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noun as in fair with entertainment

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Related words.

Words related to circus are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word circus . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in building or enclosure for entertainment or sports

  • amphitheatre

noun as in circus tent

noun as in outdoor celebration

  • amusement park
  • conviviality
  • jollification
  • merrymaking
  • street fair

noun as in orb, loop, round figure

  • amphitheater
  • circumference
  • parallel of latitude

noun as in amusement, entertainment, occasionally to excess

  • celebration
  • distraction
  • divertissement
  • gratification
  • self-indulgence

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Example Sentences

Gaga personalized the anthem but still sang it simply, without a circus of musical tricks.

Walsh first covered the country for the Guardian and later for the New York Times, reporting on what he describes as its “multi-ringed circus of violence.”

Next, as some attacked Lewis and Christiansen for undemocratic art removal, others lauded them for taking decisive action to shut down a circus.

Almost literally a sideshow, as in a circus, where the center ring is occupied by the main event and the rings off to the side are populated by the lesser acts.

By 2017, the effort to create an experimental underwater vortex circus had paid off with proof of what happens to helicity in the real world.

It helps that the circus is like a family—only one that can choose its members.

The circus is now performing 18 shows around the world, with eight performances in Las Vegas alone each night.

In 1870, the very Germanically-named August Ruengling fixed a harness for a circus rider and obtained free passes for his family.

Circus parades often became as large a sight as the performance itself; one Barnum and Bailey parade stretched for three miles.

The modern era of the circus is inseparable from several names you may have encountered.

There were five men and three women in the circus troupe, and among the four nuns was the grave reverend mother of a convent.

The comical little pig and the merry monkey hid under the bush and ate acorns as they watched the circus procession go past.

She wouldn't hear tell o' my working half the day, though I could well's not, 'cause the circus don't take in till two o'clock.

Home it is where we'll eat that nice lunch o' Mrs. Calvert's, 'cause I haven't got a cent left to buy them circus tickets.

His white tail curves beautifully like the plumes on the hats of the circus ladies.

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On this page you'll find 23 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to circus, such as: festival, spectacle, bazaar, hippodrome, show, and big top.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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travelling circus | traveling circus noun

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What does the noun travelling circus mean?

There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun travelling circus . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

travelling circus has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

How common is the noun travelling circus ?

How is the noun travelling circus pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun travelling circus come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun travelling circus is in the 1830s.

OED's earliest evidence for travelling circus is from 1836, in Herald (N.-Y.) .

travelling circus is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: travelling adj. , circus n.

Nearby entries

  • traveller's joy | traveler's joy, n. 1597–
  • traveller's palm | traveler's palm, n. 1850–
  • traveller's tale | traveler's tale, n. 1747–
  • traveller's tree | traveler's tree, n. 1809–
  • travelling | traveling, n. 1489–
  • travelling | traveling, adj. 1340–
  • travelling agent | traveling agent, n. 1737–
  • travelling bed | traveling bed, n. 1706–
  • travelling cabinet | traveling cabinet, n. 1785–
  • travelling carriage | traveling carriage, n. 1667–
  • travelling circus | traveling circus, n. 1836–
  • travelling couvert, n. 1828–83
  • travelling exhibition | traveling exhibition, n. 1800–
  • travelling expenses | traveling expenses, n. 1653–
  • travelling fellowship | traveling fellowship, n. 1694–
  • travelling lad | traveling lad, n. 1888–
  • travelling library | traveling library, n. ?1727–
  • travelling man | traveling man, n. 1747–
  • travelling matte | traveling matte, n. 1926–
  • travelling people | traveling people, n. 1637–
  • travelling platform | traveling platform, n. 1889–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for travelling circus | traveling circus, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for travelling, adj.

travelling circus, n. was revised in March 2020

travelling circus, n. was last modified in July 2023

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

  • further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
  • new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into travelling circus, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of travelling, adj. were published in:

OED First Edition (1914)

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Factsheet for travelling circus | traveling circus, n., browse entry.

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Definition of 'circus'

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Meaning of circus in English

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circus noun ( ENTERTAINMENT )

  • Mummy and Daddy are taking me to the circus on Saturday .
  • We noticed a poster advertising a circus.
  • We managed to get ringside seats for the circus.
  • The children wanted to see the circus.
  • One of the acrobats who walked the tightrope at the circus did it blindfolded .
  • amusement arcade
  • amusement park
  • coconut shy
  • contortionist
  • custard pie
  • Dodgem (car)
  • Ferris wheel
  • loop the loop idiom
  • merry-go-round
  • Punch and Judy show
  • trapeze artist

circus noun ( ATTENTION )

  • be (as) busy as a bee idiom
  • be all go idiom
  • be at work idiom
  • be back in harness idiom
  • frenetically
  • gangbusters
  • girlie swot
  • hard-working
  • run round in circles idiom
  • run round like a headless chicken idiom
  • rush/run someone off their feet idiom

circus noun ( ROAD )

  • box junction
  • interchange
  • intersection
  • mini-roundabout
  • on the corner
  • spaghetti junction
  • throughabout
  • traffic circle
  • turn off (something)

circus noun ( SPORTS PLAYERS )

  • board sport
  • general manager
  • multi-sport
  • the first person
  • trail running

circus | American Dictionary

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travelling circus synonym

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  • circus (ENTERTAINMENT)
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International Circus Hall of Fame

CLOSED for the Winter – Open by Appointment other times – Call 765-472-7553

Glossary of Circus Terminology

All circus terms used for this glossary were taken from the book “Circus Lingo” by Joe McKennon.

Ace Note : A dollar bill

Advance : Ahead of the show. Everything pertaining to a show on its route before men working out of the show’s road office take over the details.

After Show : Concert or short extra pay performance in the big top after the regular performance is out and over. Early shows used singing and dancing concerts but in later years wild west exhibitions were usually the after show sometimes featuring some well known cowboy movie actor.

Announcer : The person who introduces the acts and numbers to the audience during a circus performance. On modern circuses this man was not a “ring master”. The announcer on the really big shows of “the Golden Age of the Circus” was just that and nothing else. On these shows the performance was usually handled by the “Equestrian Director”, sometimes called the performance director. Ringling Barnum at its biggest had both.

Back Yard: “Off Limits” to the general public. Dressing rooms, ring stock tents (padrooms), wardrobe and costume departments, doctor’s wagon, tailor’s wagon and performer’s rest areas were all located in the back yard of the railroad transported circuses. On some shows, the performing animal cages and dens were all located in the back yard area. When lot layout required, the cook house, the blacksmith shop, the baggage horse tents and other departments were spotted in or near the back yard.

Baggage Wagons : Strongly built wagons on which all the circus equipment, properties, trunks, etc. were loaded. Most of the parade wagons (band and tableau) doubled as baggage wagons on the moves between towns.

Bally Broads, Bally Girls : Woman and girls who sang and danced in the circus spectacles. On the later day shows, these girls also worked in the Aerial Ballet, rode menage horses, appeared in the posting art creations number and were ‘generally useful’ throughout the entire performance. Use of this term probably came from the employment of real ballet girls and dancers in the great circus spectacles of 1880 to 1910. Later day bally broads remained with the show for many seasons working in a featured act, and often, married to a staff member of the show.

Boss Hostler : Perhaps the most picturesque figure on the circus grounds was this man who had charge of all the baggage (work) horses on the show. Working closely with the superintendent and the department heads, he and his horses with their drivers ‘spotted’ all the heavy wagons onto their locations on the show grounds. In early railroad show days, these same horses had to move all wagons to and from the railroad crossing, or ‘runs’. In still earlier days on the ‘Mud Shows’, the boss hostler, his teamsters and stock had to pull the entire show on often muddy roads between towns. The boss hostler was active and on duty until the last piece of equipment was on or off the lot. Many days he was in the saddle sixteen or more hours of the day. Until ‘Gas’ took over completely in 1938 and 1940, this man was really the ‘king of the circus lot’.

Calliope : A discordant musical consisting of a series of whistles activated by either air or steam. Remember it is pronounces Kal-E-Ope with long E and O.

Candy Butchers : Concession salesman who sells concession items on the circus seats before and during a performance. The story is that the first person to do this was the animal meat butcher on the Old John Robinson Show sometime before the Civil War. He was so successful, he was able to quit his job as meat butcher, but his fellow troupers continued to address his as butcher. When others started selling items on the seats they were called butchers also. When the new railroads allowed men to sell confections and newspapers on their trains they were also called butchers, ‘news butchers’.

Clown Alley : The area just outside the ‘back door’ of the big top reserved for the heavier clown properties. After putting on their makeup in the regular dressing room, the clowns for the most part stayed in this area until they got their cues to enter the big top.

Crier: A later term (1870-1880s) for the side show talkers. With the advent of the big daily free street parades, the talkers walked the parade route ahead of the ‘March’ warning the towners to “hold your hosses the elephants are coming”. Others followed the parade exhorting the onlookers to “Follow the parade to the show grounds. Big free exhibitions on the show grounds immediately after the parade.”

Date : A show’s engagement in a town.

Dike (Klondike) : Brass or copper sold as scrap. When this term was used the metal had usually been stole, or ‘promoted’.

Downtown Wagon : A wagon housing an exhibit moved on the circus train but ‘spotted’ on a downtown street as a paid exhibition on circus day. At times, one of the show’s ticket wagons would be located downtown for the downtown sale location.

Dukey Run :This term became common usage for any unusually long distance. For instance, if the cook house was located just a few blocks away from the crowded regular show grounds, the show hands called it, ‘A dukey run to the cookhouse’.

Educator: The Billboard Weekly

Equestrian Director : The man in charge of the circus performance on the medium sized thirty car shows. He carried and blew the whistle for the acts. His job was an outgrowth from the old time ring master of the one ring and smaller three ring shows with their talking clowns and ring master’s patter. On the larger shows the equestrian director did not need to be a horseman or horse trainer. In 1935, all time great flyer, Alfredo Codona, was a good equestrian director on the Hagenback Wallace and Forepaugh Sells Bros. Combined. (With that title the show was somewhat smaller than the 1934 edition of Hagenback Wallace). Only other person to blow a whistle was the menage horse trainer during the big menage acts. His whistle signaled change of paces for the scores of horses and girls in this act. In those days, the announcer never blew a whistle, and he was never considered a ring master.

Excursion Car : An advance railroad car with the larger circuses (1880s until World War I). Men on this car made all arrangements for special railroad excursion trains from various points to ‘today’s town’ bringing patrons to the circus. Dozens of these trains were run to otherwise unprofitable towns bringing in hundreds of show goers making the ‘nut’ for the show that day.

Excursion Train : See above. Circuses were not the only events that these special trains were run for. Fairs, sports events, celebrations and holidays were all events the railroads would put on excursion trains for.

Fireball, a Fireball Outfit : A show with a poor performance which allowed so many dishonest practices on its grounds that the towns played by it were literally “burned up” for any show that tried to follow it. Because of the risk of being torn down or burned by mobs of angry towners, this type of operation seldom used first class equipment.

Flea Bag : A disreputable, ragged and dirty show. Not necessarily a crooked operation, as the best Sunday School outfits had bad runs of business or weather and had to let the appearance of the show run down.

Fold or Folded : The closing of a show before the end of its regular season.

Freak : A human oddity on exhibition in a museum or in a circus or carnival side show. Early circuses also displayed some featured freaks in their menageries. A practice followed by Ringling Barnum (with all side show attractions) in Madison Square Garden until the move to the Penn Station Garden.

Gas : Trucks and tractors used by the railroad transported circuses of the Twenties and Thirties was called the ‘Gas’ by the working men and bosses. At first, this was a term of contempt, but by the late Twenties the gas was getting much more respect from the old timers.

Gimick : A trick used to win. The mechanical device used to control crooked games.

Grandstand : Seats nearest the rings on each side of the big top and sold for an extra price. Some were merely wider seat boards than the ones used for the ‘blues’ at each end of the tent. Others were wider boards having individual cutout seat backs hinged to them. These were called ‘star bucks’ because of the star stenciled on the front side of each seat back. Later circuses used sixteen inch wide slatted bottom folding chairs for their grandstands.

Grinder : A person who has a certain set speil, or sequence of words that he delivers on the front of a show or a midway attraction as long as the doors are open. If an attraction has a regular ballys, the spiel given between ballyhoos is the grind. Any good ticket seller ‘grinds’ as he passes out the tickets.

Haul : The move between the circus train and the show lot.

Herald : Type of advertising for individual reading. Many sizes and shapes printed on colored newsprint in one, two or four pages. These heralds were handed out to people on the streets, or put into the front doors of homes. Some were printed on white paper stock to make them look a little more high class. Restrictive ordinances have made heralds almost obsolete today.

Horse Opera : A wild west exhibition. Word show was not used for wild west attractions and organizations.

House : The crowd inside a circus tent for a performance.

Iron Jaw : An aerial act in which the performers work suspended by a mouth piece clinched behind their teeth.

Itchy Feet : An off the road trouper’s urge to get back with it on the road.

I.W.W .: International Workers of the World. This far left labor union issued red cards to its members. It’s stronghold was in the lumber camps from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest.

Joey : A clown. From the famous European clown, Joe Grimaldi. It may have been used by someone on an American Circus to designate clowns, but I personally have never heard it used by a circus trouper on any show grounds.

John Robinson : A much shortened circus performance. Orders to give a ‘John Robinson’ were rarely given, but storm warnings or an extra long jump to ‘Tomorrow’s town’ did warrant a cut in running time of the performance.

Joint : A concession stand or booth on a circus or carnival.

Jump : The move between towns.

Kid Show : The side show with a circus

Kid Worker : Men in each department who hired young boys to work for passes to the circus. Each department was allowed a certain number of passes each day. The boys did every conceivable task around the show except water the elephants. The fable of boys carrying water for the ‘bulls’ was just that, a myth. A press agent’s dream. The big beasts were always carried to the water.

Kip : A sleeping place, a bed.

Lecturer : Talker inside a show. An Emcee or Lecturer for circus side shows or carnival attractions.

Left Hand Side : Most Americans move to the right. Right hand ticket boxes handle more tickets, right hand gates handle more traffic, etc, etc. The horse shoe shaped lay out of a carnival midway takes advantage of this habit. If possible, a show that caters to children and early patrons is spotted on the right hand side. By the same token an attraction appealing to the late coming ‘sporting element’ are put on the back end or on the left hand side. Attractions with plenty of noise, like the motor drome, are laid out for the left side. The noise will pull people over there.

Liberty Horses : An act of from one to twenty four horses working in a ring with no reins being used by the trainer. These horses are trained to do drills, hind leg walks, ect, ect. Acts of either eight or twelve horses have been standard for many years. Much larger acts were used as features at various times though.

Lunge Rope : The rope held by a person outside the ring which is threaded through a pulley above the ring and attached to the safety device of the performer who is working in or above the ring.

March : The old time grand free street parade, horse drawn.

Mechanic : A belt or safety device worn by a performer as he does a ‘trick’. One or more safety (lunge) ropes are attached to the belt. During the act, the persons holding the lunge ropes regulate the slack in them so that the performer has freedom of movement but cannot fall to the ground or floor on a ‘missed trick’. Most all performers, both aerial and ground, are trained by aid of mechanics.

Menage : The performance of ‘high school’ type riding in a circus arena by one or more persons and their horses. Thirty or more riders in one display was not uncommon on the larger circuses of fifty years ago.

Mud Show : A show that traveled by horse drawn wagons between the towns on its route. There is no record that any established carnival used this mode of travel. All circuses were ‘mud shows’ until the early Twenties when they began moving on trucks. No truck show has ever been a mud show. The term applies to the show’s mode of transportation and all the muddy roads they moved over, not the muddy lots ALL shows have to work on.

Natives : Local people. (The poor benighted townspeople who go home to warm dry houses every night, and sleep in clean vermin free beds in those houses.

Night Riders : Bill posters on ‘opposition crews’ who went out at night and tore down or covered up the advertising paper of another show playing their show’s route.

Novelties : Whips, whistling birds, canes, pennants and others souvenirs sold on the parade route, on the show grounds and on teh circus seats by circus concession men.

Office : The carnival office wagon or trailer. (The circus office wagon was always referred to as the ‘Reg Wagon’ or ‘The Wagon’, regardless of the color the wagon was actually painted).

One Day Stand : Most circus dates were of day’s duration.

Opening : The spiel or speech given by the talker in front of a show. On circus side shows, the first opening given with many people on the bally platform, was the ‘First Opening’.

Opera : A showman’s term for a travelling show. This term was used extensively when talking about Wild West Exhibitions. They were called ‘Horse Operas’.

Pass : A free ticket on a show. Also used by railroads for the free transportation tickets given to employees back in the days when they all ran passenger trains.

Pickled Punks : A carnival term for human fetuses. Two headed human babies, joined together twins, etc, etc. (Also normal specimens from one to eight months)…Not India rubber as many believed. These specimens were repulsive to some, but highly educational for millions of others.

Pitchman : A person who sells merchandise with lectures and demonstrations. The ‘Doctor’ with the ‘Medicine Show’ made a ‘medicine pitch’, etc, etc. The salesman who works on the ground on a level with his ‘Tip’ of potential customers is known as a ‘low pitchman’. One who works on a platform is a ‘high pitchman’. The ‘high pitchman’ grosses much more than his fellow salesmen on the ground, but his expenses are much higher. The ‘Jam Store’ is usually a ‘high pitch’ as were the old time medicine shows. Some of these ‘pitches’ with good capable lecturers took hundreds of dollars from a single lecture or ‘pitch’. (These ‘pitches’ ran from thirty minutes to over an hour, though).

Priviledge : The consideration paid for the right to place a concession on a carnival midway. Early day circus owners sold privileges for almost everything on the lot except the performance itself. (And, they did sell the concert or aftershow as a privilege). Side shows, concert, concessions, pie car (both food and games), games, ticket sales, pick pocket or any other project that could extract more money from the pockets of the townspeople was sold by unscrupulous circus owners to the individuals who worked that racket. When early shows quit putting up their employees at local hotels, they sold the ‘Hotel’ privilege to individuals to operate. Show owners allowed them a flat amount per person per day for feeding the help. Some old timers used to claim that they ate better under this system than they did after shows took over operation of their cook houses.

Quarter Poles : The intermediate poles between the side poles and the center poles of a tent. Usually, tents between sixty and one hundred feet wide (diameter of the round ends) use only one row of quarter poles. Tents over one hundred ten feet wide have to have two rows of intermediate poles to support the weight of the canvas when wet and to prevent the forming of ‘Water bags’.

Ring Banks : Early circuses carried skilled ring makers, who leveled the ground and banked up dirt to form a forty two foot diameter circular circus ring. An old superstition against sleeping inside a circus big top arose from these massive embankments. It seems that they wre used as quick burial places for victims of hey rubes, feuds and such.

Ring Curbs : The massive wooden rings now used by circuses. When the making of ring banks was discontinued by most shows, rings were made of rope, or canvas sections. These evolved into the sectional wooden circuses used today.

Ringer : A substitute person or animal passed off on the unwary as the person or animal they expect to see. All the big name circus stars had understudies ready to go on in their place.

Ring Master : The man in charge of a one ring circus performance. Smaller shows continued using them as long as good talking clowns were available. Repartee between ring master and clown was often really funny. Each ring of a Dog and Pony Show, if in three rings, had its own ring master-trainer. An untrained alley dog, a leash and a talking ring master did present satisfying acts. Singing announcers and performance directors are not ring masters. The real old time ring master could make a poor show into an entertaining performance.

Sell Out : Every available seat in the big top has been sold. This doesn’t mean that every space anywhere in the big top is sold, or is occupied. If there are unoccupied spaces, it is not a turn away, it is a ‘straw house’. Number of people that could be crammed and jammed in a straw house turn away varied according to the skill and enthusiasm of the ushers involved.

Shill : One who pretends to play a game, or to buy a ticket to an attraction, in order to entice others to join or follow him. Without a good ‘shill’, an entire ‘tip’ may stay perfectly still after an ‘opening’. All with the cash in their hands, and not one of them will ‘break’ for the ticket boxes, unless some brave soul leads the way. ‘Shills’ fill the need for brave souls.

Spectacle : In late 1880s and through the early 1900s the big circuses produced lavish spectacles using up to twelve hundred persons, many of whom were employed for the purpose. Some of the spectacles were so huge that all the back side seating had to be left out. Scenic displays were erected in their place. The whole thing cut way down on profits, but each circus owner tried to out do his competitors. In later days, these displays evolved into opening spectacles which started off with a grand entry of everything the show had and concluded with a singing and dancing extravaganza in the rings and on the track.

Sunday School Show : A clean show. No crooked games, no dirty ‘gal shows’, no other illicit activity tolerated by the show owner. Charles Sparks probably ran the best Sunday School Show of all of them.

Take : The cash taken in from a performance, a concession, a series of performances or a string of concessions.

Territory : Each big show had territory it considered its own. They fought to protect that territory from any encroachment from other shows. Barnum title has never been beaten, even today, for drawing people along the East Coast above Richmond. John Robinson topped all of them in the deep South, and Sells Floto was hard to beat in eighteen Western States.

Trailer : A person who followed a show, sometimes riding the show trains, who was not on the payroll of that show. Some peddled balloons, others stole merchandise and sold that at bargain prices. Some of them just liked to travel with circuses. During depression days, many good show hands ‘trailed the show’ waiting for an opening for a job. If business was good, show’s cook house fed these men in order to keep them around.

Trouper : A person who has spent at least one full season on some type of traveling amusement organization. By then, they are usually hooked.

Under the Stars : To show outside without a tent. Seats and properties set up without a tent over them.

Up : Outdoor showmen are prone to overuse the word ‘Up’. They add the word to other words without changing the meaning of the word added to. Example: An eight horse team was an ‘eight-up.’

Wardrobe : All costumes furnished and carried by a circus.

Wild Cat : Book and play into new territory on very short notice due to problems on the old route. Droughts, strikes, layoffs, epidemics, etc, etc. could force a route change. The latter was usual cause of sudden changes that resulted in ‘wildcatting’. For instance, in mid Twenties, Ringling Barnum was caught by a Hoof and Mouth Outbreak in Texas. Show had to ‘blow’ its route and ‘wildcat’ into new smaller towns all over the state for several weeks. Had the epidemic hit before show got into the state, Texas dates would have been canceled and show would have ‘wildcatted’ ino other Southern towns in place of them.

Winter Trouping : Staying out with a show in winter months when all decent under canvas shows and showmen should be in a warm winterquarters somewhere.

Worker : The big rubber balloon, animal or airship the concession man holds high in the air as he sells the item. Already packaged in an envelope, the supposed facsimile is always sold as the patron leaves the circus of fair grounds. Do not expect to inflate the purchase to more than half the size of the ‘worker’. don’t know who is hurt the most, the little child who wants the ‘big rubber’ or the happy mother who buys it for him. The ‘rip off’ has been carried and still is, by most all the big “Sunday School Shows.”

The X : A carnival and Fair Ground exclusive. A concession owner buys the ‘X’ on some item or concession for the entire midway. At most of the larger fairs, this ‘X’ does not include the entire fair grounds. The carnival sells ‘X’ for their midway only. Fair management sells all space not on the midway proper.

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Definition of circus noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

travelling circus synonym

T he U.S. and other countries, including the U.K. and Australia, are celebrating Women’s History Month in March, featuring International Women’s Day on March 8. 

This year, President Joe Biden said in his proclamation declaring Women’s History Month that during this time, “we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society.”

Here are 10 surprising facts about Women’s History Month.

International Women’s Day was first recognized in Europe

Many reports trace the origins of a holiday honoring women to New York City in 1909, to the commemoration of a garment workers’ strike.

In 1910, German activist Clara Zetkin suggested to the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen the creation of an international holiday to honor women. Europeans recognized International Women’s Day in 1911, although the U.S. did not follow suit.

International Women’s Day’s date was chosen because of the Russian revolution 

The date of March 8 became significant in 1917, when women in the Russian capital of Petrograd protested and went on strike, demanding food and the end of the empire. A week later, the Tsar abdicated. Zetkin reportedly suggested in 1921 that March 8 become International Women’s Day as a result.

Women’s History Month started as a local week 

Women’s History Month began as a local week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California in 1978, according to the online National Women’s History Museum. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned the week and timed it with International Women’s Day.

Local advocates then formed the National Women’s History Project, now the National Women’s History Alliance, to share women’s achievements. One of the group’s members, Molly Murphy MacGregor, participated in The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where others were inspired to start their own week celebrations, according to the group’s website. By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month.

It took years for Women’s History Month to be federally recognized

In 1980, the National Women’s History Project led a coalition of women’s groups successfully lobbied President Jimmy Carter to issue a proclamation recognizing National Women’s History Week, National Geographic reported . It took until 1987 for Congress to pass a law designating March as Women’s History Month.

The U.S. president designates Women’s History Month every year

Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed resolutions requesting and authorizing the president to proclaim the special month. Since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation designating Women’s History Month.

Former President Barack Obama’s 2011 proclamation paid homage to the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, saying the holiday “is a chance to pay tribute to ordinary women throughout the world and is rooted in women's centuries-old struggle to participate in society on an equal footing with men. This day reminds us that, while enormous progress has been made, there is still work to be done before women achieve true parity.”

There is an annual theme for Women’s History Month  

The National Women’s History Alliance sets a theme for the month every year. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”

“The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions,” a statement from the alliance on its choice read.

Women’s History Month is celebrated differently in Canada 

Women’s History Month has spread around the world, from the Philippines to the U.K . In the latter, Mother’s Day is also celebrated in March. While Women’s History Month is generally commemorated in March, Canada holds their celebrations in October.

International Women’s Day is an official holiday in some countries 

Some countries mark International Women’s Day as an official holiday, Sky History reported. In China, many women can take a half-day holiday. In Serbia and Albania, International Women’s Day is also Mother’s Day.

International Women’s Day is celebrated with certain colors

Purple, green, and white are the colors of International Women's Day, according to the International Women’s Day website. The colors reportedly originated from suffragists in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the U.K. in the early 1900s and were transported to the U.S.

Actions this year will focus on abortion rights 

The Women’s March organization, which ran its first prominent march in 2017 a day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, is planning a rally in Washington D.C. on March 26, when the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in a case about the abortion pill .

The Supreme Court issued a temporary order in 2023 that put on hold a Texas federal judge’s order to suspend the federal government’s approval of the abortion pill. The March hearing will be the first major case concerning abortion since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

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Synonyms.com

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What is another word for traveling circus ?

Synonyms for traveling circus trav·el·ing cir·cus, this thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word traveling circus ., we couldn't find direct synonyms for the term traveling circus ., maybe you were looking for one of these terms.

traveler's letter of credit , traveler's tree , travelers , traveling , traveling bag , traveling circus , traveling expenses , traveling man , traveling preacher , traveling salesman , traveling wave

... or search for traveling circus inside other dictionary definitions.

Search inside, are we missing a good synonym for traveling circus , image credit, the web's largest resource for, synonyms & antonyms, a member of the stands4 network, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, browse synonyms.com, are you a human thesaurus, which is an antonym for obstreperous.

  • A.   Docile
  • B.   Irascible
  • C.   Incorrigible
  • D.   Fickle

travelling circus synonym

travelling circus synonym

Spring Preview

‘Water for Elephants’ Brings the Circus to Broadway

Based on the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen, the musical follows a young man who hops a train and falls in with a ragtag, traveling group of entertainers.

Gabriel Olivera de Paula Costa sliding down a pole and putting a hat on Paul Alexander Nolan, who plays the ringmaster. Credit...

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By Alexis Soloski

Videos by Peter Fisher

  • Feb. 25, 2024

At the sound of a gunshot, a performer, wreathed in white silks, tumbles from the ceiling. His body somersaults, over and over, faster and faster, until it hangs suspended, just above the stage floor. This scene, in the first act of “Water for Elephants,” a new musical that begins previews Feb. 24 at the Imperial Theater, portrays the death of an injured horse. And it captures the singular methods of the show — a synthesis of theater and circus, bedazzled for a Broadway audience.

“In musicals, you talk until you have to sing and you sing until you have to dance,” Jessica Stone , the director of “Water for Elephants,” explained. “And in our case, you dance until you have to leap into the air.”

With a book by Rick Elice , and music and lyrics by PigPen Theater Co. , the musical is based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel , which also inspired a 2011 film . Set in the 1930s and in the very early 2000s, it centers on the memories of Jacob Jankowski (Grant Gustin, playing the younger version, and Gregg Edelman as the elder), a veterinarian who recalls the long-ago days when he hopped a train and fell in with the members of the Benzini Brothers circus, a ragtag outfit that crisscrossed the country delivering low-rent, high-excitement marvels.

“You wanna feel something/You know is real, something/beyond the paler things,” the chorus sings in the opening number, describing the promise of the big top.

travelling circus synonym

That promise is kept by the ensemble’s seven dedicated circus performers, as well as two swings, many of them veterans of the 7 Fingers circus company . Shana Carroll, a founding director of that company, was tasked with circus design. (With Jesse Robb, she is also the show’s co-choreographer.) In their initial meetings before the show’s premiere last summer in Atlanta, Carroll and Stone agreed that the circus stunts should never appear without cause. They had to tell the story (as in a scene set during a Benzini show) or enhance moments of high emotion (as in the case of the horse).

“Nobody wants to throw in gratuitous flips,” Carroll said, referring to these sorts of cheapened thrills as “a kind of spectacle Band-Aid.”

Instead, every flip, trapeze flight and Spanish web routine has to feel necessary. “We have to earn the circus,” said Keaton Hentoff-Killian, a member of the ensemble who specializes in acrobatics.

The addition of circus performers like Hentoff-Killian has influenced the show in unexpected ways. The dance routines, for example, are more muscular. “There’s more of a death-defying, athletic stance to circus artistry that then creates a movement style that everybody adheres to,” Robb said.

travelling circus synonym

And it has produced an unusual camaraderie among the cast, a product of the interdependence that circus requires. (You can’t really fly through the air unless you trust the people on the ground to catch you.) “In circus, we’re a bit lawless,” Carroll said. “But we’re also really collaborative.”

There is joy in seeing a performer arc out over the audience and a heart-in-your-throat tension when an aerialist dangles by just a hand or a foot. “We have that new language, beside the acting and the dancing, to add a layer of danger, emotion, intensity,” said Alexandra Gaelle Royer, an aerialist and a member of the ensemble.

Gaelle Royer and her colleagues have taught the Broadway actors tricks. (As the ring master, Paul Alexander Nolan cracks whips; Isabelle McCalla, as the circus’s star, swings from a trapeze.) And they have learned a few things, too, such as how to sing and dance for Broadway. “There is a level of humility and grace in the company because everybody’s a little bit out of their lane,” Stone said. “And then at some point, every single person is right in their lane and able to just nail what they do best.”

When it comes to the circus acts, that best includes juggling, silks, aerial hoops, a giant Cyr wheel, tight wire, knife throwing, a unicycle and many acrobatic turns. Some routines are faithful to the circus of the 1930s, but dream sequences and abstractions like the death of the horse push toward the present. Even at a rehearsal — with an understudy in the lead, the cast in their street clothes, some of the rigging missing and harsh work lights shining — the tricks could still exhilarate. And the creators hope that they can do more: transform “Water for Elephants” into something beyond the paler things, making it feel real.

“We feel it on some base level that these people are really risking their lives for us,” Carroll said of the performers. “That’s really profound and beautiful.”

Alexis Soloski has written for The Times since 2006. As a culture reporter, she covers television, theater, movies, podcasts and new media. More about Alexis Soloski

Advertisement

Soda company will pay close duo to take a road trip next month

travelling circus synonym

One pair of besties will get paid to take the road trip of a lifetime this April. 

OLIPOP , the healthy soda brand, are “looking for the ultimate dynamic duo” to join them on the road next month. 

The “dream job” will pay two best friends $10,000 to “sip OLIPOP, explore four iconic cities, create content + memories, and spread the joy of soda across the country as “senior soda consultants.” 

OLIPOP says the gig is all about “celebrating iconic American cities & hyping up your bestie along the way.” 

Soda enthusiasts, who are ready to get out the word about OLIPOP’s “deliciously refreshing tonic, crafted with botanicals, natural plant fiber, and prebiotics” that supports “your microbiome” and benefits “digestive health,” according to the company’s website, must have the online application submitted by Friday, March 22.

Here’s what we know about the dream gig, including how to apply.

How will OLIPOP compensate the besties selected?

OLIPOP will offer the pair of besties a total of $10,000, offering each bestie $5,000 for the job. They will also cover the cost of hotel, airfare and per diem. 

Another perk listed online was the opportunity to create “unforgettable memories and a chance to become the face of OLIPOP's nationwide adventure.” 

What does a ‘senior soda consultant’ do?

The besties that are picked to work with OLIPOP will be tasked with a few “key responsibilities,” including creating content to share on social, telling locals about OLIPOP and hyping up your bestie online and on the road trip. 

OLIPOP’s tour is set to kick off the first week of April, with more specific details to be announced at a later date. The besties will visit the first city on the tour, which has yet to be revealed, from April 5 through April 10. 

Here are a few more specifics courtesy of OLIPOP: 

  • Be the Ultimate Hype Friend: Amplify the energy in each city with your infectious enthusiasm and friendship, hyping each other up and the local city culture in any situation.
  • Soda Enthusiasts: Spread OLIPOP’s joy of soda by sharing your experiences with locals and also spreading awareness about the unique qualities of OLIPOP.
  • Storytelling POP-Stars: Showcase your talent in content creation by capturing the essence of OLIPOP's journey in each city. Create memorable moments everywhere you go while educating others about the features that make OLIPOP a delicious choice.

How do I apply for OLIPOP’s dream gig? 

All you need to do to become a Senior Soda Consultant for OLIPOP needs to fill out an online application. 

Once there, you will be asked to provide your contact information, social media handle, video samples and resume. (The resume you upload is for you and your bestie.) 

“This [video samples] could be anything from sharing their content consuming OLIPOP while cheering a loved one on from the stands, studying together for a test, or while playing a neck-and-neck game of chess,” OLIPOP’s website states. 

You can also show OLIPOP how you and your bestie hype each other up on social media, tagging @drinkolipop with the hashtag #OLIDreamJob. 

Are there any requirements? 

There are a couple. 

Applicants must be a U.S. resident, over the age of 18, have a passion for content creation and storytelling, demonstrated experience in content creation, comfortable navigating social media platforms, able to travel to various cities on specific dates as part of OLIPOP’s tour.

Above all, they are looking for besties that have “charismatic personalities that will resonate with soda lovers and adventure seekers.” 

Strong teamwork skills will only enhance the experience, OLIPOP says. 

IMAGES

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    travelling circus synonym

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  6. Synonym Circus...Starring Adjectives by Heidi Weber

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VIDEO

  1. Join the Circus 🎪

  2. Toby's Travelling Circus (Sneeky Peek, 27th May 2016)

COMMENTS

  1. TRAVELLING CIRCUS in Thesaurus: 44 Synonyms & Antonyms for TRAVELLING

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    Travelling circus synonyms, Travelling circus pronunciation, Travelling circus translation, English dictionary definition of Travelling circus. n. 1. a. A public entertainment consisting typically of a variety of performances by acrobats, clowns, and often trained animals. b. A traveling company...

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    Best synonym for 'travelling circus' is . Search for synonyms and antonyms. Classic Thesaurus. C. travelling circus > synonyms. 1 Synonym ; more ; 18 Related . 5 » canvas: show. d. Need more synonyms? ...

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  11. CIRCUS definition in American English

    an oval or circular arena, usually tented and surrounded by tiers of seats, in which such a performance is held. 4. a travelling group of professional sportspeople. a cricket circus. 5. (in ancient Rome) a. an open-air stadium, usually oval or oblong, for chariot races or public games. b. the games themselves.

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    CIRCUS definition: 1. a group of travelling performers including acrobats (= people skilled in difficult physical…. Learn more.

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    Here is the solution for the Traveling circus clue that appeared on February 23, 2024. We have found 40 answers for this clue in our database. The best answer we found was ROADSHOW, which has a length of 8 letters. We frequently update this page to help you solve all your favorite puzzles, like NYT , LA Times , Universal , Sun Two Speed, and more.

  14. Glossary of Circus Terminology

    One Day Stand: Most circus dates were of day's duration. Opening: The spiel or speech given by the talker in front of a show. On circus side shows, the first opening given with many people on the bally platform, was the 'First Opening'. Opera: A showman's term for a travelling show.

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    travelling circus translation in English - English Reverso dictionary, see also 'travel',telling',traveller',travail', examples, definition, conjugation

  16. circus noun

    Word Origin late Middle English (with reference to the arena of Roman antiquity): from Latin, 'ring or circus'. The sense 'travelling company of performers' dates from the late 18th cent. The sense 'travelling company of performers' dates from the late 18th cent.

  17. Circus synonyms

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  18. CIRCUS Definition & Usage Examples

    Circus definition: . See examples of CIRCUS used in a sentence.

  19. 10 Surprising Facts About Women's History Month

    The U.S. and other countries, including the U.K. and Australia, are celebrating Women's History Month in March, featuring International Women's Day on March 8. This year, President Joe Biden ...

  20. Traveling Circus Synonyms & Antonyms

    What is another word for traveling circus? Synonyms for traveling circus trav·el·ing cir·cus This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word traveling circus. We couldn't find direct synonyms for the term traveling circus.

  21. traveling circus, often Crossword Clue

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  22. 'Water for Elephants' Brings the Circus to Broadway

    Performances in N.Y.C. Spring Preview Based on the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen, the musical follows a young man who hops a train and falls in with a ragtag, traveling group of entertainers. Gabriel ...

  23. OLIPOP wants to pay you and your bestie to travel next month

    One pair of besties will get paid to take the road trip of a lifetime this April. OLIPOP, the healthy soda brand, are "looking for the ultimate dynamic duo" to join them on the road next month ...

  24. Travelling circus worker, informally Crossword Clue

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