Roughy — A carnival employee assigned to handle miscellaneous duties, from relieving an agent who needs a break to enforcing management rules, from hiring help to "checking up" the agents' money and dispensing percentages at the end of the day. Sort of "middle management" on the lot.

Rounding Board — The carousel's "crown", a ring of about 16 panels called "rounding boards" mounted around the top of a carousel's structure. These highly-decorated boards provide a lot of "flash" with their painted scenes, lights, mirrors, etc. The rounding boards also hide the carousel's upper mechanism from the crowd's view. 

Score — To separate a mark from a significant amount of cash.

Screw Pool — A game in which the player must shoot a pool ball, knocking over a golf tee inverted amid a triangle of three pool balls. The balls touch each other with the tee in the small space between the three balls. If the tee is placed against the back of the first ball it will fall (making it possible to demonstrate "how easy it is to win." But if the tee is placed farther back, in the true center of the three balls, you can’t win … the balls will absorb the energy from the cue ball and will all move away from the tee without knocking it over. The game (which may be advertised under any title) was called 'screw pool' because an inverted screw used to be the object to knock over.

Set Up — What you do after a jump: take it all off the truck and turn it into a carnival.

Shake Machine — Any ride that naturally (or by skilful operation of the clutch) tends to shake change loose from riders' pockets. These rides tend to produce plenty of vomit as well. The operator can "keep his shakes."

Sharpies, Sharpers — Players who have practiced a carnival game to the point where they can easily win.

Shell Game (shell-and-pea game, three-shell game) — One of the 'big three' dishonest street games sometimes played on the long-ago carnival lot (the others are 'fast and loose' and 'three-card monte'). Played, like the other two, on a small portable tabletop. Three hollow half-walnut-shells are mixed around rapidly on the tabletop, and the bettor (victim) attempts to keep track of and guess which one hides a little dried pea. But with simple sleight of hand, the grifter can easily control (both while the shells are being mixed and after the guess is made) whether the pea appears under any shell he likes. This enables a skilled operator to put on a performance that attracts swiftly-escalating bets and walk away with big money every time.

Sherry — British pitchman's and jam auction term indicating that you or someone else should leave. If a group of pitchmen get tired of hanging around, one might say “Let’s sherry” meaning "let's go our separate ways." If someone in your tip is wrangy, and you are working with a partner, you might say “Sherry the G”, and hopefully the partner can find the guy you referred to and eject him.

Showman — The preferred title of many proud lifelong outdoor amusement entrepreneurs, who would be very unhappy to be called "carnies." There is a firm social division between showmen and jointees, neither of which gives much respect to lower beings like ride operators.

Showtime — Trade publication of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association.

Simp Heister (Chump Heister) — Carny slang for a ferris wheel. In widespread slang use, a "simp" is a simple or foolish person (a mark, or just a dumb townie) and "heist" in this sense is "hoist".

Single-O — A show consisting of a single attraction. From railroad slang for "single occupancy."

Skill Game — Games where players with ability have a good chance to win.

Skin Show — A girl show featuring nudity as the main attraction. Plays very well on military paydays.

Sky Grifter — A tent-revival evangelist of the more mercenary sort.

Slick — To slick someone is to catch them in the act of doing something.

Slum — Ultra-cheap prizes, like a single toy soldier, bought in bulk for as little as $1.50 per gross. Oriental Trading Company, U.S. Toy, and Rhode Island Novelty are good sources.

Snake Drop — Originated by John Strong, this is a heck of a gag for a "See the Giant Snake" show: let them look at the boa for a little while, then drop a modest-size rubber snake on a string from above the pit. Scares the old crowd out while giving them double the thrill they paid for!

Snorting Pole — A pole extending from floor to tent-top in the center of a kootch show stage (q.v.) used by the strippers to pose, swing around on, and mime various acts of a sexual nature.

Soft Lot — A wet or muddy lot.

Spectacular Ride — A super ride (Pirate Ship, Sky Wheel), often costing half a million dollars or more, usually owned by the owner of the carnival.

Spidora — Illusion show giving the appearance of a giant spider with a real woman's head. A mirror hides the woman's body and makes the creature appear to be supported only by its web.

Spiel — Sometimes used to describe the selling phase of a bally, made on a show front by the talker to the gathering tip, convincing the onlookers that they absolutely must see this show. Followed by the "grind" phase during which he or an assistant attempts to keep up the ticket-buying momentum.

Sponsor — The local charitable organization that publicizes and, in the public's perception, "legitimizes" the carnival. If the local American Legion or Lions Club or Volunteer Fire Department arranges a carnival's license and location in advance, for a percentage of the income, their prestige can often keep the police away. Moreover, their efforts to publicize the show as a fundraiser for their charity can be all the advertising the show needs.

Spoof — A small trick or gaff.

Spoofer — The really big plush animals displayed as a game's largest prizes. Can wholesale for $15-$20 or more. Handy to give away when a mark has been separated from a bit too much of his money without a prize.

Square — To settle a dispute without resorting either to the law or to fisticuffs. Also used by the patch to mean the process of "fixing" City Hall, including bribes and the lavish dispensing of passes to keep the police happy.

Stick — See "shill," above.

Stick Joint — A portable concession fashioned from rough lumber and canvas.

Still Show — Also called a "museum show," an exhibition of stuffed freak animals, sometimes even a freak show using only photographs of famous freaks.

Stock — General term for prize merchandise.

String Show — A ten-in-one, possibly called a "string show" because several acts are "strung together." Others use the term to mean a show in which the audience moves through the tent (and out) along a walkway marked by rope barriers.

Strong-arm — To put a lot of pressure on marks to play at all or to remain to play for bigger prizes. Also, an agent skilled at earning more by such tactics.

Sucker Netting — Rough fencing, akin to the cheap, light orange plastic fencing used today on construction sites. The fencing kept the crowd inside the midway and out of the backyard.

Sunday-School Show — Generally, a clean show, particularly a show which can be worked strong, but is cleaned up for this venue. Also 'Boston version,' 'Sunday Schooler.'

Superstitions — There are many, though disagreement about them runs high. Yellow is a color often considered bad luck for an agent working a joint. Also forbidden: eating peanuts in your joint (peanuts are for animals, marks, and suckers like circus employees), or scattering peanut shells in front of your joint. Carrying pennies (pennies only attract more pennies). If you accept a $2 bill, you should tear off the bottom right corner and get rid of it as soon as you can. And don't let your fellow carnies ever hear you talking about bad weather. 

Swing — To steal money from your boss.

T & K Operator — A traveling pitchman, referring to his "tripes and keister" (q.v., the sales display case and supporting tripod). As quoted in Arthur H. Lewis' Carnival, "A T&K man can work practically anywhere, from the back of a trailer, and sometimes out of the rumble seat of our old Hudson. That was a 'high pitch.' If he had to set the tripod on the ground, then it was called a 'low pitch.' Bob'd sell textbooks, ink eradicators, can openers, fruit juicers, medicine, rattlesnake oil, spark plugs — you name it."

Tableau — A grouping of figures, the term most commonly used in wax museums and their midway counterparts, the wax shows. They were usually depictions of historical scenes, but could be literary, mythical, horrific, etc.

Talker — Never "barker" (q.v.). The man who makes the spiel to build a tip in front of an attraction. If he talks inside the attraction, he is a "lecturer" or "inside talker".

Tattooed Man — This exhibit wouldn't make a dime today, but there was a time when a person with tattoos covering their entire body was considered "bizarre". Some performers even explained their tats (and increased audience fascination) by claiming to have been tattooed head to toe against their will in strange and distant lands as captives of savages.

Tear Down — To disassemble the rides, pack up the stock, and depart for the next engagement.

Teaser Curtain — A short curtain positioned in the open doorway of a show, allowing patrons outside only a partial "teasing" view of the legs and feet of the customers viewing the wonders inside.

(to) Throw Stock (or Kick Stock or Blow Stock) — To award prizes in games. The agent's profit can turn on as little a thing as a ¼" larger or smaller star the customer has to shoot completely off a card, and the first place his profit will be reflected is in the percentage of stock he throws (percentage of cost of prizes given out to dollars taken in). An agent may decide to loosen up his game a little and be seen to throw stock to keep his tip going, either to real customers or to shills, or he may throw stock to appear to be an un-gaffed game when the police are around. Part of the unwritten carny code says to always throw stock to the handicapped (either out of pity, or as a sort of charm against being injured yourself). Sometimes used to mean throwing too much stock, thereby losing money. Sometimes agents refer to their job as "selling teddy bears."

Throwaway — When an agent lets a member of the crowd win a large prize so the crowd can see (always accompanied by loud and excited praise), thereby stimulating business.

Tip — The crowd gathered in front of an attraction to hear the outside talker's bally. They watch the free exhibition on the bally platform, and if the talker is convincing enough, he can "turn the tip", getting them to buy tickets and go in to see the show. When the entire tip has been turned by a talker's opening, he has "cleaned the midway".

Trailer — One who trails a medicine show selling refreshments. Also, a person who followed a circus or carnival but was not on the payroll, perhaps hoping to peddle goods as a concession or to wait for a job to open up. Such men were usually welcomed as a reliable source of experienced help when needed.

Trailer Joint — A concession housed in a portable trailer rather than in a canvas-and-wood shack.

Tripes — The folding tripod to support a "keister" (pitchman's sales display case).

Trouper — A person who has spent at least one full season in the traveling amusement business. In common use in theater as well.

Turn the Tip — When the crowd of onlookers (the tip) watching a bally are asked to crowd up to the ticket box and start buying tickets, the talker has turned the tip. During the active ticket-buying, he stops "spieling" (the selling portion of the bally) and "grinds," keeping up the excitement with rhythmic phrases (if a talker ever actually did say "hurry, hurry, hurry!" it would be during the grind).

Twenty-Four Hour Man — An employee who plans the route to the next town and marks the way with arrows.

Two-Way Joint — A game that can be run fairly or rigged.

Under the Blue — To work a rigged game without a fix or patch to keep you out of trouble.

Walk Money — The ticket-seller needs a lot more than his/her salary to get a living wage. Some depend on short-changing, some won't, but all of them hope for enough money from "walks", the money people walk away from the booth without remembering to pick up. "Walk money" also comes from people who don't think to take discount offers for larger purchases - "Here's $10, give me twenty 50¢ tickets" will get them 20 tickets, but according to the posted price list $10 might have also bought a sheet of 24 - the next guy who buys (the remaining) 4 tickets will pay $2, which will go right into the cashier's pocket. "I only get $5 an hour but I make it up on walks."

Wall of Death — See "Motordrome".

Washer Pitching (also Washoes or Toad-in-the-Hole) — British fairground game similar to the penny pitch, with variants. Standard hardware-store metal washers are pitched to land in holes in the ground, or in a hole on a small carpeted tabletop.

Wax Show — A show featuring wax statues of famous people, often murderers or notorious criminals.

Whale Show — A trailer or rail car equipped to display the frozen or preserved carcass of a whale.

Wheel — The Ferris Wheel is just called "the wheel." Since it's visible from most of the lot, at closing time the wheel operator puts out the ride's lights at a signal from the office, indicating that the other rides, joints and concessions can close for the night.

Wheel of Fortune — A large wheel, usually mounted vertically and marked randomly with various scores in equal segments facing the players. Pins between segments help slow and stop the wheel, while a pointer identifies which segment the wheel has stopped on. This scoring device can be used in many games (see “country store”) but in its most familiar form it is marked with dollar amounts and is used to gamble. Now illegal in many localities.

Wide Open — A show or carnival where "anything goes": the girl shows can play as "strong" as they want and the games can take the marks for as much as they can get. A show could never play wide open without the police turning a blind eye to the whole affair, after big payoffs by the patch.

Wing-Ding Broad — Female shill who faints in front of a geek show in order to attract customers.

With It — "(I’m) with it" means "I work at this carnival (or at some other carnival)." Generally pronounced "widdit!" Some claim that it is not really used at all, favoring "on the show" as the actual term. A carnival term not used in the circus. If I was walking down a midway and an agent or a talker tried to call me in I would say "with it," in other words "you're wasting your breath talking to me."

"With It and For It" — Describes someone who is both a veteran of outdoor entertainment and (unlike those who try it and quit) who finds the life well-suited to him or her.

Wobbly — A person who hangs around the food stands looking for odd jobs like peeling onions, emptying the garbage, raking up the trash, etc. They usually work for food and a couple of bucks for the bar. Probably from the nickname ("Wobblies") of radical anti-capitalists the Industrial Workers of the World.

Working Act — A performer whose attraction is something he does (magician, contortionist, "blockhead") — a skilled performer rather than just a human oddity.