Carny Lingo - The Bally

Bally or Ballyhoo — The "Bally" is the "outside talker's" spiel drawing a crowd (known as a "tip") to see a sideshow. The bally is a sophisticated commercial, usually illustrated with quick appearances by the performers featured in the show. Its longer, original form, "Ballyhoo," has come into general usage meaning "to attract the attention of customers/voters by raising a clamor." The word originated at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in the "Streets of Cairo" pavilion. The performers from the Middle East spoke only Arabic. Exhibit manager W.O. Taylor would call the Beledi dancers (a term later corrupted, also by Taylor, to "belly dancers") and musicians out during slack periods to attract a crowd. Since these calls were on no set schedule, the tired performers would mutter "D'Allah hun", roughly meaning "Oh, for God's sake!", as they rose to the extra duty. Taylor began simply calling them to (as he heard it) "ballyhoo." We do not know, though we can guess, what else the performers may have had to say in Arabic about the boss. The bally is also known as the "first opening," while the inside talker would introduce the crowd to the show with the "second opening."