Green’s Dictionary of Slang

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Carnie Lingo choose

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[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Alibi Store — A game in which the agent gives you an explanation of why you didn't win [...] He often offers you a ‘better’ chance to win (for another fee, of course) but you'll never win a thing.
at alibi store (n.) under alibi, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Half-and-Half — A hermaphrodite, a very valuable blowoff attraction often forbidden by local authorities. Some were real freaks, others were ‘made’ by (at the least) shaving and making up one side of the body, or by the use of hormones to grow breasts so a performer born male could also display his upper ‘female’ half.
at half-and-half, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Fast and Loose — One of the 'big three' dishonest street games sometimes played on the long-ago carnival lot [...] A long circle of necklace-chain is laid down in a complex series of loops, and the mark puts his finger into a loop he believes will remain caught on his finger when the chain is lifted. But the grifter has a way of laying the chain to control whether any loop becomes ‘fast’ on the player's finger, or comes ‘loose’.
at fast and loose, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Aunt Sally [...] The game was sufficiently widespread and popular that by 1898 ‘Aunt Sally’ was a colloquialism i [...] meaning someone who was the object of easy but unfair attack.
at Aunt Sally, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Bally or Ballyhoo — The ‘Bally’ is the ‘outside talker’s’ spiel drawing a crowd (called a ‘tip’) to see a sideshow. The bally is a sophisticated commercial, usually illustrated with quick appearances by the performers featured in the show.
at bally, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 ‘Ballyhoo,’ has come into general usage meaning ‘to attract the attention of customers/voters by raising a clamor’.
at ballyhoo, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Carry the Banner — Said of a carny or pitchman who is penniless.
at carry the banner (v.) under banner, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Barker — ‘Barker’ was never an authentic carnival term. Carnies call the person gathering a tip for a show a ‘talker.
at barker, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Barnstorming — Operating an attraction from spot to spot with little pre-planning or advance publicity [...] generally be done in the off-season.
at barnstorm, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Outside the carnival, 'barnstorming' referred to an aviator with his own light, land-it-in-someone's-backyard airplane, going from town to town offering rides for money.
at barnstorm, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Beans, or Beanies — Amphetamines (‘stay awake for days’ pills).
at bean, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Bibles — Items (often, but not always, miniature Bibles) sold for extra income by performers in a ten-in-one.
at bible, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Blank — a player who looks like a good mark but who actually has few dollars to spend.
at blank, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Boston Version — Cleaned-up version of a strong show routine.
at Boston version (n.) under Boston, adj.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com [Internet] Bozo — Character who insults customers to induce them to try to throw balls to spill him in a dunk tank.
at bozo, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Broad Tosser — Operator of a three card monte game, rarely seen in carnivals today because it is so widely known to authorities and public alike as an unwinnable swindle.
at broad tosser (n.) under broads, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Burn the Lot — To allow agents to cheat brazenly and leave the locals so outraged that they won't allow yours or any other carnival in their town for a long time.
at burn, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Butcher — Strolling refreshment merchant, peddler of lemonade, candy, pretzels, and other edibles.
at butcher, n.2
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cake Eaters — Locals, rubes.
at cake-eater (n.) under cake, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Shill — Also ‘outside man,’ ‘stick,’ ‘capper,’ ‘front-worker’ or ‘timber.’ Employee who poses as a customer, playing a game (and being secretly allowed to win) or buying a ticket in order to motivate other customers to do likewis.
at capper, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 A ‘carny roll,’ a high-value bill or two wrapped around a lot of $1 bills.
at carney roll (n.) under carney, n.2
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Chaser — From mainstream slang ‘skirt chaser’, an employee who would rather "come on" to pretty women than do his job.
at chaser, n.1
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Chill — To get the mark to leave ("He was getting rangy, so I chilled him.") Or to isolate the mark from his friends using your sticks (secret assistants).
at chill (out), v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Clem [...] a fight between a townie and carnies.
at clem, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Clem — Another term for ‘mark,’ particularly a gullible rural local.
at clem, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cootch Show — A raunchy girl show.
at cooch show (n.) under cooch, n.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cool Out — Convincing a mark that he has not been taken.
at cool out, v.2
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cop [...] to take anything (especially if you take it by subterfuge.).
at cop, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cop — To cheat or manipulate a sucker at some point in a game.
at cop, v.
[US] W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Cowboy — Hooligan who comes on the lot looking for ways to cause trouble.
at cowboy, n.
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