Clown Jargon

Auguste Clown - A clumsy, slapstick clown who wears no traditional costume.

Basket Animal - A costume made with a basket in the middle, looking as if the performer were riding a horse or other animal. Suspenders hold the costume around the performer's waist.

Blow Off - The visual "punchline" of a clown gag.

Boss Clown - The clown responsible for coordinating both the clowns and the various gags in a show.

Caring Clown - Non circus term used to refer to clowns who specialize in hospital visits.

Carpet Clown - A clown who works among the audience.

Harlequin - A clown of the commedia dell'arte who dressed in a diamond-patterned costume and who wore a black mask.

Chase - a quick run around the circus track, usually with one clown literally chasing another

Clown Alley - A group of clowns.

Clown Walkaround - Each clown creates and performs his or her own bit lasting about 30 seconds.

Gag - A basic term to refer to all clown routines -- tricks, stunts, and scenes.

First of May - A novice clown.

Knockabout Act - Comedy act involving physical humor and exaggerated mock violence.

Suitcase Gag - A visual pun that is carried inside of a suitcase and used during walkarounds. The set-up is written on the front and the suitcase is opened to reveal the punchline.

Circus Jargon

Carpet Clown - It generally refers to a “fill-in” clown -- one who works the arena floor or up in the stands among the audience.

Chase - a quick run around the hippodrome track, usually with one clown literally chasing another

Charivari - A noisy whirlwind entrance of clowns; also called shivaree or chivaree.

Clown Alley - Originally a walkway behind the big top, where clowns awaited their entrance cues. As their makeup tent was near the performers’ entrance, the term also came to refer to the clowns’ tent itself.

Come In - The period an hour before showtime when the public is entering the arena before the circus begins. Some clowns specialized and only performed during come in.

Clown Stop - Circus lingo for a brief appearance of the clowns instead of a longer gag. Stops are common while props are being changed; or during a clown walkaround on a larger show.

Clown Walkaround - Here the clowns parade around the big top, each pausing to do a brief sketch for a section of the audience before moving along to repeat a sight gag in front of a different section. Each clown creates and performs his or her own bit lasting about 30 seconds.

Gag - A basic term to refer to all clown routines -- tricks, stunts, scenes, etc. Loosely speaking, to “gag it up” is another way of saying to “ham it up.” Clown stops during a walkaround are usually shorter than those of a carpet clown, which are shorter than a production gag such as the 5-10 minute firehouse number.

First of May - A term also used in the carnival, meaning a novice performer in his first season on a show.

Hippodrome Track - The oval area between the rings and audience.

Producing Clown - This is the clown who designs and stars in a major gag, and who develops the accompanying props.

Trouper - A person who has spent at least one full season with the circus, and whose response to the demands of life and work on the road are those of a seasoned veteran.

Walkarounds - A clown feature in which they stroll the circus track performing very brief visual gags that can be easily picked up, moved and performed again for another section of the audience.