Busker Central presents a glossary of terms used in busking and street performing. Although some date back to the Nineteenth century, they are still relevant today.

Some terms listed below are not used anymore but are still historically significant.

You can also submit new terms you've recently heard not on the list by clicking the contact button.

Read, learn, and understand the basic terms used by buskers.

Bottle - One who asks for and collects moneys for your performance

Build - The initial crowd-gathering techinque(s)

Chopping heads - Performing close enough to another busker as to steal their audience

Confederate - Participant who, unknown to the audience, is actually part of your show

Dogs - Derrogatory term for disliked busker(s)

Edge - Crowd

Hat - Monitary appreciation from your audience for your performance

Hat Line - How you ask for monitary appreciation from the audience

Pitch - Place or stage for performances

Pass the hat - Collecting monitary appreciation for your performance

Show - Main body of your performance

Staging - Setting up the audience with one or more confederates

Star - Derrogatory term for conceited busker

Stealing lines - Using lines from other buskers who may have stolen them from someone else

Tip - Crowd

Turn the Tip - Begin selling tickets for entrance to sideshows when the crowd is large enough