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A Glossary Of Carny Terms

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Butcher: Strolling refreshment merchant; peddler of lemonade, candy pretzels and other edibles.

Chump twister: A carousel.

Duke: When a shill posing as a member of the crowd persuades someone to play a rigged game.

Flukum: Any mysterious liquid, from homemade liniment to cobbled-together flavorings for Sno-Cones.

Half and half: A hermaphrodite, a valuable act often outlawed by local authorities. Some were real and some were created with makeup, padding and hormones.

Pitch cards: Cards containing photos and biographical information about human oddities, sold to raise money for the freak show stars.

Popper: Popcorn wagon.

Punk ride: A kiddie ride.

Key to the Midway: Any non-existent thing that you might send a pesky kid off to locate for you. "Hey, kid, you seem like a smart fellow, so go down to the other end of the lot, find Big Sam, and get the key to the midway for me."

Rube: A scornful term for an outsider. Also Elmer, mark, towner, townie, sucker, yokel, hayseed or chump.

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