Well, I finally got an explanation for the phrase "I'm With It," which is Don Driver's tagline, and something I always wondered about.

I thought that "with it" came from the music world, where it means that you are "in the groove" or "in the know," and you have the musical talent or experience to make and enjoy music (usually jazz music). So applying that to pitch work, I figured it meant you had the talent, knowledge or experience to do a good pitch.

Close, but no cigar! At a recent show, another vendor told me that "I'm With It" is an expression mostly used by carnival concessionaires. When a carny says "I'm With It," he means "I'm with the show," as in "I'm a vendor, so don't pitch your stuff to me, I'm not one of the marks (specs)".

So while it does mean you have pitch experience, it gets there a slightly different way. Who knows if this explanation is true, but it sounds logical. SETH

Seth,
You keep learning,good for you.Here is a link from Sideshow World.It has all the carny lingo.I started out working sideshows.(100 years ago)

http://www.goodmagic.com/carny/car_q-z.htm

Go down to "With it" and read more.

Don

Thanks, Don, for the info! Lots of good stuff on that list that I also wondered about, like "working single-O"; I didn't know it was originally a railroad term. I have heard someone say that the word "spiel" is derived from the German word for "story," which makes sense.

I learned some carny slang from my mentor, Al Flosso, who worked the Dreamland sideshows at Coney Island in the 1920's and 30's, and more from John Scarne's book, "The Complete Guide to Gambling," which has a full chapter on carnival games and a glossary of gambling terms (like "carpet joint" and "working strong").

I've also picked up some from other vendors at street fairs, but you never know how much of that is actually legit. For example, somebody once told me they did "about three yards for the afternoon," which I finally figured out meant that they made $300. In any event, it's a good way to convey certain information without broadcasting it. SETH

I'm from Baltimore and went to NYC one summer week end back in 1974 to see The Magic Show with Doug Henning.While there I spent a Satuarday afternoon at Al Flosso's magic shop.WOW...it was one of thoses days that I'll never forget if I live to be 100.I watch Al on you tube doing his Misers dream with a kid about once a month and still laugh as hard as ever...its a true classic of magic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcAdOV1eDDI ( see what I mean)

So Seth,Al was your mentor...I'm jealous! I read in his book "The Coney Island Faker" that when he pitched a $1.00 magic package at Dreamland he hired Bud Abbott of Abbott and Costello for $8.00 a week to stick the joint (shill) for him.

Now that's really neat magic history.

Later,Don

Al was a great fellow and one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.

He was always willing to help and to share, so that almost anyone walking into the shop could get great advice gratis if they were willing to listen and learn. SETH