The Barker comes around to your table at the Hash House again, filling up your plate with another heapin' helpin' of linguistic linguini!
Badger Game — This is a con where a "manager" sells some dope the keys to the room of an attractive female carnie, and the dope expects to get all sexed-up! When he gets there, however, all he's going to find is a raging bohunk "husband" or "boyfriend," who's gonna rattle his teeth if he doesn't cough up some dough! There's a slight variation on The Badger Game in the film The Grifters, which we regard around here at Thimbleton's as something of a training video.
Lot Lizard - This is a lady of the evening who works the sidelines of a carnival - never on the actual midway, but maybe the parking lot, or maybe the truck stops along the carny route. Also known as a "Blister Sister," for obvious reasons. Wrap that rascal!
Posing Show - Basically a strip show, where the strippers get around any indecency laws by still posing on stage in recreations of famous works of art. Slick, because you could get yourself a peek or two and feel all cultured about it! There was even a posing show at the 1939 New York World's Fair!
So when you get all worked-up at the Posing Show and feel that urge, for gosh sakes don't buy the keys to a Lot Lizard's room, because that Blister Sister's boyfriend is gonna be behind the door waiting, and the only thing coming out of your pants will be your wallet!
Showing posts with label What's Behind The Tent?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What's Behind The Tent?. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Midway Slang #2
Once again, Reds and Wolves, The Barker brings you a few examples of carnival lingo to drop into casual conversation! Got a gal or a fella you're trying to lay it on thick with? Well, nothing's more impressive than a mouth filled with slang from times past! They'll think you're "eccentric" and "intriguing" and maybe even "insane!" In any event, this is the language we're dropping all around the Tilt-A-Whirl!
Dark Ride - Know those haunted "train" rides you took through tattered curtain flaps at the county fair? Or the "Haunted House" with bowls of eyeballs and creepy crawlies hiding under the table ready to grab your leg as you stroll past? Well, that's called a "Dark Ride" here at Thimbleton's Circus and Oddities...actually, everything is a dark ride here at Thimbleton's. The animatronic ghouls which caress the nape of your neck as you pass are called "gags."
Gig —This is when a game runner gets greedy, and snatches all a mark's money all at once instead of letting the mark believe he'll win big if he just gives it one more shot. Most carnies look down on this type of trick, as it usually leads to a fight with the mark, or beef with the cops.
The guys running these types of games are usually green and unskilled, and are called Gig Artists.
Hanky-Pank — "Every player wins a prize!" Ever heard that as you walked around crunching your caramel apple? That's what this term means, games with crummy worthless "prizes" which cost about a tenth of the game ticket purchased. You give a prize worth 15 cents for every dollar play, you make 85 cents profit. Hanky-Pank!
The next time you exit a dark ride down at Thimbleton's, be sure to avoid all the Gig artists and head for the Hanky-Pank instead - at least you'll leave with something in your pocket besides lint!
Dark Ride - Know those haunted "train" rides you took through tattered curtain flaps at the county fair? Or the "Haunted House" with bowls of eyeballs and creepy crawlies hiding under the table ready to grab your leg as you stroll past? Well, that's called a "Dark Ride" here at Thimbleton's Circus and Oddities...actually, everything is a dark ride here at Thimbleton's. The animatronic ghouls which caress the nape of your neck as you pass are called "gags."
Gig —This is when a game runner gets greedy, and snatches all a mark's money all at once instead of letting the mark believe he'll win big if he just gives it one more shot. Most carnies look down on this type of trick, as it usually leads to a fight with the mark, or beef with the cops.
The guys running these types of games are usually green and unskilled, and are called Gig Artists.
Hanky-Pank — "Every player wins a prize!" Ever heard that as you walked around crunching your caramel apple? That's what this term means, games with crummy worthless "prizes" which cost about a tenth of the game ticket purchased. You give a prize worth 15 cents for every dollar play, you make 85 cents profit. Hanky-Pank!
The next time you exit a dark ride down at Thimbleton's, be sure to avoid all the Gig artists and head for the Hanky-Pank instead - at least you'll leave with something in your pocket besides lint!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Midway Slang #1
As we drift together through the melancholy dunes of sawdust here at Thimbleton's, we whisper to each other in passing in the ancient language of the Carny. Your old (how old am I? If you guess my age and weight, I'll give you a prize!) pal The Barker speaks in many tongues, but the tongue which slips across the sugary skin of candied apples is his favorite! And now I'll share some of that doublespeak with you, from time to time...try to work it into everyday conversations, kid. For instance, when you're trying to land that big fish on your latest telemarketing scam! Your boss'll love you for it. Well, I will, anyway...
The Advance Man — This is the slicker who takes care of all the busywork such as licenses and paying sponsors before our carny trailers roar through your main streets. Sometimes he greases a lot of official palms to "look the other way" during our stay in your cozy, honest little town.
BC — This is a shorthand warning from one worker to another to knock it off, shut it down, cease whatever it is you're doing! To Be Cool. Maybe an incorruptible sheriff is giving you the eye from around the corner and you don't notice; maybe some rough redneck is winding up to crunch a fist into your Adam's Apple while you're busy skimming all the money out of his dear old Granny's coin purse - whatever it is, Buster, you better BC and drop it until you find out for sure!
Peek the Poke — This is when an operator of a "game" uses a sidekick to look through the group gathered round, and pick out potential players with plenty of money so those folks can be set up for the pinch!
Be sure to have your Advance Man take care of business, so you won't have to BC if your buddy gets busted Peeking the Poke!
The Advance Man — This is the slicker who takes care of all the busywork such as licenses and paying sponsors before our carny trailers roar through your main streets. Sometimes he greases a lot of official palms to "look the other way" during our stay in your cozy, honest little town.
BC — This is a shorthand warning from one worker to another to knock it off, shut it down, cease whatever it is you're doing! To Be Cool. Maybe an incorruptible sheriff is giving you the eye from around the corner and you don't notice; maybe some rough redneck is winding up to crunch a fist into your Adam's Apple while you're busy skimming all the money out of his dear old Granny's coin purse - whatever it is, Buster, you better BC and drop it until you find out for sure!
Peek the Poke — This is when an operator of a "game" uses a sidekick to look through the group gathered round, and pick out potential players with plenty of money so those folks can be set up for the pinch!
Be sure to have your Advance Man take care of business, so you won't have to BC if your buddy gets busted Peeking the Poke!
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