There is a particular jargon that belongs exclusively to the world of the
circus. As in any close group, Circus lingo evolved from convenience and
daily usage. A few expressions were abridged from longer words but carry
some of their original flavor; others were coined or invented as the need
arose. A number were derived from the Italian and French languages; still
others were contributions from the Romany tongue of the gypsies. Gradually
all of these words became threads woven into the rich tapestry of the circus.
The following glossary is a compilation of some of the more common terms, including those which have become outdated as the circus changed. We're sure you'll find it interesting and new. |
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A | Aba-daba / Any dessert that was served in the cookhouse. Advance Men / Men who go into towns ahead of the circus to put up heralds and posters publicizing the arrival of the circus. Alfalfa / Paper money. All Out and Over / Entire performance is concluded. Annie Oakley / A complimentary ticket or free pass. Auguste Clown / A clumsy, slapstick clown who wears no traditional costume. B |
Back Door / Performer's entrance to the Big Top. | Bally / A platform used by spielers to give the crowd an idea of the show to be seen inside. Ballyhoo / The spiel shouted in front of the sideshow to attract attention. Banner / The canvas paintings in front of the sideshow depicting the attractions within. Bibles / Programs or souvenir magazines. Big Bertha or The Big One / Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Big Top / The main tent used for the performance. Blowdown / When the tents are blown down by a storm. Blow Off / The end of the show when the concessionaires come out. Blues / The general admission seats. Boss Canvas Man / The man whose job is to decide exactly where and how the tents should be put up at a new circus lot. Boss Hostler / The man who traveled ahead of the mud shows to mark the way for the caravan; sometimes used to denote the one in charge of all horses in a show. Bulls / Elephants (whether male or female). Bunce / Profits. Butcher / Refreshment merchants, peddler of lemonade, candy, pretzels and other edibles. C |
Calliope / A musical instrument consisting of a series of
steam whistles played like an organ; pronounced "cally-ope"
by circus people. | Carpet Clown / A clown who works either among the audience or on arena floor. Catcher / A member of a trapeze act who catches the flyer after he has released himself from the bar in a flying return act Cats / Lions, tigers, leopards, panthers. Cattle Guard / A set of low seats placed in front of the general admission seats to accommodate overflow audiences. Center Pole or King Pole / The first pole of the tent to be raised. It is about 60 feet high, weighs about a ton and holds the peak of the tent. Character Clown / A clown who usually dresses in a tramp costume. Charivari / A noisy whirlwind entrance of clowns; also called shivaree or chivaree. Cherry Pie / Extra work done by circus personnel for extra pay. Clem-A fight. Clown Alley / A section of tent where clowns put on their makeup and store their props. Clown Stop / A brief appearance of the clowns while the props are being changed. Clown Walk-Around / A parade of clowns during which time they stop and do their acts. Come-in / The period when the public is entering the arena before the circus begins. D |
Dog and Pony Show / A derisive term for a small circus. | Dona / A woman. Donikers / Restrooms. Doors! / Call meaning to let the public in. Dressage / The art of showing trained horses; animal paces are guided by subtle movements of rider's body. Dressed / When tickets are distributed so that all sections are filled with no obviously empty areas. Ducat Grabber / Door tender or ticket collector. Dukey or Duckie-Box Lunch / The first cookhouse was known as "Hotel du Quai." When pronounced quickly it sounded like "dukey" and the name stuck. Dukey Run / Any circus run longer than an overnight haul. E |
En Ferocite / The term used by European circuses to describe
American wild animal acts, as opposed to their "tableau" presentations. | Equestrian Director / Ringmaster (derived from early circuses featuring primarily equestrian performers). F |
Feet Jump-In / Equestrian riding-standing with the feet
together, bareback rider jumps from the ground or teeterboard on to back
of a running horse. | Fink or Larry / A broken novelty such as a torn balloon. First of May / A novice performer in his first season on a circus show. Flatties / People. Flip-Flaps / The trick of flipping from a standing position to the hands while bareback rider is on a running horse. Flyers / Aerialists, especially those in flying return acts. Flying Squadron / The first section of a circus to reach the lot Framing a Show / Planning a circus production. Funambulist / Rope walker. From Latin: "funis" --rope, and "ambulare" --to walk. Funny Ropes / Extra ropes added to regular ones, usually at angles, to give extra stability and spread to canvas tent. G |
Gaffer / Circus manager. | Galop / Fast tempo band melodies used in certain exits and entrances. Gilly / Anyone not connected with the circus; an outsider. See also Towner. Gilly Wagon / Extra small wagon or cart used to carry light bits of equipment around the lot. Graft / A piece of work-sometimes easy, sometimes hard. Grafters / Gamblers who often trail a show. Grotesque / Type of clown who wears exaggerated costume and carries outlandish props. Guys / Heavy ropes or cables that help to support poles or high wire rigging. H |
Harlequin / A clown of the commedia dell'arte who
dressed in a diamond-patterned costume and who wore a black mask. | Heralds / Circus advertisements, approximately 9 x 20 inches. which can be pasted down or handed out. They are not in color and consist of type and pictures. Hey Rube! / Traditional battle cry of circus people in fights with townspeople. High School Horse / A horse who has been taught fancy steps in special riding academies. See also Dressage. Hits / Places such as walls of grain elevators, barns, buildings, or fences on which heralds and posters were pasted. Home Run / The trip from Home Sweet Home back to winter quarters. Home Sweet Home / The last stand of the season when bill posters usually pasted one pack of posters upside down. Homy / A man. A bona homy is a good man. Horse / One thousand dollars. Horse Feed / Poor returns from poor business. Horse Opery / Any circus (jokingly). Howdah or Howdy / A seat, often with a canopy, on the back of an elephant or camel. Human Oddities / Sideshow of abnormal persons. I |
Iron-Jaw Trick / An aerial stunt using a metal bit and apparatus
which fits into the performer's mouth. Thus suspended he performs his tricks. | Jackpots / Tall tales about the circus. Jill / A girl. Joey / A clown (derived from Joseph Grimaldi, a famous clown in England of the 18th century). Jonah's Luck / Unusually bad weather or mud. Jump / The distance between performances in different towns. Jump Stand / An additional booth near the front door used to sell extra tickets during a rush by spectators. K |
Kicking Sawdust / Following the circus or being a part of
it. | Kid Show / A sideshow. Kiester / Wardrobe trunk. Kinker / Any circus performer (originally only an acrobat). L |
Layout Man / The lot superintendent who decides the location
of the various tents. | Lift / The natural bounce which lifts Bareback rider from ground to back of a running horse. Little People / Midgets or dwarfs. Lot / Land leased by the circus for performances. Lot Lice / Local townspeople who arrive early to watch unloading of the circus and stay late. M |
Main Guy / Guy rope to hold up center pole in the Big Top. | March, The / The street parade. Mechanic / The leather safety harness which is worn by flyers in practice sessions and controlled by man below. Midway / The area near the main entrance where the sideshows are located and concessionaires sell refreshments and souvenirs. Mud Show / Circus show that traveled overland, not on rails. So named because the wagon wheels were frequently mired in mud. N |
Nanty / Nothing. | O |
On the Show / Performers and all others connected to the
circus. The term "with" the show is not used. | Opposition Paper / Advertising posters which were put up by competing circuses. P |
Pad Room / Dressing Room. So called because riders hang
their pads there. | Paper / Circus posters. Parlari / Circus people talking. Perch Act / A balancing act involving use of apparatus upon which one person is performing while being balanced by another. Picture Gallery / A tattooed man. Pie-Car / The dining car of a railroad train. Pitchmen / The salesmen at concessions on the midway. Planges / Aerialist's body swing overs in which one hand and wrist are placed in padded rope loop. Ponger / An acrobat. Possom Belly / Extra storage box attached underneath a work wagon or railway car. Q |
Quarter Poles / Poles which help support the weight of the
canvas and take up the slack between center and side poles. | R |
Rat Sheets / Advance posters or handbills with negative
slant toward the opposition. | Razorbacks / The men who load and unload railroad cars. Red Wagon / Box office wagon, main office of circus; also money wagon. This was usually painted red though it could be any color. Rig / To put up aerial rigging. Rigging / The apparatus used in high wire or aerial acts. Ring Banks or Curbs / Wooden curbing around the ring. Ring Barn / Regulation-sized circus ring for practice at winter quarters. Ring Horse / A horse which performs in the center ring. He is trained to maintain timing despite distractions. Ring Stock / Circus animals which perform in the show, including horses, llamas, camels, and ponies. Risley Act / Three acrobats lying on their backs who toss a fourth acrobat from one to the other. Roll-Ups / Tame US aerial plunges. Roman Riding / A rider standing on the backs of two horses. Roper / A cowboy. Rosinback / Horse used for bareback riding. So named because horses' backs were sprinkled with rosin to prevent rider from slipping. Roustabout / A circus workman, laborer. Rubbermen / The men who sell balloons. S |
Safety Loop / The loop part of a web rope into which a performer
places her wrist in aerial ballet numbers. | Segue / Music bridge used in changing from one tune to another without stopping. Shanty or Chandelier / The man who works the lights. Shill / A man used as e decoy; an employee who stands in line to make the bosx office look busy and walks in without paying. Sky Boards / The decorated boards along top of cage wagons used in parades. Slanger / Trainer of cats. Sledge Gang / Crew of men who pounded in tent stakes. Soft Lot / A wet or muddy lot. Spec / Short form for spectacle. A colorful pageant which is a featured part of the show; formerly used as the opening numbers, now presented before intermission. Spec Girls / Comedy showgirls who appear in grand spectacle. Spieler / An announcer. Splash Boards / Decorated bottom edge of cage wagons used in parades. Stand / Any town where the circus plays. Star Backs / More expensive reserved seats. St. Louis / Doubles or seconds of food. So named because St. Louis engagement was played in two sections. Strawhouse / A sell-out house. Straw was spread on ground for spectators to sit upon in front of general asmission seats. Swags / Prizes T |
Tableau Wagons / Ornamental parades wagons. Costumed circus
performers rode atop them. | Tail Up / Command to an elephant to follow in line. Talkers / Ticket takers for sideshow--never called "barkers"." Tanbark / The shredded bark from trees from which tannin has been extracted and used to cover circus arena ground. The Big One / Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Toot Up / To get attention of spectators by playing the calliope. Tops / Tents; for example, dressing tops are where the performers dress for show. Towners / Townspeople; any outsiders. See also Gilly. Troupers / Circus entertainers. Trunk Up / Command to an elephant to raise his trunk in a salute. Turnaway / A sold-out show. Twenty-four-hour Man / An advance man who works one day ahead of circus. W |
Wait Brothers Show / Ringling Brothers and Barnum &
Bailey Show. So called because the posters read, "Wait for the Big
Show." | Web / Dangling canvas-covered rope suspended from swivels from the top of the tent. Web Girl / Female who performs on web in aerial ballet sequence. Web-Sitter / Ground man who holds or controls the web for aerialists. Windjammer / A member of a circus band. With It / An expression meaning loyalty to the show.
Z
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Zanies / Clowns.
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B I G T O P |