Turns out then when I use phrases like ‘ Pasties up’ and Merkins – I’m in the minority of the english speaking world – who’d have thought? Well until The oxford dictionary starts hanging around backstage I thought I’d create a quick reference guide/Glossery for those who can’t be bothered to google random phrases – or for where google has been no help what so ever. Some of these terms have probably been used in the theatre since the first curtain up.

So here you go – the random glossery of british burlesque

Ad Lib — Short for "ad libitum" (latin), meaning "at will": to perform language or business made up by a performer on the spot (and not rehearsed or in the script). Doing an ad lib might be necessary (to disguise some problem, like another performer forgetting a line).

American strip – refers to a style of burlesque that tends to compromise a glamorous strip tease. Popularised again by acts such as Dita Von Teese & Immodesty Blaise.

Beat — a short pause (measured intuitively, about one second) used for comic effect or to emphasise a pose.

Billing/Bill — The names of performers as displayed on a theatre’s marquee and in its advertising. A performer's status is indicated by the size and placement of their name (who is higher or more prominently billed).

Bit — A sketch, routine, trick, any segment of an act.

Bomb — To perform an act that gets embarrassingly little audience response.

Boston Version — a "cleaned-up" version of a routine, so called because Boston censors were very strict.

Break a Leg — the traditional backhanded expression wishing other performers a good performance. It’s considered that to wish someone luck will jinx the performance. Other Burlesque versions include: Snap A Sequin*, Break a nail & Pop a Pastie*

Breaking-in — when you are performing a new act but still tweaking it to get rid of any unseen issues.

Break Up — to lose your concentration so severely (often by being carried away with laughter) that you have to pause to recover. It is considered unprofessional, though it can be indulged in (even feigned) by comic performers to give the impression that the proceedings are funnier than they really are. 

Bump – to move the hips in a direction as though using them to close a car door.

C-String – A wired strip of material, curved to hold itself in place and cover a performers pubic area

Call — the time a performer is expected to be at the theater. "I have a 5pm call."

Capper — usually the last in a series of three jokes.

Chooser — A performer who "researches" his act by viewing other acts for the specific purpose of stealing material.

Civilians — People outside show business.

(to) Close — perform the last act after a star's performance ("I closed for Anna Fur Laxis in Glasgow").

Cold — A "cold" audience is in a bad mood an unwilling to cheer, applaud or play along. Or a performer may have the bill changed due to an emergency and have to perform "cold" (without adequate preparation). 

Cheesecake— refers to a deliberately old fashioned style ‘cute’ burlesque.

Counting the House — looking out into the house surreptitiously, to estimate the box-office success of the show.

Cover — to make up dialog and/or business to keep an act's continuity despite a mistake or accident onstage without breaking character or letting the audience become aware of the error.

Died — Played to perfunctory applause or none at all.

Disappointment Act — an act substituted for an advertised performer who could not appear.

Effect Finish — a finish getting its impact from the use of props or special effects (think of a baton twirler finishing with a bombastic display of flags, sparklers and lights.)

Excess Baggage — A vaudevillian's spouse who tours with the performer but does not perform.

Feature Spot — the top-billed act, the major advertised attraction.

Fans – Usually Over large feather fans used to play body peekaboo with the audience but alternatives such as Stained glass fans, Silk Fans or even dustbin lids have been used.

Finish — the finale of an act.

Flash Act — A generic act, usually along the lines of a classic fan dance or American style strip; something that could be booked on little notice and fit anywhere into the program without rehearsal, often as an emergency replacement.  

Flop — an act or show that utterly fails.

G-string — a narrow strip of fabric that covers a performers pubic area, the remainder supported by nearly-invisible strings, designed to circumvent narrowly-defined anti-nudity laws.

Gorelesque – A Cross betweenB & B-Movie gross out gore. Often includes side show aspects as well as blood, guts and pure hammor horror.

Grind – to rotate the hips slowly

Green Room — Not often available in venues, the "green room" is a quiet room (traditionally painted a restful shade of green) adjoining the stage where performers ready to go on await their calls to the stage.

Headliner — Star of the show whose named appeared most prominently on the bill and in the advertising, perhaps even "name above the title."

Heckler — An audience member who taunts the performer

House — The audience seating area. When the doors are opened to admit the audience, it is said that "the house is open," and it would be very unprofessional for a performer to be seen in that area (unless actually performing).

 (to) Kill — To be a complete success with the audience.

M.C. or Emcee — Master of Ceremonies; the person who introduces the performers.

Merkin - A narrow strip of fabric that covers a stripper's pubic area, either kept in place with Tape/glue or attached to a C-string.

Milking — Inducing (by body language or just continuing to stand on stage and "accept" applause) an audience to continue applauding long after they would ordinarily have ceased.

Miss Exotic World – The contest for burlesques best. Based in the States this sees performers from all over coming together to compete.

Neo-Burlesque –  refers to ‘New Burlesque’ a generic catch all term for burlesque created from the  1990’s onwards.

Pasties — Decorative patches, applied with adhesive, designed to barely circumvent anti-nudity laws forbidding showing nipples.Often come with tassels for twirling.

Pasties up – When an act starts to go wrong onstage. ‘It’s all gone Pasties up’.

Prop — Short for "property", any item onstage other than scenery.

Revue — Like a vaudeville show, a revue consists of sketches, songs, and comedians. However, instead of changing its acts weekly, a revue has a longer run, and the acts might be tied together with a central concept. Ziegfeld's Follies and Lou Leslie's Blackbirds of 1928 were some of the many revues.

Running Gag — A joke or physical bit which appears several times throughout the show, gaining momentum each time through its familiarity and through its appearance in a new context.

Sight Gag — A joke which conveys its humor visually.

Show Stopper — An bit or act that earns such wild applause that the performers must pause until the ovation quiets. Often prompts a brief reprise of the material or an encore number.

Sitting on their Hands — An audience resolutely refusing to applaud.

Sideshow burlesque – An act that combines traditional sideshow trickery with burlesque. Fire tricks and on stage magic are indicative of this style.

Slapstick — Knockabout physical comedy, named for the "slapstick," a bat-like paddle with a flap that emits a huge "slap" sound when struck.

Space invader – A performer who hogs space backstage. A band booked for the same event that leave all their gear onstage limiting room.

Spirit gum– used to secure pasties

Stage Door — The entrance from the street to backstage. A bulletin board located here holds a daily sign-in sheet, information about nearby hotels and restaurants for the benefit of traveling artists, and rules particular to that theater. There might also be a set of mailboxes for the performers to receive mail or notes from the producer

Stage Left — The side of the stage that is on the performer's left as he faces the audience. (Similarly, "stage right" is the other side.)

Stage Maid – The person charged with keeping track of all onstage props and items. They set up for each act and will appear onstage afterwards to collect any items left behind.

Stage Manager — The on the night boss of a burlesque show. They are responsible for keeping the show running smoothly  and in smaller shows often doubles up as the stage maid.

 Stealing a Bow — Reappearing on stage for another bow (tending to keep the audience politely applauding) when the volume of applause does not really warrant it. One way of "milking" applause.

Stooge — A comic aide to a comedian, often a performer who appears to a "volunteer" called up to help from out of the audience.

Tag Line — A short sentence used to sum up the performers style.

Take — A comedic facial reaction. A "double-take" is a "take" (usually depicting simply noticing something and starting to move on) followed by a quick return to the sight and a broad, shocked reaction to what you've just seen. A "spit take" is a reaction of such shock that the performer sprays out whatever he had been drinking or eating when the stimulus was received.

Tape – double sided/Toupee/Carpet tape An alternative to spirit gum– used to secure pasties

Tassels – Pasties with a Tassel attached for twirling.

Took the Veil — Retired from professional life. From the Catholic term for becoming a nun.

Topper — A joke that amplifies and gets extra energy from the previous joke.

Traditional burlesque – Used  to refer to either a traditional striptease or a satirical skit.

Upstage — Before the twentieth century stages were often "raked" or slanted, higher in the back than in the front. So ‘Upstage’ is towards the back. Downstage towards the front.

Walking off Cold — Flopping, leaving the stage at the end of your act while leaving the audience unimpressed. 

Wings — The areas offstage right and left, out of sight of the audience but clearly visible to performers onstage.

* Much love to Khandie Kisses & Jackie Martin Corban for suggesting additions.

I would love to keep adding to this, so please feel free to suggest any more wonderful weird words, phrases or ideas.