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.

Ducat Grabber — Door tender or ticket collector.

Dukie (or Dukey) Bag — Bag lunch provided for workers on the jump.

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 the announcer.

Exotic Animal Act — An animal act involving mixed species. 

Fink — Anything broken. Also 'larry.'

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, so the term means someone "green" who is new to circus life.

Flag, or Flag's Up — The cookhouse is open.

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. 

Flip-Flaps — Backward handsprings done on the ground.

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

Fly Bar — Aerialists' swing with a bar instead of a flat seat.

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 guy ropes added to regular ones, usually at angles, to give extra stability and spread to canvas tent.

Fussner Act — Usually an outdoor act for fairground or circus lot in which an artist balances on a rolling globe about 3 feet in diameter, rolling it up a slight incline to the top of a downward spiraling track on which he rolls on the globe to the ground. An older act, revived in the 1930s by a performer named The Great Fussner.

G-Top — A private club, generally under a tent, where staff drink or gamble.

Gaffer — Circus manager.

Gag — A short clown trick, too brief to be an act.

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

Gandy Dancers — Originally referred to a railroad crew pounding spikes in a coordinated pattern of motions, each of several men striking the stake head with sledgehammers in sequence. The raising of the circus big top also requires the driving of many spikes, and (until the invention of mechanical stake drivers) the job was pretty much the same, so the term followed the work.

Garbage Joint — The souvenir or novelty stand.

Gaucho — Someone working in the circus who was not born into circus life. Probably a corruption of the gypsy word "gadjo" (sometimes "gadje"), meaning a non-Gypsy.

German Wheel — Invented in Germany in 1925 as a gymnastic prop, the "german wheel" is a pair of 8-foot aluminum hoops joined by 8 struts. The gymnast can grip the struts in various ways, using his weight to throw the wheel into several types of spin. Also called the "gym wheel." The lesser-known "cyr wheel" is a single hoop used the same way.

Geronimo — A "death dive" act, jumping from a great height onto a big air bag (as movie stunt men do today) or a "sponge plunge" into an impossibly small amount of water.

Gilly — Anyone not connected with the circus, an outsider or towner.

Gilly Wagon — Small utility wagon or cart.

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

Graft — A piece of work, whether easy or hard.

Grafters — Gamblers who often trail a show.

Grand Entry — Old term for the opening parade around the inside of the big top, more often called the "spec" (for "spectacle") or "the Production Number".

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

Grease Joint — The hot-dog or grill concession trailer.

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).

(to) Guy Out — To check and tension the guy wires.

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."

Harmonica — Considered a bad-luck instrument.

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

Heat Merchant — An unscrupulous advance-sale phoneroom ticket sale agent.

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 involving leaps and other elevated movements. Derives from the classical riding academy term haute école, French for "high school", referring to the high leaps and poses performed by the horses of such institutions as the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

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

Hippodrome Track — The oval area between the rings and audience.

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

Home Run — The trip from Home Sweet Home back to winter quarters.

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

Horse Feed — Poor returns from poor business.

Horse Opry — Any circus (jokingly).

House — Theatre term for the audience seating area. As in 'a full house.'

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." 

Icarian Act — See 'Risley Act'.

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.) An amateur term not actually 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.

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 — The distance between performances in different towns.

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.

Kick Out — A date or ticket-selling campaign that falls through.

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.

Kid Show — A sideshow.

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.

Kinker — Any circus performer (originally specific to acrobats).

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.

Lead Stock — Any trained haltered animal (other than horses) in the circus.

Liberty Act — Liberty horses are trained horses performing without riders or tethers, controlled only by commands from the trainer.

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

Little People — Midgets or dwarfs.

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 — The show grounds.

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. In horse training, in or out of the circus, to "lunge" is to control a horse in this way.

Main Guy — Guy rope to hold up the center pole in the Big Top.

The March — The street parade.

Marquee — The small entrance tent on most tented circuses.

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.

Mud Show — A smaller tent circus playing rural areas.

Mule — A rubber-tired tractor used to move wagons.

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.

Novelties — Toys, canes, balloons and other wares sold on the lot or by butchers in the stands.

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.

Opposition Paper — Advertising posters put up by competing circuses.

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.

Paid Off in the Dark — When salary is paid in cash, "off the books."

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 considered "littering," paper mostly consists of two-for-one coupons distributed in stores as a favor to local charities. Since local charities often 'sponsor' the circus or carnival, posters put up by the charity are often officially overlooked by law enforcement.

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.  

Picture Gallery — A tattooed man.

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.

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, or 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 be her ticket out of wherever she grew up.