The complete dictionary of carnival slang, terminology, and industry jargon from "agent" to "zone."
116 terms found
A carnival worker, especially one who operates a game or attraction.
An excuse or story used to avoid paying out a prize.
A customer who wins big or spends a lot of money.
The area behind the main midway, often where crew lives and equipment is stored.
A free outdoor performance or demonstration used to attract customers to a show or attraction.
A painted sign advertising a show, attraction, or game.
The climax or finale of a show, often an extra-fee attraction.
Rural, remote areas; a spot far from civilization.
The carnival owner or general manager.
A dollar; also slang for money in general.
The process of setting up the carnival at a new spot.
A trailer with bunks where crew members sleep.
A food vendor or concession worker.
The pitch or speech used by an operator to attract customers.
Prizes, especially stuffed animals and plush toys.
A carnival worker; a person who travels with the show.
The layout or map of the midway showing where each ride and game goes.
A naive or easily fooled customer.
When business is slow or there are no customers.
An attraction or offer used to draw customers in.
A food, game, or merchandise stand operated on the midway.
The agreement between a carnival and a fair board or venue.
The movement of the carnival between towns; a line of trucks on the road.
A dollar.
To open for the day; to start operations.
A day with no show; a day off.
To set up the carnival; to unload and assemble.
A coin toss game where players try to land dimes on plates or in glasses.
A bathroom or toilet; a restroom on the lot.
The number of people attending an event; the crowd size.
The money collected at a game or ride; the daily take.
The committee that organizes a fair and contracts with carnivals.
The display of prizes at a game joint, designed to attract players.
A flatbed trailer used for hauling equipment.
The main entrance area of the midway.
A rigged or tricked game; a scam.
A worker who helps set up rides and equipment.
The signal to close; the end of the night.
Inexperienced; new to the business.
The daily routine; the steady work of operating.
A naive person; an easy target.
A worker; a crew member.
A traditional call for help when a fight breaks out; now rare.
A strength-testing game where players swing a hammer to ring a bell.
A successful spot; a profitable event.
A ring toss game; tossing rings over bottles or pegs.
A game or food stand on the midway.
A game operator; someone who runs a game joint.
The move between towns; traveling to the next spot.
The person in charge of a section of the midway.
A children's ride.
To plan and mark the midway layout.
To level a ride or trailer using jacks, shims, or blocks.
To pack up equipment onto trucks for transport.
A specific spot on the midway assigned to a ride or game.
The fairgrounds or venue where the carnival sets up.
People who hang around the midway but don't spend money.
The person in charge of the overall lot and operations.
To fool or trick someone; to scam.
A target customer; someone likely to spend money.
The main area of the carnival with rides, games, and food.
To extract as much money as possible from customers.
A large crowd; a busy night.
A ride operator; someone who runs a ride.
To travel between towns; the journey to the next spot.
A first-year worker; someone new to the carnival.
The daily operating cost; the break-even point.
A repair; a fix for a broken ride or game.
To give a prize to a winner.
A payment based on a percentage of sales, paid to the carnival or fair.
The sales talk used to attract customers to a game or attraction.
Stuffed animal prizes; the most common carnival prize.
The crew; the group of workers on a carnival.
An item used in a game; game equipment.
A young or inexperienced worker.
A display of prizes at a game joint.
A flag or banner; a cloth sign.
The money taken in; the total revenue.
A worker who informs on others; a snitch.
A difficult customer or situation; trouble.
The schedule of towns and events a carnival visits each season.
Money; cash.
To set up a ride or attraction; to assemble.
The process of assembling the carnival at a new spot.
A skilled, experienced worker; someone who knows the business.
The entire operation; the whole carnival.
A trailer or stand used as a game or food booth.
A person paid to pretend to play and win, to attract customers.
A leveling device placed under a ride or trailer to make it level.
The carnival; the entire operation.
A carnival owner or operator; someone in the business.
To lose money; to have a bad spot.
To cheat or overcharge someone.
To secure a ride or tent to the ground with stakes.
A town or venue on the carnival's route.
The layout of the midway; how the rides and games are arranged.
A fair, honest customer; someone who pays without trouble.
A food or merchandise booth on the midway.
A day off; a day with no show.
A merchandise stand selling toys, hats, or souvenirs.
To tear down; to dismantle the carnival.
A series of spots; a sequence of towns on the route.
A naive customer; an easy target.
To clean up the lot; to police the area.
The money collected; the daily revenue.
To dismantle the carnival and load trucks for the next spot.
The crowd gathered by a bally; people attracted to a show.
A spot on the route; a place where the carnival sets up.
A living or work trailer; a vehicle towed behind a truck.
A trick or scheme; a scam.
A vehicle for hauling rides and equipment between towns.
The boss; the owner; the person in charge.
A spinning ride; a ride that rotates.
An unlimited-ride pass; a flat-fee ride ticket.
The lot or fairgrounds; the area where the carnival sets up.
A section of the midway; an area assigned to a crew or foreman.
The companies that help keep the midway running.
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