Workplace jargon is common in every industry. In carnivals, there are several slang terms for things like cheating the boss, customers and prizes. Learn some of the slang terms that carnival insiders use to refer to these things.
Carny Terms Related to Money
There are a few different carny terms for money, including bringing in cash from visitors as well as when workers steal money collected for themselves rather than turning it in to the boss.
br - a big wad of cash waddled up to entice marks; a bankroll
cake cutting - short-changing someone
carny roll - a bank roll with one or two big bills rolled around a bunch of one dollar bills
cool out - convincing a mark that you did not take his money
going south - stealing money; "south" is used because some of the money goes into the apron worn by the carnival worker
grifters - criminals who run crooked games, shoplift or pick pockets
ho - stands for hold out; stealing by not remembering to submit money collected
juice - bribe money paid to police or other local officials
oach - to skim some money from your take and not give it the boss
poke - money belonging to a carny
swing - to steal money from your boss
Lingo for Carnival Workers
While carny is the most general slang term for carnival workers, it isn’t the only one. Carnivals have a number of workers, each of whom has a specific role to fill.
advance man - person who takes care of details that need to be handled in advance of a carnival setting up in a particular location
agent - person working a game
butcher - worker who walks around selling food and drinks
carnie - alternate spelling for carny; carnival worker
clerk - concession stand worker
flattie - one who operates a shady (not legal) game
gazoonies - day labor workers; newbies who likely won’t make it
jointee or jointy - a game worker
operator - one who runs/operates amusement rides
showman - carnival owner
Slang Words for Carnival Customers
Carny lingo includes a number of words to describe visitors to the carnival, most of whom are people from the local area near where the carnival is set up.
cake eater - locals believed to be easy to take advantage of
chump - a gullible local; someone who is seen as a sucker
cowboy - a trouble maker
emby - an extremely gullible local
kick - where a carny keeps his money
local - people who live in or near the town where the carnival is set up
lugen - a really dumb mark
lot lice - locals who arrive early, walk around and leave late without spending any money
mark - a townsperson you pick out as a victim
mooch - a local who is very easy to fool
player - someone who pays money to play a game
punk - a child
Terminology for Carnival Prizes
A few different terms are used to refer to the merchandise carnival visitors can win by playing various games of chance.
slum - very cheap prizes that are bought in bulk, sometimes for as little as $1 a gross; also called hooch
plaster - cheap prizes made of plaster that seem to be worth more than they are
paste - cheap prizes; probably came from "paste" imitation jewelry
garbage - cheap souvenirs sold on the midway
More Slang Terms Used at Carnivals
While carny lingo includes several terms for money, customers, workers, and prizes, there are also quite a few other common slang terms used in the industry. The next time you attend a carnival, pay close attention to what workers are saying and see if you can pick up any of these slang words
86'd - to be banned from the lot
al-a-ga-zam - greeting among carnies
bc - stands for be cool; a warning to stop whatever you are currently doing or saying
bally/ballyhoo - the spiel of the outside talker to draw people into the show
beef - a complaint from a player or policeman
blow your pipes - when a carny is hoarse from yelling at marks
blowoff - a show after a show; an offer of another attraction for an additional fee
building a tip - the job of the outside talker is to gather a crowd (tip)
clem - a fight between a local and a carnival worker
crack - a very effective phrase used by carnies to get marks to play
crank, cradle, or strom - the handle or pedal that controls a rigged game
dog house - this is a booth where the person sits who controls the ride
donniker - restroom
ducat or ducket - a free pass or ticket
dukkering - gypsy fortune telling
gaff - the mechanism used to control or fake a game
grind - end of an outside talker's spiel that moves the crowd into the show
heat - any problems in the carnival between any people there
joing - this means to fix a game so that no one can win
joint - a concession
keister - a portable case holding things to display and sell
nut - a show's operating expenses
popper - a wagon with popcorn, candy apples and other edibles to sell
possum belly - a box under a wagon for storage
racket - any operation that uses deception
reading the midway - walking around with your head down, looking for money or valuables on the midway
tip - the crowd gathered in front of a show who listens to the outside talker's bally
