history of the carnies

What is a Carnie?

A carnie Is a person who travels along with and works with the carnival.

A lot of people always assume that a carnie is a person that is always up to no good, doing the wrong, well after being a carnie for so long, of like me having a personal experience with them, they are really just normal people like us. They just get the joy of having the job of traveling, and also gets to see the smile on the peoples faces of having a great time!

-CARNIVAL SLANG-

There are carnies that have their own slang to which they would only know what they mean.

I will list a few and tell you what they mean:

•Bone yard- This is where the carnies go when they are not working.

• Burn the lot- this is to cheat players with little or no attempt to conceal the subterfuge, in the carneys’ expectation that the same town will not be visited again.
• Flat- this is a game, but it is a rigged game to prevent wins. It is illegal in most of the united states.
• Green help- This is employees hired at a new location that are only temporary (a.k.a. greenies.)
• HEY, RUBE!- This is an exclamation used to summon help by a carny in trouble, either from police or disgruntled players.
• Oats- this is stolen money from a concession.
• Ride jock- This is someone who operates the carnival rides
• Slough- this means to tear down a entire carnival to get ready for the jump to a new town.
• Spring- This is, open the carnival

This is some of the slang that the carnies use. Now that you know some of the carnival stuff, and what it is like to be carnie, and the language that they use, when the carnival comes, watch out for some of that stuff, because you never know you might be cheated out of a game! But enjoy your carnival expericances!