American Circus Lingo

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24-hour Man — Employee who travels the route 24 hours before the rest of the circus, putting up roadside arrows to direct travel and making sure the lot is ready.

Advance — Teams of employees traveled ahead of the circus route to put up posters and arrange for advertising, usually arriving in each town four weeks, two weeks and one week before the show. They often traveled on dedicated "advance cars" or "bill cars," rail cars carried on freight trains, and had just one day to carry out their assignments. The team and its ad campaign were simply called "the advance." "Bill Posters" pasted multi-sheet posters on the outsides of buildings and fences with buckets of flour-and-water paste, long-handled paste brushes, and ladders. "Lithographers" bartered with local merchants, trading passes for the right to place one-sheets, half-sheets, and panels in store windows. Any of them might hire local youths to distribute heralds door-to-door.

Advise — The official schedule, posted on the outside of the backdoor and elsewhere, listing the current revision of the time and sequence of the acts.

Aerialist — Performer who performs suspended above the ground on a trapeze or similar equipment (wire walking is not an aerialist act).

AGVA — The American Guild of Variety Artists, a (currently) 5,000-member union representing performers in the variety entertainment field, including circuses, Las Vegas showrooms and cabarets, musical variety shows, comedy showcases, dance revues, magic shows and amusement park shows, arena and auditorium productions on tour. Referred to in the musical "A Chorus Line" as 'the nightclub union.' Organized by Sophie Tucker and others as The American Federation of Actors, absorbed into the AFL-CIO in 1939. Awards the "Georgie Award" (after George Jessel) for variety performer of the year. Opinions vary on the AGVA, generally concluding that it is at least as honest as the Teamsters and at least as useful to the performers as PATCO was to Reagan-era air-traffic controllers. Does not, at this writing (February 2006), even maintain a minimal web page.

All Out and Over, All Out, All Over — The entire performance is concluded, the audience has vacated the top and workers can begin re-setting or tearing down.

Annie Oakley — A complimentary ticket or free pass, also 'ducat.' The hole customarily punched in such a free pass recalled the bullet holes that Oakley, a wild-west-show sharpshooter, fired into small cards in her performances.

Arrow — A paper sign, consisting simply of a large (usually red) printed arrow, used to mark the route between towns. Taped to the posts of road signs by the 24-hour man the day before the show moves. Can be placed in any orientation: straight-up arrows every few miles to let you know you're on the right road, a single tilted arrow to warn of an upcoming turn, and two or three tilted arrows in a group to indicate where to turn.

Back Yard — The area behind the big top where props, animals, and performers are readied for a circus performance, and where housing trailers are parked away from public view.

Baggage Stock — Horses used for hauling, as opposed to performing horses called "ring stock."

Bale Ring — In a large tent, the canvas is perforated by holes where the support poles will be, and each hole is fitted with a sturdy metal ring - the poles are placed in the rings as the canvas lies on the ground, and the rings are raised up the poles by ropes using blocks-and-tackle.

Ballyhoo — A spotlight cue meaning to sweep the light across the spectators in a figure-8 pattern (used in a different sense in carnivals and sideshows.)

Banjo Light — A large round pan-shaped metal reflector containing a gasoline or kerosene flame, used to light tent interiors before electricity.

Basket Animal — A costume made with a basket in the middle, looking as if the performer were riding a horse or other animal. Suspenders hold the costume around the performer's waist.

Benefit — A contractual arrangement under which the entire profit from one or more entire performances would go to a star performer. The idea was that this part of the performer's pay would, in fairness, depend on the performer's drawing power as well as the chance factors that affect the business. Benefits went out of use early in the 20th century.

Bibles — Souvenir programs. Also, boards placed under the reserved seat chairs, so-called because they fold closed like a bible. Amusement Business, the trade magazine, was sometimes also called "the Bible."

Big Top — The main tent used for the performance. (A tent is a top plus some walls, so "the big top" would be the largest tent on the lot.)

Blow Off — The end of the show when the concessionaires come out. Also, the visual "punchline" of a clown gag.

Blues or Stringers — The general admission seats, usually painted blue (in engineering, "stringers" are long supporting members)

Boiler Room, Phoneroom — System of selling advance tickets using teams of telephone salesmen cold-calling people. These advance sales are indispensable to smaller shows, but the system is open to many abuses.

Boss Canvasman — The man in charge of making sure the canvas goes up properly and doesn't come down short of a major blow down. Also decides on the placement of tents on the lot, and sometimes functions as lot manager for the sideshow as well.

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.

Brodie — An accidental fall (but one which has an element of stupidity or clumsiness, rather than disaster). From the name of Steve Brodie, who in 1886 claimed to have survived a jump off the Brooklyn Bridge.

Bullhook or Ankus — The dull hook on a stick used by elephant trainers to "get the elephant's attention" and guide the animals to their tasks. (No, it doesn't hurt them — what kind of idiot would stand practically under a very expensive multi-ton animal and hurt it?)

Bulls — Elephants (whether male or female). Also (mostly with affection) "rubber cows."

Bull Tub — Heavy round metal pedestal upon which an elephant sits or stands.

"Bump a Nose" — Some people cite this as the "good luck" phrase clowns use to each other before a performance, rather like actors' "break a leg." In reality, it's cutesie-poo amateur clown club jargon. A circus clown would be much more likely to say something like "go @#$%& yourself."

Butcher — Strolling vendor selling refreshments or souvenirs. Al Stencell said, on the Circus Historical Society forum in 2006, "The food items were sent into the big top in an order. That is dry first. Once people were ready to almost kill you for a drink - then the wet went in. Candy apples didn't go in until the last couple of acts. Reason - it takes too long to eat an apple."

Calliope — A musical instrument consisting of a series of steam whistles played like an organ. (From 'Calliope,' the Greek muse of music.)

Caring Clown — Not a traditional circus term. Used by amateurs (and Ringling publicity) to refer to clowns who specialize in hospital visits ("Awwwwww…").

Carpet Clown — A clown who works either among the audience or on arena floor.

Catcher — The member of a trapeze act who catches the flyer after he has released himself from the bar in a flying return act.

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 and holds the peak of the tent.

Character Clown — A clown who dresses in a character costume, often a tramp, but sometimes a policeman, fireman, etc.

Charivari — A noisy whirlwind entrance of clowns; also called (probably through an uneducated attempt to read this unfamiliar word) 'shivaree.'

Charley (v.) — To ditch a poster or group of posters or handbills instead of posting or distributing them as assigned.

Chinese — Extra jobs done by circus personnel without additional pay. Circus contracts often call for employees, in addition to the job they signed on for, to make themselves "generally useful," the meaning of which is often stretched to include all sorts of labor at all hours, until employees often feel that they are being abused by management as badly as Chinese laborers were while building the railroads.

Circus Candy — Very cheap confections with deceptively impressive packaging. Often sold in a special intermission pitch, with prize premiums as an incentive to buy.

Circus Fans Association of America — Fan organization established in 1926. Its local clubs are called "tents" and "tops." Publishes "The White Tops" members' magazine. The loyalty of the Fans is sincerely appreciated by circus performers and is seen as indispensable to the survival of small shows. Many a mud-show performer has gotten a ride to the laundromat from a Fan. However, they can at times (like fans in any field) be both obsessive and intrusive, feeling entitled to enter the performers' private areas uninvited or meddle with the animals entirely unappreciative of the danger. Their mottoes: "We fight anything that fights the circus" and "We pay as we go" (meaning, I believe, that they don't expect freebies for their helpful efforts). Circus owners understand both sides: a post to the Fans' website recently read, in part, "That smiling neighbor tearing tickets might be the contact for next years booking. That guest clown (who doesn't look like a Halloweener and will take directions) can add some visual beef to tired routines." Another member also wrote "I put my foot down and separated the fans from the freeloaders. The freeloaders show up with a car full of uncontrollable kids, sneak in the back door, sit in the best sits, let their kids run all over the place, then after the show head back to the car to have lunch they brought from home and complain about our soda prices." Here's their website.

Circus Headache — A real ailment, named because prolonged exposure to the ammonia fumes generated by animal waste can cause splitting headaches.

Circus Pole — Very early mass-produced candy hawked by candy butchers inside the tent. Stick candy, with a hard, brown, brittle outer layer and a soft coconut center.

Circus Tape — Adhesive cloth tape used to wrap trapeze bars and other circus equipment.

Cloud Swing — A bar-less swing, really just a "u" of rope, used in an aerial act. Most performers using the cloud swing never used safety features.

Come In — The period an hour before showtime when the public is entering the arena before the circus begins. Elephant and camel rides are offered for a fee during come in; butchers are selling their wares, and clowns are on the floor. Some clowns specialized and only performed during come in.

Concert or Aftershow — An extra act, performed in the big top, for an additional admission fee, after the conclusion of the main performance. The concert was often produced by a separate company independently of the circus, paying a fee for the use of the big top and for ticket sales. Early shows offered musical concerts, but the concert came to be almost always a wild west show, often featuring a famous cowboy movie star.

Cookhouse, Cook Shack — The place where personnel eat, not open to the public.

Dog and Pony Show — A dismissive term for a very small circus. A large traveling circus might have 20 people working, a small "mud show" might be a family and a helper or two. They were often too small to support large animals, and their animal acts might amount to as little as a trained dog and pony. In common use, this is a metaphor for an event with big ballyhoo but little substance, an elaborate but empty display: "Congressman Blowhard demanded a hearing on the dangers of carnival rides, so we had to testify in his dog and pony show."

Donkey Kick — The bareback rider's flip from a standing position to the hands.

Donniker — A rest room or toilet. Derived from 'dunnekin,' in common use among lower-class Britons in the 1700s meaning 'outhouse.' Probably derived from 'dung' and "-kin", a suffix referring to a small container or private room (many euphemisms for 'bathroom' refer to it as a 'closet' or 'the small room'). In Australian slang today, an outhouse is a "dunny".

Downtown Wagon — A circus wagon featuring a simple exhibit, parked prominently on a downtown street as advertising on circus day. Sometimes a ticket wagon would be located downtown to increase sales.

Dressage — An act by horses trained in dancelike stylized movements; the animals' paces are guided by subtle movements of the rider's body.

Dressing the House — To sell reserved-seat tickets in a pattern so that all sections appear at least moderately filled with no obviously empty areas.

Ducat (somestimes 'ducket') — Free ticket to the show, also knows as an 'Annie Oakley' (or 'comp,' a term shared with theater). Sometimes also used to refer to money.

Dukie (or Dukey) Lunch — The first circus cookhouse was jocularly nicknamed "The Hotel du Quai," after an elegant Parisian hotel across the street from the Louvre. When read by uneducated people it came out "Dukie" and the name stuck.

Dukie (or Dukey) Tickets — Company scrip or vouchers distributed by management to staff and performers to use like money at the pie car and cook house. Giving these coupons instead of cash ensured that the workers ate and had personal things despite the temptation to blow it all on alcohol. You could buy food but not beer with the dukey tickets. Ringling still uses dukie tickets.

Dukie (or Dukey) Run — Any circus run longer than an overnight haul.

(the) Educator — Slang for Amusement Business, a weekly publication for the outdoor entertainment industry.

Equestrian Director — The "stage manager" of the show, in formal riding wear (top hat, red jacket, etc.) who decided and signaled the pacing of the acts. His costume, functions and whistle were later adopted by ringmasters when they became chief announcers instead of livestock-handlers.

Feet Jump-In — In equestrian acts, standing with the feet together, bareback rider jumps from the ground or teeterboard onto the back of a running horse.

First of May — A novice performer or worker in his first season. Shows usually play the season's opening spot on the first of May, and you'll always find new help hired on the first of May who have never worked shows before.

Flare — A kerosene torch placed along the route from the railroad loading spur to the circus lot, to light the way during a night haul.

Flukum — Refreshment butchers' term for no-brand grape or orange drink to be sold in the stands (usually from cheap powdered flavorings).

Flyers — Aerialists in flying acts, which involve jumping through the air. The flyer's partner is the 'catcher.'

Flying Squadron — The first trucks to reach the lot. (After the title of a novel about the War of 1812.)

Forty Milers — Newcomers to circus or carnival life, who (metaphorically speaking) have never been farther than 40 miles away from their home, and might very well quit before they get any farther away than that.

Funambulist — Rope walker, from the 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-Top — A private club, generally under a tent, where staff drink or gamble.

Gag — A short clown trick that is over too quickly to be an act of its own.

Gallery — General seating area (the cheap seats), consisting of backless bleachers in the old days.

Gaucho — Someone not born into circus life who takes a circus job. Possibly a corruption of the gypsy word "gadjo" (sometimes "gadje"), meaning a non-Gypsy.

Geronimo — A "death dive" act, jumping from a great height onto a big air bag (as movie stunt men do today) or as "sponge plunge" into an impossibly small amount of water. Most of the time it would be a man; he would climb to the top of the building out on to the beams yell "Geronimo" and dive off hitting a big air bag on the floor and for dramatic effect a big bang would go off.

Giraffe — A unicycle with seat and pedals atop a long pole, putting the rider high above the ground.

Grand Entry — The opening parade, also called the "spec" (for "spectacle"), in which all the artists enter.

Grandstand — The seating area facing the center ring of a three-ring circus, flanked by the less favorable viewing area called the "stalls."

Grouch Bag — A small bag or purse worn under the clothing, carrying the performer's valuables (which are likely to be stolen from an unattended dressing room).

Guy Wires — Stabilizing ropes that give horizontal support to rigging. Most things in the air use guy wires: flying acts, cloud swing, high wire, single traps, double traps, cradle, pretty much anything with a crane bar uses them.

Hair Hang — An aerial act in which the performer was suspended by her hair. More of an act was possible by this method than by the "iron jaw" method, because you can hang longer by your hair than by your teeth.

Hammock Act — Act in which an aerialist is suspended by being entwined in one or two long cloths, alternately sliding down them, swinging from them, and wrapping them around the body suspended by friction. Applies particularly when there is no rope or loop hidden in the length of the cloths. Similar to the "strap act."

Haul Route — Directions through the city from the rail yard to the lot or arena.

Heralds — Circus advertisements of black-and-white type, approximately 9 x 20 inches, sometimes pasted down but usually handed out.

Hey Rube! — Traditional battle cry of circus people in fights with townspeople. These days, more likely to be 'It's a clem!' or just 'fight!'.

High School Horse — A horse who has been taught fancy steps in special riding academies (see Dressage). Also refers to a horse being ridden, or on a lunge line.

High Wire — A tightly-stretched wire far above the floor, on which a wire walker performs.

Hits — Good places to paste posters, like the walls of grain elevators, barns, buildings, or fences.

Home Sweet Home — The last stand of the season, when bill posters sometimes pasted one pack of posters upside down.

Howdah — From the Indian term, a seat on the back of an elephant or camel. Elephant and camel rides would be sold for an extra fee during "come in."

Iron-Jaw Trick — An aerial stunt using a metal bit and apparatus which fits into the performer's mouth, and from which he hangs suspended. Most of the time used as an opening number — someone dressed as a butterfly was raised to the top of the arena, waved a round a bit then was lowered.

Jackpots — Tall tales about one's exploits on the circus ('war stories'.)

Joey — A clown (derived from Joseph Grimaldi, a famous clown in 18th-century England.) Some sources say it only refers to an auguste-type clown, others say it is an amateur term not used on the lot.

John Robinson — A signal to cut or shorten an act, or to give a very short show altogether. If you were headed out to the ring, someone would say "John Robinson" to call for an abbreviated performance, or in the middle of an act if the ringmaster made the announcement "Would John Robinson please come to the rear entrance," the performer should go right into his last trick. Rarely used, but valuable in case of emergency, storm warning, or sometimes just a very long haul to the next lot.

Jonah — A person who brings bad luck to everyone in his vicinity (from the Biblical story of Jonah, who brought storms down upon the ship he was traveling on, having disobeyed God, and so was thrown overboard to be swallowed by a whale.) This term was never exclusively a circus term, but was in much wider general use in the past. A mother watching her child perform in the ring is almost certain to be a Jonah.

Jumbo — The popular use of the word "jumbo" to mean anything large comes from the name of a famous large elephant first exhibited in London, then sold to P.T. Barnum in 1882. London zookeepers named the elephant, probably drawing on "jambo," the traditional Swahili word of greeting. The elephant's popularity drove the word "jumbo" into general use. After Jumbo's death, Barnum stuffed him and continued to exhibit him, then donated him to Tufts University. Although the remains of Jumbo were destroyed in a fire, Jumbo is still the official Tufts mascot.

Jump Stand — An additional ticket booth near the front door used to sell extra tickets during a rush by spectators.

Keister — Sometimes used to refer to a circus wardrobe trunk, or any luggage.

Kicking Sawdust — Following the circus or being a part of it. Also 'on the sawdust trail.'

Kid Pusher — Employee, usually on a mud show, assigned to the job of recruiting and directing local youths in setting up the tops in return for free passes.

Kiester — A wardrobe trunk, or a pitchman's display case. Or anyone's rear end, or jail. Such as "he had a beef with the fuzz and landed in the kiester.".

King Pole — The main support pole or mast for the tent, sometimes one, two or four in number. A king pole sticks out through a hole in the canvas and the canvas is pulled up around it with ropes. Very old canvas tents were rather fragile and had one king pole in the center with four or even eight queen poles around it. Queen poles also passed through holes and had pull up ropes, but were around the edges of the tent. Quarter poles were between the walls at the same distance from the king pole as the queen poles.

Knockabout Act — Comedy act involving physical humor and exaggerated mock violence.

L.Q. — Living Quarters whether it is a show-owned bunk house, a railroad sleeping car, a crude rack in an 18-wheeler, or a private trailer.

Lacing — The system of eyelets and rope loops that holds together the panels of a tent's walls.

Larry — "Something's wrong with it." Might describe damaged merchandise, or something worn out beyond any usefulness, or even a person who's a loser (however affable) - "He's just a larry."

Layout Man, Lot Man — The lot superintendent who decides the location of the various tents.

Liberty Act — Liberty horses are trained horses performing without riders or tethers.

Lift — The natural bounce with which a bareback rider jumps from the ground to the back of a running horse.

Long Haul Town — A spot where the lot was a long way from the railroad loading spur.

Long Mount — When several elephants stand in line, each on hind legs, placing his front legs on the back of the elephant in front of him.

Lot Lice — Local townspeople who arrive early to watch the unloading of the circus and stay late. Maybe they leave money behind, but they sure get in the way.

Lunge Line — A long tether allowing horses to run and do stunts around the periphery of the ring while the trainer stands in the center holding the line.

Mechanic — Safety harness used in practice sessions by flyers, trampoline, bareback riders, high wire, perch acts, and tumblers. The practicing performer wears a harness attached to a rope that hangs above the middle of the ring. Called a 'lunge' when the rope is fixed to the center of the ring and keeps the performer from falling outward.

Midway — In its broadest sense, the area where all the concessions, rides and shows are located in a circus. Of course, a carnival is basically nothing but a midway without a circus, but in a circus the midway is situated "midway" between the 'front door' to the circus lot and the 'big top' where the circus performers do their acts. At a fair, the midway will probably be a combination of the carnival and the 'independent midway,' amusements booked in separately by the fair committee itself.

Mud Shoe — Metal fitting that helps slide center poles up when raising the big top.

Night Riders — Bill posters for competing circuses, who posted paper for their employers in a gentlemanly fashion by day, and tore down or covered up the bills for their competition by night.

On the Show — Describes performers and all others connected to the circus. The term "with it" is specific to the carnival world, not the circus.

Pad Room — Room near the animals for pads, harness and tack for elephants and horses. Not really a dressing room, though most of the animal people hang there and might put their spec wardrobe there.

Paper — Posters, handbills or advertisements for a carnival. Paper used to be mostly in the form of posters of various sizes pasted on walls, or handbills distributed door-to-door. Now, with laws against posting on the public right-of-way, and with flier distribution often called "littering," paper mostly consists of coupons distributed in stores. Since local charities often 'sponsor' the circus or carnival, posters put up by the charity are often officially overlooked by law enforcement. Beginning in the 1950s, there was a union for bill crews: the International Alliance of Billers, Billposters and Distributors. When a show played towns with a Billposters' local, union-member crews were required, and the paper would be rubber-stamped with a small "union bug" (union logo) indicating that the posters were put up by union members. This practice was often ignored in towns where there was no Billposters' local or where there was not a strong pro-union sentiment.

Papering the House — Giving away free tickets to fill up the audience, to give the impression that the public is anxious to see your show. Often done when the press is in attendance. (Also used in the theater.)

Pedestal — The platform that fliers perch on while waiting to catch the swing (the "fly bar").

Perch Act — A balancing act involving use of apparatus upon which one person performs while being balanced by another.

Performance Director — The person in charge of the overall look of the show and all artists, very much like a theatrical director.

Performer's Trick — Something the performer does with great pride but which only other performers would appreciate, like a magician who learns sleights so skillful they awe other magicians but seem to the public no different than what their Uncle Bill can do.

Pie-Car — The railroad dining car. After the shows stopped traveling by rail, someone opened a pie car on every show; it opened after the cookhouse closed. It was probably the first convenience store — you could buy beer, cigarettes, sodas, chips, sandwiches but not full meals, and stuff like socks, razors, cards. If it was a little show you would get soda, coffee, tube steak (a hot dog) and that's about it.

Pie Car Jr. — On the modern Ringling show, a trailer or wagon that provides meals on the back lot of the arena. What movie companies call "craft services" and rock concerts call "catering."

Pitchmen — Generally, a person making a pitch (sales talk) to sell something, often on the city streets, or in a carnival show or on the midway, but likely over the loudspeaker during a break in the show. Balloons, peanuts, souvenirs, toys, and more might be pitched. "While we are setting up for the next act, for the next two minutes Bob our balloon man will be selling balloons right down here in center ring for only a dollar. This will be the only time that this offer will be good! On the bottom of some of the balloons you will find a gold dot. When you find that gold dot, make sure you take that right out to our toy store and get your free prize. So hurry down and see Bob; you have only one minute left!" The people who sold the stuff would tip the pitch man, because the better the pitch the more you sold.

Planges — Aerialist's body swing-overs in which one hand and wrist hold a padded rope loop.

Pole Direction — The direction the wagons face on the railroad cars. For efficient unloading, they all need to be positioned uniformly.

Possum Belly — Storage box built into the underside of a work wagon to carry cable, stakes, rigging, etc. At times a place for a quick nap by a worker, and at times the temporary home of an unauthorized "traveling girlfriend" (a "possum belly queen"). Why do these girls leave the crowd of locals in their hometowns? For the most part, the key word is "leave." A few nights of sex with a carny (who's probably no worse than the local high-school dropouts who've been trying to get her) might just be her ticket out of wherever she grew up.

Privilege — The fee paid to the circus for the right to place a concession on the midway.

Prop Hand — Crew member responsible for setting and placing props for the next act.

Quarter Poles — Poles which help support the weight of the canvas and take up the slack between center and side poles. A quarter pole does not pass through the canvas but usually has a mushroom shaped cap with two small holes. Ropes are sewn to the canvas each side of a leather pad and they pass throgh the holes to pull up the pole and secure it.

Rag Tag, Rag Bag, Stick & Rag Show — A small circus, never elegant to begin with, ill-kept and barely presentable from day to day.

Rat Sheets — Advance posters or handbills with negative claims about the opposition.

Red Lighted — A method of getting rid of you: the owner departs without paying while you're not looking (all you see when trying to pick up your check is red lights disappearing down the road); or tells you to meet the circus somewhere, but the circus goes somewhere else; some sources even use this word to mean that an unpopular person is thrown from the back of a moving vehicle. Also "Oil Spotted," the moment when there's just you and the oily stains where the bus used to be.

Ring — The circle in which circus acts are presented. Center ring was about 42 feet, it was also bigger and heavier made because that is where most of the animal acts worked. It was made strong enough that the horses could walk on it. The side or end rings were about 36 feet and not made as heavy.

Ring Barn — A permanent, roofed regulation-sized circus ring for rehearsal at winter quarters.

Ring Doors — The canvas panels artists push aside as they enter the performance area of the big top. Behind the ring doors is a small vestibule artists can stand in inside the "back door" but out of sight of the audience.

Ring Horse — A horse which performs in the center ring, trained to maintain timing despite distractions.

Ringmaster — The show's Master of Ceremonies and main announcer. Originally, he stood in the center of the ring and paced the horses for the riding acts, keeping the horses running smoothly while performers did their tricks on the horses' backs.

Risley Act — Acrobatic act in which one or more performers support another performer on their feet. Called "Icarian Games" by European circuses. When the manipulators support props instead of people, the act is called "foot juggling."

Rola Bola — A board placed flat on top of a cylindrical roller. A performer stands on the board and balances while performing various feats.

Roman Riding — A rider standing with one foot on the back of each of two horses.

Rosinback — Horse used for bareback riding. Horses' backs were sprinkled with rosin to prevent the rider from slipping.

Route Book — Like the "captain's log" of a ship, the route book contains notes about each stand: where, when, conditions, attendance, anything noteworthy about the performance or anything else that happened.

Route Card — A bare-bones schedule published for wide distribution, listing the season's stands by date. Circus route cards are valuable information for performers and valuable souvenirs for collectors.

Rubbermen — Strolling balloon vendors. Balloons were blown up with air and attached to sticks, since helium-filled balloons are expensive and unsold ones don't last long.

Safety Loop — The loop part of a web rope into which a performer places her wrist in aerial ballet numbers.

Screamers — Standard circus march tunes, so called because they are usually played with great vigor.

(to) See the Elephant — The circus origin of this phrase is obvious. It passed into general popular usage about 1835 meaning "to have seen everything there is to see in the world," and shortly thereafter it took on the added meaning "to lose your innocence and learn a humbling or embarrassing lesson." Among the military it has come to mean "to experience combat for the first time." Even Tolkien's Lord of the Rings makes a sly reference to it, as Sam Gamgee, out in the wide world among amazing things, remarks on finally having seen an "oliphaunt."

Showman's Rest — Two sites share this name. A section of Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma, is the final resting place of many proud circus and carnival veterans. There is a similar section of the Woodlawn Cemetery in Chicago, overseen by the Showmen's League of America, created when 86 performers and workers of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus were killed in a 1918 train wreck. 56 of the victims are buried there. Many of them remained unidentified because they were known only by their "handles."

Showmen's League of America — Founded in 1913 by a group of outdoor showmen meeting at the Saratoga Hotel in Chicago, the League promotes the image of the circus and carnival and performs charitable work. Buffalo Bill Cody was the club's first president. Here's a link to their website.

Sidewall — The canvas wall that hangs below a canvas 'top,' as in 'big top.' What most outside the business would call a 'tent' is the canvas top with its sidewalls attached. Compare British term 'lacings.' Used as a verb, to sidewall is to sneak in without paying by crawling under the sidewall.

Sky Boards — The decorative boards, sometimes detachable, around the tops of wagons used in parades.

Slack Wire — A wirewalker's wire that is set up slightly slack, creating a much less firm footing than a tight wire.

Slide For Life — Usually performed by a woman, who would climb to the top of the building, hook a hand loop or a foot loop to a cable connected to the top beam and the floor, and slide down the cable. An acrobat named Herbie Webber would do such a slide standing on the cable, even sliding down backwards, adding a fake fall during his wire act; later, taking a fake fall became known as "Taking a Herbie."

Slop Shoes — Wooden clogs with leather uppers, easy to slip on and off hands-free. Worn by performers over their performing footwear, to keep costumes clean while walking to and from the big top.

Snubber — A pulley and cable on the side of a railroad flatcar, used to slow a wagon coming down the runs (ramps) to the ground.

Spanish Web — A long fabric-covered rope suspended vertically from far above, which may be used to climb to an aerialist's apparatus, or on which an aerialist might perform.

Spec — Short for 'spectacle.' A colorful pageant which is a featured part of the show; formerly used as the opening numbers, now presented just before intermission. Sometimes called "the Production Number."

Splash Boards — Decorated boards, sometimes detachable, around the bottom edge of wagons used in parades.

Stalls — The medium cost seats in the auditorium. A less-favorable viewing position to the left and the right of the grandstand.

Stand — Any town where the circus plays, as in 'one-night stand.' Didn't know you were using show talk whilst discussing last night's date, did you?

Star Backs — More expensive seats (usually indicated by painted stars on the seat backs).

"Stars and Stripes Forever" — The band reserved this Sousa march as a signal that an emergency had come up, calling for the clowns to come running out, directing public attention away from the emergency, or for the audience to be evacuated.

St. Louis — Doubles or seconds of food, named because the St. Louis engagement was played in two sections.

Strap Act — A variation of the "Spanish Web" popularized in Cirque du Soleil, the strap act features acrobatics performed with the use of "aerial straps," long straps hanging from the top of the tent, reaching almost to the floor. The act often includes dance moves on the floor away from the straps, as well as having the straps pulled partway up and let down during the act.

Straw House — A sold-out house. Straw was spread on ground for spectators to sit on in front of the general admission seats.

Suitcase Act — A performer who has no costumes or equipment of his own (and so shows up with just a suitcase).

Sway Pole — An act in which the performer perches atop an extremely tall pole, then sways and rocks the pole giddily from side to side. Often played for laughs, it is very dangerous to perform.

Tableau Wagons — Ornamental parade wagons on which colorfully-dressed performers ride.

Tanbark — Shredded tree bark, more durable and manageable than sawdust, used to cover the greater circus arena ground.

Taps — List of the businesses that have bought groups of tickets previously (perhaps you can 'tap' them again this year.)

Teeterboard — A board like a playground teeter-totter, usually about six feet long, used in an acrobatic act. The performer stands on the lowered end of the board and his partners jump onto the upper end, vaulting him into the air.

Title — The name under which a circus presents itself, regardless of the name of the actual owner of the show. For instance, there are no more Ringlings, Barnums or Baileys in Kenneth Feld's operation.

Toby News — Circus-lot gossip, from the european/gypsy "tober," meaning campsite.

Top — Tent (technically refers only to the overhead canopy, the sidewalls being a separate item.) For example, dressing tops are where the performers dress for show.

Train Master — Employee responsible for every aspect of the train, whether moving or at rest.

Trouper — A person who has spent at least one full season with the circus, and whose response to the demands of life and work on the road are those of a seasoned veteran. Also used in vaudeville (and in theatre in general) to mean a veteran performer.

Twenty-four-hour Man — An advance man who travels one day ahead of circus. Usually puts up "arrows" to guide trucks on the jump.

Wait Brothers Show — Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey Show. So called because the posters read, "Wait for the Big Show."

Walls — Canvas side walls of a tent, as distinguished from the roof or 'top.'

Walkaround — A clown feature in which they stroll through the crowd and perform comic bits interacting with audience members.

Water Wagon — The water wagon circulated around the lot dispensing water for numerous uses: filling water buckets for performers to wash in, watering the animals, spraying the ground to keep the dust down, filling the drinking-water barrels placed around the lot (they had blocks of ice in them and a tin cup on a chain), and hosing down the elephants.

Web — Dangling canvas-covered rope suspended from swivels from the top of the tent.

(to) Wildcat — To change the announced route on short notice due to problems on the planned route, abandoning the benefit of already-placed advance advertising and possibly conflicting with the usual territories played by competing shows. Major droughts or layoffs might mean that nobody would have the price of a ticket, or a veterinary epidemic might make it inadvisable to take valuable livestock into an area.

Windy Van Hooten's — Name of the mythical "perfect circus" imagined by performers and crew, where everything is wonderful and everyone gets the money, respect and working conditions they deserve, plus some.

Wood — Phony ticket sales slips submitted by boiler-room agents to inflate their commissions just before they leave.