes made of plaster that appear more valuable than they are, cu rrently used today to denote any cheap prize (although "slum" is a more common t erm). In collector's circles, "chalkware." Platform The raised stage where acts perform. It can refer to platforms inside t he show or the bally platform on the front of the show. Playing a Mark Stringing along a player at your joint to get the most you can ge t of his money. Plush Stuffed animals (the term is in common use today in many industries). Points Similar to usage in real-estate: an extra fee, figured as a percentage of the gross, paid (in addition to footage charges and the various dings) to the o wner, who usually splits it with the concession manager. Poke A carny's "stash" of money. It might be big, after a really good stand, or empty after a poor week or large expenses. Popeye A "working freak" who could literally pop his eyeballs out of their socke ts. Popper Popcorn wagon, usually also selling floss and candy apples, sometimes dri nks. Posing Show A girl show (ostensibly "artistic" and "educational" to get around o bjections on the grounds of nudity) in which female 'models' pose in imitation o f famous works of art. The 1939 New York World's Fair had a posing show called " Jack Sheridan's Living Magazine Covers," in which bare-breasted models posed in depictions of magazine illustrations. (See inside this show and others on video here). Fredric Brown, in his novel The Dead Ringer, had something revealing to s ay: "if youre a carney you stay out of the posing show. The models dont mind posin g in practically nothing at all for the marks, the suckers. They dont count; theyr e outsiders; you might almost say they arent human beings. Its strictly impersonal . But it would be indecent for someone who knows them to go in and watch. Itd be as much Peeping Tom stuff as looking in trailer windows or over hotel-room trans oms." Poster Joint Any game in which the prize is a flashy (but really quite inexpensi ve) poster. Privilege Rent paid to operate any 'concession,' from a joint or ride or show (i ncluding the 'concert' after a circus performance) to a sales operation (like a grab joint) or a pitch. Professor Title often assumed by any showman who wished to appear to be an "expe rt" who might demonstrate in the name of education exhibits or acts that might b e open to objections under the simple guise of entertainment. Proposition The business deal offered to an independent to book with a certain c arnival. If there's no "hole" (q.v.) for your type of joint, you might not get a proposition at all; if the owner needs something good on the "back end" to attr act customers past all the joints, and you've got something like a girl show tha t he needs, the proposition might be very favorable. Punch and Judy A traditional children's puppet show, unchanged in form and conte nt for centuries, more familiar in its original form in Britain. The standard pl ot pits the shrill, violent Punch against his shrewish wife Judy, with an array of beatings and murder that would be wholly unacceptable to many modern adult se nsibilities. In America the term might refer to any puppet show, in ignorance of its origin. The show often appeared in old-time sideshows as entertainment for the children while their parents viewed stronger attractions. The "swazzle," the in-mouth whistle used to create the Punch puppet's voice, was sometimes sold as a pitch item. My e-book "ON THE MIDWAY" has an extensive list of punchman's lin go and history. Punk A child. Also a stuffed animal on a 'knock 'em over' game. See also "Pickl ed Punk". Punk Joint A game that appeals mostly to kids (usually a hanky pank). Punk Ride Kiddie ride. Punk Robber An agent who runs a joint with a rigged kiddie game (like 'duck pond ' in its gaffed form), or a flat joint aimed at children. "Put 'em on the send" To extract every last dime a person has and allow them to go home (or to the ATM) for more money. Put-n-Take A rigged game played for money (escalating costs and money prizes are always signs you'll be taken, and badly). Played with a small top which has the letters P and T on its several flat sides. Players spin the top and if it shows a P w hen it stops, the player has to put more money into the pot of cash if the lette r is a T, the player takes the pot. The top is rigged mechanically to spin honestl y or to land on the letter of the agent's choice. Question Mark Show The banner may merely say "?" or "What Is It?" It's a show y ou can frame for almost nothing, displaying some badly-lit messed-up bouncer (q. v.) with absolutely nothing in the way of explanation, or any strange and ultima tely unidentifiable thing. Ray Bradbury takes this idea and plays it for all it' s worth in his short story "The Jar." Quickie A half-day's work on the lot, to be paid in cash at the end. Watch out f or a "red light job" when accepting such work! Racket Any operation that depends on deception for success. Racket Show A carnival that derives most of its revenue from fixed games. Rag A small stuffed prize, usually kept out of sight under the counter, leading customers to believe that the smallest of the prizes on open display above is th e smallest prize they stand to win. Raghead Derogatory epithet for "gypsy." Although the carnival lot is a place whe re your background doesn't count against you, your ethnicity might. Ads can be f ound in Billboard looking for help, but specifying something like "no drinkers, woman-chasers or ragheads." Rain Tip The type of crowd you get in the exhibit tents when it rains. They only want to get out of the rain. They don't spend a dime, and they exit in favor of rides and games as soon as the rain stops. Rangy or wrangy (rhymes with "tangy") Worked up, usually in a vulgar sense (poss ibly a variant of 'randy'). A show could be rangy (a really 'strong' kootch show ), or the patrons might be in a rangy mood (a very hot Saturday night, or being able to afford too much beer 'cause it's payday) or a patron may be rangy or ran ged up (drunken, disorderly, disruptive, spoiling for a fight.) "He's wrangin' t he joint" would mean the customer is giving the jointee a very hard time. May al so apply to an aggressive animal. Raree Show 19th-century term harking back to the museum's sideshow origins. The term meant "a peepshow" or an exhibition of curiosities. Razzle or Razzle Dazzle A flat store game using a conversion chart to confuse th e player. The cost per game can be built up astronomically play by play with the enticement that the winning score is almost (it's always "almost") certain to b e achieved and very valuable payoffs won on the next play. Sometimes just called 'football.' Designed to empty the mark's pockets as quickly and completely as p ossible. A definite swindle covered in our "Games" chapter. Reader A pitchman's license to sell. Also, a phony driver's license (an indispen sible item in a business where agents might require a sudden change of identity. ) Reading the Midway Walking down the midway with your head down, looking for lost change or other valuables. Red Light Job You are the victim of a red light job when you undertake some work on the lot and, when you go to collect your pay, all you see are the red tailli ghts of the employer's car receding in the distance. Red One A profitable engagement. Opposite: "blue one." Rehash To give a customer a free replay, or (very profitable but very unethical) to resell used ride tickets. Revue A girl show that features more entertainment than bare skin. Ride Jock, Ride Monkey, Ride Boy Carnival employee who runs a ride. Susan Adcock , in her carnival blog "Cliffhanger," says "A good ride jock can make you scream with delight. He can also, given the right ride, empty your pockets and make yo u throw up on yourself and your friends. Be nice to him. He's usually a pretty g ood guy." Right Hand Side The right side, after entering a midway through the main ticket booth, is the most desirable location, since most midways are designed to induce the crowd to turn to their right upon entry. Robin Marx Sort of a "utility name" when a carny wants to give a false name for himself or anyone else on the show. That's "robbin' marks" get it? Sort of like calling yourself "Don E. Kerr" (donniker). Roughy A carnival employee who may be assigned to handle any number of duties, f rom relieving an agent who needs a break to enforcing management rules, from hir ing help to "checking up" the agents' money and dispensing percentages at the en d of the day. Sort of "middle management" on the lot. Rube A scornful term for the outsider to show business; also "Elmer," "towner," "townie," "sucker," "yokel," "hayseed" or "chump". From the name "Reuben"; the t erm is in wide usage today. Modern carny usage includes "Clem". Viz. the old ad age "never give a sucker an even break or wisen up a chump." Score To separate a mark from a significant amount of cash. Screw Pool A game in which the player must shoot a pool ball, knocking over a go lf tee inverted amid a triangle of three pool balls. The balls touch each other with the tee in the small space between the three balls. If the tee is placed ag ainst the back of the first ball it will fall (making it possible to demonstrate "how easy it is to win." But if the tee is placed farther back, in the true cen ter of the three balls, you cant win the balls will absorb the energy from the cu e ball and will all move away from the tee without knocking it over. The game (w hich may be advertised under any title) was called 'screw pool' because an inver ted screw used to be the object to knock over. (to) Screw the Carnival To leave the business mid-season (maybe school is starti ng, maybe you finally figured out that you're not going to make any money with t he kind of fees you have to pay these days.) Set Up What you do after a jump: take it all off the truck and turn it into a ca rnival. Shake Machine Any ride that naturally (or by skilful operation of the clutch) te nds to shake change loose from riders' pockets. These rides tend to produce plen ty of vomit as well. The operator can "keep his shakes." Sharpies, Sharpers Players who have practiced a carnival game to the point where they can easily win. Shill Also "outside man," "stick," "capper," "front-worker" or "timber." Employe e who poses as a customer, playing a game (and being secretly allowed to win) or buying a ticket, in order to motivate other customers to do likewise. If the ag ent needs to attract business, seeing him win "proves" to potential customers th at the game can be won, and sometimes allowing the shill to win prevents a poten tially costly win by a townie. Without a good shill, an entire tip may stay perf ectly still after a bally, all with cash in their hands, and not one of them wil l go for the ticket boxes, unless some brave soul leads the way. Sometimes a shi ll might rush up to the ticket box, buy a ticket and move toward the show entran ce, then go around and do it again. At medicine shows, shills were often the fir st to "buy" a bottle, breaking the public's reluctance to be the first to speak up. A good stick knew how to stand in a position that would block the progress o f the passing crowd, slowing them enough to pay attention to a bally and subtly herding the tip closer. Alternatively, the shill might keep a tip from building when a flattie wished to avoid interruption while playing a particularly lucrati ve mark. From shillaber, of uncertain origin, which referred to disreputable fol ks known to associate with con men and carnival acts. Short Change A classic con, any of several ways of confusing a mark about the ho nest count of the money you were exchanging. Also, many shows had the ticket box counter at eye level and gaffed with a small ridge around the edge. The ridge l ooks like a simple expedient for preventing loose change from rolling, but when the change was swept toward you, the ridge would catch some coins which were qui ckly pocketed by the ticket-seller. Show The carnival itself. The show moves from spot to spot, but it's still the s ame show unless you move to a different show. Showman The preferred title of many proud, lifelong outdoor amusement entreprene urs, who would be very unhappy to be called "carnies." There is a fairly firm so cial division between jointees and showmen. Showtime Trade publication of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association. Sideshow Any show on the circus midway (since such a show would be ancillary to the "big show" (the circus.) However, the term can refer to carnival shows other than (for instance) "girl shows", and it most commonly refers to a freak show o r ten-in one. These days, "sideshow" also refers to the performance genre flowin g from the old ten-in-one: from bed-of-nails and electric-chair and sword-swallo wing acts to piercing and "geek" acts. Sideshow Alley Australian synonym for 'midway'. Signal 25 Replaced "Hey Rube" in some quarters to signal a fight. Some police de partments use this code as radio shorthand. Simp Heister Carny slang for a ferris wheel. In widespread slang use, a "simp" i s a simple or foolish person (a mark, or just a dumb townie) and "heist" in this sense is "hoist". Single-O A show consisting of a single attraction. From the railroad slang for " single occupancy." Skill Game Games where players with ability have a good chance to win. Skin Show A girl show featuring nudity as the main attraction. Plays very well o n military paydays. Sky Grifter A tent-revival evangelist of the more mercenary sort. Slick To slick someone is to catch them in the act of doing something. Slough To tear down or leave, or get rid of something or fire somebody. Used mor e by jointees than by showmen. Most often pronounced to rhyme with "cow". Slum Cheap prizes, bought in bulk, by the game operator for as little as $1 per gross. Also 'hooch.' 'Slum,' 'plaster' and 'paste' were all used synonymously, t hough each sometimes had a more specific meaning. Oriental Trading Company, U.S. Toy, and Rhode Island Novelty are good sources. A game like the duck pond would use slum, cranes used crane stock (the small plush that fits in the bear claw a nd crane machines), other games used crazy ball stock (about a 16" piece of plus h.) Referred to by their cost: $2, $4, $6, $8, $10, $12 and $24 pieces of plush. Smark A combination of the words "smart mark." Used mostly in the wrestling fiel d, but finding its way onto the carnival lot, the term refers to people (probabl y) like you and me: a fan who believes he or she is "in the know" based on a cer tain amount of inside knowledge, but who is obviously (to those who are really " with it") a poseur who is much less informed than he thinks he is, and who is ce rtainly not a real veteran. Snake Drop Originally by John Strong, this is a heck of a gag for a "See the Gia nt Snake" show: let them look at the boa for a little while, then drop a modest- size rubber snake on a string from above the pit. Scares the old crowd out while giving them double the thrill they paid for! Snorting Pole A pole extending from floor to tent-top in the center of a kootch show stage (q.v.) used by the strippers to pose, swing around on, and mime vario us acts of a sexual nature. Soft Lot A wet or muddy lot. Spectacular Ride A super ride (Pirate Ship, Sky Wheel) Spidora Illusion show giving the appearance of a giant spider with a woman's hea d - a mirror hides the woman's body and makes the creature appear to stand suppo rted only by its web. Spiel The selling phase of a bally, made on a show front by the talker to the ga thering tip, convincing the onlookers that they absolutely must see this show, t o be followed by the "grind" phase during which he attempts to keep up the ticke t-buying momentum. Spindle (or "Chicago Set Spindle") A classic two-way game, a spinning arrow like a "wheel of fortune" which could be operated honestly (even then your odds were not that good) or gaffed. The mechanism appears fair, but the pins ("twisted" l ike a drill bit, their cross-section varies at different heights/twists) are set alternately to catch or miss the pointer. If the pointer were dropped just 1/16 " by the secret gaff, the operator could choose whether the pointer would stop o n an odd- or even-numbered pin (good prizes or slum). Sponsor The local charitable organization that publicizes and, in the public's p erception, "legitimizes" the carnival. A local sponsor is valuable. If the Ameri can Legion or Jaycees or Lions Club arranges a carnival's license and location i n advance, for a percentage of the income, their prestige can often keep the po lice away. Moreover, their efforts to publicize the show as a fundraiser for the ir charity can be all the advertising the show needs. Spoof A small trick or gaff. Spoofer The really big plush animals displayed as a game's largest prizes. Can w holesale for $15-$20 or more. Handy to give away when a mark has been separated from a bit too much of his money without a prize. Square To settle a dispute without resorting either to the law or to fisticuffs. Also used by the patch to mean the process of "fixing" City Hall, including bri bes and the lavish dispensing of passes to keep the police happy. Stick See "shill," above. Stick Joint A portable concession fashioned from rough lumber and canvas. Still Date An engagement not backed by a fair but which has been running regular ly for a number of years. Usually run by a local charity, attendance is usually good but can be spotty. Still Show Also called a "museum show," an exhibition of stuffed freak animals, sometimes even a freak show using only photographs of famous freaks. Sting When an agent beats a mark for less than $100. Stock General term for prize merchandise. Store Show In the off-season, especially during the depression era, a good attra ction might come into a town and rent an empty storefront to squeeze out some mo re performance time from the year. The best location was close to a Woolworth Fi ve-&-Dime store. The attraction would stay for a week in smaller towns, six week s to two months (or as long as business would hold up) in larger towns. String Show A ten-in-one, possibly called a "string show" because several acts a re "strung together." Others use the term to mean a show in which the audience m oves through the tent (and out) along a walkway marked by rope barriers. Strom see "Crank" Strong Describes a successful operation ("I have a strong flat joint" or "He is a strong agent") or an aggressive quality ("Did you have to play the mark that s trong?") or running a game "strong" with the gaff in use. When a girl show works strong all the clothes come off, all restrictions are gone, and the girls do th e most amazing things with parts of their bodies you didnt know a woman could use for that purpose! Also 'work hot', 'work tough.' Strong-arm To put a lot of pressure on marks to play at all or to remain to play for bigger prizes. Also, an agent skilled at earning more by such tactics. Sunday-School Show Generally, a clean show, particularly a show which can be wor ked strong, but is cleaned up for this venue. Also 'Boston version,' 'Sunday Sch ooler.' Superstitions There are a bunch, though disagreement about them runs high. Yello w is a color often considered bad luck for an agent working a joint. Also forbid den: eating peanuts in your joint, or scattering peanut shells in front of your joint. Carrying pennies (pennies only attract more pennies). If you accept a $2 bill, you should tear off the bottom right corner and get rid of it as soon as y ou can. Swing To steal money from your boss. T & K Operator A traveling pitchman, referring to his "tripes and keister" (q.v. , the sales display case and supporting tripod). As quoted in Arthur H. Lewis' C arnival, "A T&K man can work practically anywhere, from the back of a trailer, a nd sometimes out of the rumble seat of our old Hudson. That was a 'high pitch.' If he had to set the tripod on the ground, then it was called a 'low pitch.' Bob 'd sell textbooks, ink eradicators, can openers, fruit juicers, medicine, rattle snake oil, spark plugs you name it." Tableau A grouping of figures, the term most commonly used in wax museums and th eir midway counterparts, the wax shows. They were usually depictions of historic al scenes, but could be literary, mythical, horrific, etc. Talker Never "barker". The man who makes the spiel to build a tip in front of an attraction. If he talks inside the attraction, he is a "lecturer" or "inside ta lker". Tattooed Man This exhibit wouldn't make a dime today, but there was a time when a person with tattoos covering their entire body was considered "bizarre". Tear Down To disassemble the rides, pack up the stock, and depart for the next e ngagement. Teaser A curtain positioned in the open doorway of a show, allowing patrons outs ide only a partial "teasing" view of the wonders inside. Ten-In-One One of the two "classic" form of the midway show (the other is the "s ingle o"). The Ten-in-One was a show featuring (approximately) ten acts or attra ctions, lasting a total of about 40 minutes. Features included a variable mix of acts: born freaks who would display themselves, lecture briefly and sell pitch cards or novelties, "made freaks" who would do the same, performers like magicia ns and sword-swallowers, and curiosities like an "electric chair act." Typically , there would be a "ding" or "blowoff" at the end. Three Card Monte A gambling game formerly seen on carnival lots, now seen on big -city streets. It was first known to have been played in rance, where it is know n as "bonneteau" (A "bonneteur" was a courtier who tipped his hat too much, the implication being that he was being so obsequious because had a hidden agenda.) The game is always a swindle and can be played anywhere, often on an upended car dboard box. The operator is sometimes called a "broad tosser" because the game c alls for finding the one queen amid two number cards tossed in a rhythmic patter n. A simple but undetectable sleight allows the operator to win or lose at will he might lose to a shill so the mark believes that the game can be won, or he mi ght "make" the shill lose several times when any idiot could follow the "money c ard", so the mark thinks he can easily spot the winning card if he bets. The shi ll might even mark or bend the money card (while the operator is looking away) t o make the mark certain that he can spot it, but a second sleight easily switche s out the marked money card and switches in a matching-marked neutral card. Ther e is always a confederate to watch for police and act as a shill. A good team ca n take all of someone's money quickly. An entertaining line of patter and a grow ing tip makes the game a hypnotic attraction for the unwary. "Inky dinky finkles tein, three times nine is twenty-nine You must be the luckiest man alive, pal, m ove your feet I want to see if you're standing on a lucky spot." A skilled pract itioner can fool any audience with manual dexterity, but there is also a gaffed "card-with-a-flap" version called "The Dutch Looper" or "English Monte." Played to a crowd it is "open monte," and played privately to fleece a particularly wea lthy mark it is "closed monte". Throw Stock (or Kick Stock) To award prizes in games. The agent's profit can tur n on as little a thing as a ¼" larger or smaller star the customer has to shoot co mpletely off a card, and the first place his profit will be reflected is in the percentage of stock he throws (percentage of cost of prizes given out to dollars taken in.) An agent may decide to loosen up his game a little and be seen to th row stock to keep his tip going, either to real customers or to shills, or he ma y throw stock to appear to be an un-gaffed game when the police are around. Some times used to mean throwing too much stock, thereby losing money. Sometimes agen ts refer to their job as "selling teddy bears." Throwaway When an agent lets a member of the crowd win a large prize so the crow d can see (always accompanied by loud and excited praise), thereby stimulating b usiness. Tip The crowd gathered in front of an attraction to hear the outside talker's ba lly. They watch the free exhibition on the bally platform, and if the talker is convincing enough, he can "turn the tip", getting them to buy tickets and go in to see the show. When the entire tip has been turned by a talker's opening, it i s said that he has "cleaned the midway". Torture Show A museum show displaying implements and scenes of torture. Touch The price asked (and inevitably gotten) for the major items offered toward the end of a jam auction (q.v.). A major jam pitch might move items for a $50 t o $200 touch at the end. Trailer One who trails a medicine show selling refreshments. Also, a person who followed a circus or carnival but was not on the payroll, perhaps hoping to pedd le goods as a concession or to wait for a job to open up. Such men were usually welcomed as a reliable source of experienced help when needed. Trailer Joint A concession housed in a portable trailer rather than in a canvas- and-wood shack. Tripes The folding tripod to support a "keister" (pitchman's sales display case) . Trouper A person who has spent at least one full season in the traveling amuseme nt business. In common use in theater as well. Turn the Tip When the crowd of onlookers (the tip) watching a bally crowd up to the ticket box and start buying tickets, the talker has turned the tip. During t he active ticket-buying, he stops "spieling" (the selling portion of the bally) and "grinds," keeping up the excitement with rhythmic phrases (if a talker ever actually did say "hurry, hurry, hurry!" it would be during the grind.) Twenty-Four Hour Man An employee who plans the route to the next town and marks the way with arrows. Two-Way Joint A game that can be run fairly or rigged. Under the Blue To work a rigged game without a fix or patch to keep you out of t rouble. Universal Ticket System First seen in the 1970s, this admission plan requires th e purchase of tickets at a central ticket booth rather than paying for each ride or show at the front of the ride or show. University Horn One of the old indestructible, harsh-sounding, horn-shaped publi c-address speakers made by University Sound (also by Electro Voice and Atlas Sou nd), good for blasting the midway with your grind-show ballys (on an endless 8-t rack tape using a cheap pre-recorded tape recorded over on one of those awful 8- track home recorders). Simple PA hookups, including one or two university horns, were usually supplied by audio engineer Wally Baptist, who operated Baptist Sou nd in Illinois. You could frame a whole show with just Brill's Bible, the O'Henr y banner catalog, and the Baptist Sound catalog. Walk Back Someone who actually returns after a period of time to buy your produc t. Walk Money The ticket-seller needs a lot more than his/her salary to get a livin g wage. Some depend on short-changing. Some won't, but all of them hope for enou gh money from "walks", the money people walk away from the booth without remembe ring to pick up. "Walk money" also comes from people who don't think to take dis count offers for larger purchases - "Here's $10, give me 20 50¢ tickets" will get them 20 tickets, but $10 might have also bought a sheet of 24 - the next guy who buys (the remaining) 4 tickets will pay $2, and that will go right into the cas hier's pocket. "I only get $5 an hour but I make it up on walks." Walk Through A show the patrons walk through at their own pace, passing the exhi bits along the way. Also called a "grind show" because the bally is always grind ing, calling for patrons to come in constantly rather than building a tip. Washer Pitching (also Washoes or Toad-in-the-Hole) British fairground game simil ar to the penny pitch, with variants. Standard hardware-store metal washers are pitched to land in holes in the ground, or in a hole on a small carpeted tableto p. Wax Show A show featuring wax statues of famous people, often murderers or notor ious criminals. Whale Show A trailer or rail car equipped to display the frozen or preserved car cass of a whale. Wheel The Ferris Wheel is just called "the wheel." Since it's visible from most of the lot, the wheel operator puts out the ride's lights at a signal from the o ffice, indicating that the other rides, joints and concessions can close for the night. Whistling Gopher A mark who departs with a whistle of disbelief after he hears t he price of your ride or show or product. Wide Open A show or carnival where "anything goes": the girl shows can play as " strong" as they want and the games can take the marks for as much as they can ge t. A show could never play wide open without the police turning a blind eye to t he whole affair, after big payoffs by the patch. With It "Im with it" means "I work at this carnival (or at some other carnival)." Generally pronounced "widdit!" Some claim that it is not really used at all, fa voring "on the show" as the actual term. A carnival term not used in the circus. If I was walking down a midway and an agent or a talker tried to call me in I w ould say "with it," in other words "you're wasting your breath talking to me." "With It and For It" Describes someone who is both a veteran of outdoor entertai nment and (unlike those who try it and quit) who finds the life well-suited to h im or her. Wobbly A person who hangs around the food stands looking for odd jobs like peeli ng onions, emptying the garbage, raking up the trash, etc. They usually work for food and a couple bucks for the bar. Probably from the nickname ("Wobblies") of radical anti-capitalists the Industrial Workers of the World. Working Act A performer whose attraction is something he does (magician, contort ionist, "blockhead") a skilled performer rather than just a human oddity. "Working Hot and Cold" Operating a game that treats some customers one way (take the money and give nothing) and others the opposite (give the Sheriff's pals lo ts of stock). Every now and then, the arrangement might be reversed (a pleasant game for Mom and Dad and the kids, a very expensive proposition for a particular ly rich and dumb mark, or for someone the owner doesn't like). X When an operator purchases the e(X)clusive rights to operate his type of game or ride on a particular lot, closing out competition from similar attractions. I f you can't work because someone else has the X, you've been "X'ed out." Zamps Kiddie rides, many made by the Zamperla Rides company. Although Zamperla m akes some coasters and other major rides, their specialty is flat rides.