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TERM
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DESCRIPTION
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Back-End
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The busy part of the fairground calendar that normally covers September and October.
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Belly Box
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The lower compartment of the trailer which the packing is contained.
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Big Hitter
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Novelty crowd attraction ride or attraction which appears at the larger fairs & events only.
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Birdcage Roof
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A platform fairground ride with a sloped roof.
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Boarded On/Off
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Fairground attraction arrives or departments from a soft ground by moving along boards to protect the ground.
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Bonfires
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Period between late October and mid-November where showmen are attending events to support fireworks events to mark Guy Fawkes Night which is traditionally held on 5th November.
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Box truck
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Enclosed trailer for storing packed fairground equipment.
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Bubble
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Spirit Level
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Build-Up
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Erection of fairground equipment.
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Burster
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Busy period on fairground.
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Canopy
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Some Waltzers have porch-like entrances fitted to the front of the ride to enhance it's look.
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Cap
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Screwed on plastic light covers for modern fairground lighting.
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Car
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Gondola (except on Dodgems when cars are literally cars!)
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Casual
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Part-time worker on a fairground.
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Centre-Truck
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Wheeled trailer which forms the centre-piece of a round ride such as the older Waltzer & Ark rides.
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Cheesewheel
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The component centrally located for rotating a fairground ride which meets the cog of the motor.
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Cleans-Up
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Either "cleans-up the ground" or "shuts up the ground" a fairground ride which attracts the most riders.
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Convertible
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Usually applies to Waltzers & Ark rides, a particular ride which can operate under more than time type of guise.
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Cummings
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Cummings manufactured engine.
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Dancer
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Floor around a Waltzer or Ark control box where the gaff lads hand in the money or tokens to the ride operator.
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Decor
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Decoration on fairground attraction.
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Dolly
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Removable two or four wheel axle which fits to a lorry's tow-bar to tow a trailer.
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Droppers
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Component on the Gallopers which are hung from the swift.
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Feast
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Name of a chartered fair which was held on the feast day of the patron saint to whom the church was dedicated.
Click here for more chartered fairs.
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Fish Plates
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The heavy metal platform plates on Skids which the cars spin on.
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Flash
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A wall made out of (normally aluminium) panels fitted behind a ride with decorated themed artwork. Backflash - flash behind ride, Centreflash - flash in centre.
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Flat ride
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American/theme park lingo for a fairground ride.
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Flattie
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Any individual who is not a showperson. Also known as joskin which can be looked upon as offensive.
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Fold-Out
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A ride which the floor folds down or away during build-up or pull-down respectively.
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Front Board
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Large panel (either wood or aluminium) located above the entrance to a ride like a Waltzer.
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Gaff
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Fairground
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Gaff Lad/Lass
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Male or female full-time worker on the fairground.
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Gaff-Catcher
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Hard seasoned enthusiast.
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Gates
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Wooden/metal brackets underneath a platform ride which hold the tram tracks & gratings.
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Gratings
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Platform sheets on fairground rides, material range from wooden to chequerplate or throughplate aluminium on modern rides.
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Handrails
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Fencing fitted around a ride for customer's safety.
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Hoopla
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Round stall at fairground.
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Hoover
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Fairground ride (normally) that cleans-up the ground.
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Joint
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Side stall at a fairground.
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Kickers
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Vertically fitted panels fitted to steps on entrance/exit to rides.
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Kip Truck
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Workers living quarters built by showmen on the main lorry for transporting attractions.
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Knock Out
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Removable wheels on an arcticulated trailer to lower it's height.
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Lessee
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The person or organisation with the lease to organise & operate a fairground. Some councils are lessees directly.
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Load
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Fairground equipment packed on artic or drawbar transport.
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Livery
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Uniform colour scheme for fairground firm transport.
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Machine
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A mechanically operated fairground ride.
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Miami
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Type of fairground ride which evolved in the 1990's which spins sideways across its trailer, named after the very first UK machine Miami Trip.
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Mop
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Short for Mop Fairs also called Statute or Hiring fairs, were regular events in pre-modern Great Britain and Ireland where labourers were hired for fixed terms.
Click here for more about Mop Fairs.
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Net
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The mesh fitted under the Dodgem roof used to conducting one end of the Dodgem pole to allow them to move.
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Night Attack
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When a showman moves from a ground to another ground overnight especially during the bonfire period with events held on consecutive days.
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Novelty
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Fairground attraction not often seen at fairs.
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Odeon
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Big lavish front for a platform ride, was more popular in the 50s & 60s.
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Packing
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Normally made of wood, blocks used to level fairground rides when set on positions. More uneven the ground, more packing required.
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Paint Job
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Paint work or hand decoration done to fairground attraction or transport.
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Paybox
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The control or pay booth of an attraction.
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Pillar
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Also known as False Pillar: Decorative items fitted to uprights to enhance a platform ride (particularly a Waltzer).
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Pins
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Components used to hold parts in place.
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Pitch
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The place on the fair where an attraction stands (similar to position or plot).
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Platform
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Moving boards on a fairground ride such as an Ark or Waltzer.
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Platform ride
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Basically a fairground ride which spins using a platform e.g. Ark, Skid or Waltzer.
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Position
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The part of the fair where a particular piece of equipment is located.
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Preservation of Rights
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Showmen's Guild offer priviledges to members allowing them to protect their positions when they are unable to use them and can sublet with prior permission.
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Pull-Down
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Dismantling of fairground equipment.
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Pull-Off
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The departure of a fairground from its location.
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Pull-On
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The arrival of a fairground to its location.
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Raker
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A busy day for business on the fairground.
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Riding Master
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Owner of the fairground company.
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Rode Black
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Fairground ride experienced very busy period.
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Rounding Boards
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Top panels (either wood or aluminium) which fit around normally a platform ride. Some Dodgems also have them.
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Season Opener
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The start of the fairground season, traditionally is Kings Lynn Mart but now various events are held over February school half-term period.
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Section
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One of 10 regional departments of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.
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Set
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Generator for powering fairground equipment.
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Setting-Out
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The lessee's job is to mark out the fair before the first loads arrive.
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Shutters
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Panels fitted around the bottom of some machines to cover the mechanisms.
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Slip
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Helter Skelter
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Skipper
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A loose taboo definition of a young woman who dates a male worker from the fair.
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Spider
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The skeleton shaped polygon that a platform ride builds about the centre truck.
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Sublet
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The owner of a particular position can let another operator (with lessee's prior permission) to open paying the ground owner the rent.
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Substitution
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Replacing one type of ride with another on the same position.
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Swag
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Any items given away as prizes on a fairground stall.
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Swifts
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Column components fitted from the centre that creates the shape of the ride.
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Switch-Ons
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Period of the season from mid-Novembe to early-December where showmen attend events to mark the switching on of the Christmas Lights in towns and cities.
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Tan or tanned
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Slang used for beating another attraction - "the Superstar tanned the Round-Up"
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Tenant
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The operator at the fair who pays rent to the lessee to open.
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Tilt
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Cover for ride or transport.
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Time & Distance
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Showmen's Guild rule which forbids a new fair being held before an established fair within set time & length of distance.
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Tober
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Slang word for fairground site.
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Tram
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The small wheels that transverse along the track of a ride (e.g. rides include Ark, Waltzer, Matterhorn).
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Tram Track
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Circular moving track which often feature hills which the trams of a ride transverse along.
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Truck
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Trailer for transporting equipment.
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Tubs
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Cars for Waltzer rides.
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Unit
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Lorry cab.
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Upright
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Vertical column for holding parts of a fairground ride.
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Wagon
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Mobile living quarters for the fairground operators.
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Winched On/Off
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A fairground ride is carefully placed or removed off a position using a winch pulley.
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