1. bally
A free show given outside a side show to attract a crowd of potential patrons. Word came into being at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The fakirs, gun spinners and dancing girls from the Middle East spoke no English, only Arabic. The interpreters used the expression "Dehalla Hoon" to call performers outside to the show fronts. The Western ears of the talkers translated it as "ballyhoo" and so used it when the interpreters were away for lunch. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
2. ballyhoo
A free show given outside a side show to attract a crowd of potential patrons. Word came into being at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The fakirs, gun spinners and dancing girls from the Middle East spoke no English, only Arabic. The interpreters used the expression "Dehalla Hoon" to call performers outside to the show fronts. The Western ears of the talkers translated it as "ballyhoo" and so used it when the interpreters were away for lunch. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
3. banner
Pictorials on canvas hung in front of circus side shows and carnival midway shows depicting the wonders to be found inside. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
4. bed of nails
A board the surface of which is covered by hundreds of nails, points up, on which the performer lies down to show he or she is immune to pain. Frequently, the performer will have audience members stand on him or have a concrete block broken on his chest with a sledge hammer while lying on the bed of spikes. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
5. blade box
Act where performer (usually a woman) lies in box while steel blades are pushed through it, the impression given the crowd that the performer is contorting herself like she's made of rubber and can twist like a snake. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
6. blockhead
The name given by the anatomical wonder Melvin Burkhart to the independent act he created where the performer pushes, hammers, drills, etc. objects "into the middle of my head," that is, up the nose. Performers use nails - called spikes - screwdrivers, icepicks, etc. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
7. bullwhip act
Act where performer utilizes bullwhips and/or stock whips to demonstrate dexterity with the whip and accuracy of aim at targets held in their own hands or the hands (or occasionally mouth) of another performer. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
8. dime museum
A collection of specimens, exotic objects and live acts and performances, usually set up in its own building though just as often set up in an old store front. They were most popular primarily in the 19th and early 20th Century. The present day road-side museums are their descendants. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
9. fire eater
Generally, anyone who manipulates fire by "eating" it or otherwise performing with it. There are numerous fire tricks, many of which qualify as fire "breathing," "eating" or "manipulating," but performers who work with fire are usually simply lumped together as "fire eaters." Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
10. fire eating
Generally, anyone who manipulates fire by "eating" it or otherwise performing with it. There are numerous fire tricks, many of which qualify as fire "breathing," "eating" or "manipulating," but performers who work with fire are usually simply lumped together as "fire eaters." Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
11. fortune telling
The "telling" of the subject's "fortune" or future through the use of palm reading, cards, a crystal ball or tea leaves. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
12. gaff
In the broadest sense, anything controlled or "faked". A gaffed game, for example, would be one where it would be nearly impossible for the patron to win unless the operator let him. In the case of freak animals (and human oddities as well on occasion), for example, a gaff wouldn't be a genuine freak of nature, regardless how convincing it looked, but a specimen manufactured to look freakish. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
13. glass dancing
Walking, dancing, jumping etc. in broken glass, usually bottles, in which the performers works barefoot. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
14. glasswalk
Walking, dancing, jumping etc. in broken glass, usually bottles, in which the performers works barefoot. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
15. human ostrich
An act where the performer swallows objects usually considered dangerous or outrageous to swallow. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
16. jackpots
A discussion of past events, often distorted in the telling, among showmen. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
17. kayfabe
Pro wrestling can trace some of its stylistic origins back to carnivals and catch wrestling, where the term "kayfabe" is thought to have originated as carny slang for "protecting the secrets of the business." With money tight, a carny would call home collect, telling the operator their name was "Kay Fabian." This was code letting the people at home know they had made it safely to the next town. The family would then deny the call. This was a method of communicating without paying for the cost of a phone call or telegram. Within the wrestling business, maintaining "kayfabe" meant that wrestlers, promoters, their families and others close to the business, were socially forbidden from talking frankly about the nature of their work to fans or the press. ~Courtesy Wikipedia
18. medicine show
Usually a small show the primary purpose of which was to sell patent medicine, medicine that was often touted to cure virtually every ailment known to man. The shows would usually consist of some amount of performance (small plays, stand up comedians, minstrels, etc.) in addition to the medicine pitch. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
19. mitt camp
A fortune telling booth on the carnival lot. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
20. museum show
Virtually any show the exhibits for which are not alive. The show might contain specimens that are preserved, such as taxidermied or mummified freak animals, or other exotic items of interest, such as the weapons used by famous murderers. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
21. nailboard
A board the surface of which is covered by hundreds of nails, points up, on which the performer lies down to show he or she is immune to pain. Frequently, the performer will have audience members stand on him or have a concrete block broken on his chest with a sledge hammer while lying on the bed of spikes. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
22. polydactyl cat
A polydactyl cat is a cat that has more than the usual number of toes on one or all of its paws as a result of a cat body type genetic mutation.
23. sword ladder
A prop consisting of a frame holding swords positioned with the bladed edge upward to act as stairs which the performer climbs barefoot. Not actually a ladder, the prop was usually more of a staircase of swords and can be found configured in various other ways. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
24. swordswallower
Performer who swallows single or multiple swords but also various other objects including coat hangers, lit neon tubes, stove pokers, etc. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
25. swordswallowing
Act in which the performer swallows single or multiple swords and also various other objects including coat hangers, lit neon tubes, stove pokers, etc. Definition courtesy of Shocked & Amazed Magazine! On & Off the Midway ©1995-2007
"
"Decoder Ring Theater": Your address to adventure written and produced by Gregg TaylorThose Thrilling Days of Yesteryear... Today! All-new full-cast audio drama in the classic style.
"Conjurers, Carnies & Collectors" produced by the National Podcasting CompanyMagic words from magicians, jackpots and stories from carnies, and the best advice from collectors of variety and novelty act memorabilia. Interviews made face to face with professionals in the performing arts.
"Radio Lab" produced by New York Public RadioRadio Lab is an investigation. Each episode is a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences centered around One Big Idea. On Radio Lab, science bumps into culture ... information sounds like music.