Agent—The concessionaire who works a store (as opposed to a clerk, who just takes the money).
Bozo—The clown who works the dunk tank and entices players with insults and a clever pitch. The clown makeup is for his own protection so he won’t be recognized when he’s off duty since some of his customers take his insults personally.
Cake eaters/Rubes/Clems—The paying customers, particularly those at rural or small-town venues.
Carnival—The loose affiliation of independent ride owners and concessionaires that provides traveling outdoor amusements for the public to enjoy.
Cool the mark—Send a tapped-out patron away happy... or if not happy, at least resigned to his losses so that he does not complain to the police that the game is rigged.
Cutting up jackpots—Swapping stories with fellow carnies and bragging about the money taken off the hairy mooches (loaded marks).
Dark night—An evening when the carnival is closed unexpectedly. Usually due to rain.
Donniker—Rest room or toilet.
First-of-May—Someone newly with the carnival. Floss—Cotton candy.
Forty-miler—Concessionaire who doesn’t travel far from his home base.
Gaffed game—One that is rigged so that the agent can control how much stock is thrown.
Lilly outfit, Gillies—Small carnivals that only work rural areas.
Hey Rube!—The call for help when a carny is in serious bodily danger from outsiders.
Jump—The move from one location to the next town.
Mark—The paying customer. Dates back to when agents would let someone with a full wallet win and give him a congratulatory slap on the back with a chalked hand so that other agents would see the chalk mark and know that here was someone loaded with money and ripe for plucking.
Nut—The show’s operating expenses. According to carny lore, the term originated on a circus lot. An owner owed a lot of money and to prevent him from leaving town without paying, his creditor took the nuts off the wheels of his wagons and kept them till the debt was paid. To make your nut is to break even. If you’re showing a profit, you’re “off the nut.”
Outsiders—People who are neither associated with the carnival nor part of carnival life.
Patch—The go-between for a carnival and local authorities. If bribes need to be paid, whether in cash, passes, or plush, he pays them. He also fixes the problem (“patches the beef”) and smooths things over with any unhappy customer.
Plush—Stuffed toys given as prizes.
Pop-ups—Hidden props, usually triggered by a pressure mat or electric eye, that pop up at eye level to startle the customers in a “dark house” (a horror/haunted house attraction).
Possum belly—An auxiliary storage space beneath an equipment truck. It’s usually empty when the rides are set up and therefore often doubles as a sleeping place for green roughies. (Women who use it for casual sex are scornfully called “Possum belly queens.”)
Rake ‘em and scrape ‘em—Take the marks for every penny by every means both foul and fair.
Razzle-dazzles—Add-up games with virtually impossible odds of winning and the distinct probability of losing serious money.
Roughie—Unskilled laborer who helps set up or tear down the rides and equipment.
Route markers—Small red arrows posted on the road-side by the advance agent or carnival owner to show drivers the route. Arrows point straight up, left or right, and down. Down means to slow down. More than one means a turn coming up. Route markers are essential for drivers who can’t read.
Sharpies—Carnivalgoers who have practiced a game till they can win almost every time (which is why some games post the warning ONE PRIZE PER DAY PER PERSON).
Stores/Joints—What an outsider calls a game or concession. Run by agents or clerks. There are three kinds:
(1) Hanky-panks—You win every time. Maybe not a great prize, but still a prize.
(2) Alibi stores—You could win, but if you do, the agent will try to avoid giving you a big prize by saying you violated some rule of the game. If he’s really good, you’ll continue to play.
(3) Flat stores/Flatties—You flat-out won’t win. Most of these games are gaffed. What you’ll get for your money is the fun of trying, plus an entertaining spiel from a smooth-talking agent. (Keep your wallet in your pocket!)
Sucker sore—A carny’s state of mind after being on the road so long that he’s fed up with the public. He’s tired of their questions, tired of their stupidity, tired of their corrupt elected officials or police force.
Sunday schooler—A clean show with no alcoholic beverages on the lot, no erotic suggestiveness, no razzle-dazzles, no overly gaffed games.
Throwing stock—The percentage of a store’s gross revenue (usually 25 to 30 percent) that is given back to the players as prizes.
