Back Yard Boy: A gofer and often inexperienced helper.
The Back yard:Also referred to as “the living lot.” This is the area where private trailers are gathered for living and storage.
Bag Man or Fixer: Official to whom protection money is paid.
Bally or Ballyhoo: The outside ‘talkers’ who draw in the crowd.
Big Eli :Big Eli refers to a Ferris Wheel by one of the ride’s most successful original manufacturers, the Eli Bridge Company. Not all carnivals had an Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel and so there were other nicknames to be found. The most common one among them: Wheel, short for Ferris Wheel.
“blowoff” or “ding,” that extra show that wasn’t included in the price of entry.
Cattle Rustling: The act of stealing customers from another show or joint. Stealing away their attention and paying consumerism.
Clerk: Concession employee, less-skilled, less-motivated person operating un-rigged games.
Cut:The individual’s portion/percentage of the money.
Dealer: Works the percentage game.
Duke: Carnie posing as one of the crowd and persuading others to play.
Duker: Person handing out “Free Game” tickets.
Dukkering: Gypsy fortunetelling (Sebastian!).
Freak show: A show of biological rarities, people with extraordinary diseases or conditions, and performances expected to shock.
Geek show: They performed unthinkable tasks – i.e. bite the head off a chicken. This was performed as a precursor to the bigger act.
Girl show:Primarily an all-girl show.
Midway: Covered above, the midway is a path through the carnival bordered on either side by games and venders.
Prat Boy: Often runaways and kids too young to hold a legitimate job, prat boy is an ugly term referring to a paid hand that does the odd jobs no one else wants to do.
Pickled punks: deformed human fetuses preserved in jars of formaldehyde.
Sideshow: A term used in both the circus and the carnival, refers to shows off the midway, and refers to any show other than say a girly show. More often than not, sideshow is used when referencing a freak show or a ten-in-one.
Single-O: attraction is a museum show attraction that is good enough to stand on its own.
The Talker: This is a skilled tongue individual who delivers the spiel for an attraction in order to build the tip. He/she may work outside the attraction tent. If inside the tent, then they may be called the “inside talker” or “lecturer”.
“Ten-in-One”: A special deal where you got ten acts under one tent for one admission price.
Trouper: Someone who has been with the show/carnival for at least a full season.
