Carnival terminology Please E-mail me with any 'terminology' you may have to add.
Spot: place where the Carnival is set up
slough: (dismantle, or tear apart haphazardly) to pack away the rides,games and concession wagons.
Mark: A person who comes to the carnival to spend money, a customer
Joint: Usually the game in which a *Carny* makes their money, may also be *any* place that a *showman* wins a buck.
Winning a Buck: earning money.
Ride Jock: Carnival worker that sets up, tears down and operates the carnival rides and attractions.
Splinter Head, Can Head, Stick Person or Jointee: Carnival worker that sets up & tears down, the Game booths and game trailers...also called 'Barkers
Barker: These are the delightful folk that call to you from inside their game booths, and try and get you to play their games for a chance to win a prize.
Stock: These are the stuffed toys, and baubles and bangles that you win for 'taking a chance' at winning in the gamebooths...also anything use to stock food wagons etc.
Hole: The area behind the counter in the game booths...also a term used to describe a carny's 'job'.
Stick joint: A game booth made of a wooden frame.
Clerk: A Barker with little or no experience...also referred to as 'Green Help'
Agent: A seasoned clerk..one that has a lot of experience, or is very good with the gift of gab.
Floss Wagon: Cotton Candy booth...can also be a food wagon.
Floss: Cotton Candy
Cook Shack: A food wagon, normally a place where the carny's go to get real home cooked meals.
Green Help: People who are new to the carnival business, rookies, usually locals hired just for the current spot.
40-miler: Person who travels less than 40 miles to work in the carnival, but more commonly known as a Carny with less experience 'on the road' Someone that hasn't earned the title of Carny..
Professional Green help: People, usually locals that come out year after year to set up and tear down, but usually do not work through the entire fair. Can also be people that follow the carnival circuits and set up and tear down, but do not work through the whole fair
Jump: The distance between one spot and another...this period begins at closing on the last day of a show, to the beginning of set up at the next spot.
Making the Jump or Jumping: Traveling from place to place, spot to spot, hole to hole.
Bunkhouse, Bunks or LQ(living quarters): trailers that have 10 rooms, or 8 rooms plus usually 2 shower rooms, that serve as living quarters for the carnys.
Turnkey babes: People who live in their own house trailers or moter homes instead of bunks.
Popper: A food wagon that sells popped corn.
More Carnival Lingo
With It: This is a term used between carnies to let one another know that they are part of the carny life.
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
~~~More Soon~~~
Carnival Lingo for $$Money$$
Buck:..........$1.00
Fin:...........$5.00
Sawbuck:.......$10.00
Double:........$20.00
Half-yard:.....$50.00
Yard:..........$100.00
Buck-fifty:....$150.00
Two Bucks:.....$200.00
Lettuce:.......Money
This is the "Carny Power" symbol
The definition of carny...
a carnival worker
According to Webster's Dictionary, the word first came into common use in 1933.
``carnies'' ``working homeless''
Santa Monica
King Arthur's
Beautiful
Great America
Santa Monica Peir Carousel
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
Please note: You must have ICQ in order to use the Add me, Message me and Chat me buttons.
