---
title: "Scams & Magic Part 24 – Stage Magic Glossary – 2024"
canonical: https://romancescamsnow.com/scams-magic-part-24-2024/
type: post
author: "SCARS Institute Editorial Team"
published: 2024-08-03
modified: 2026-07-07
categories: ["♦ PSYCHOLOGY OF SCAMS", "2024", "Insights", "Scams & Magic", "Victimization", "♦ HOW SCAMS WORK"]
summary: ""
organization: "SCARS Institute - Encyclopedia of Scans - World's #1 Anti-Scam Website - Romance Scams NOW"
organization_url: https://romancescamsnow.com/
llms: https://romancescamsnow.com/llms.txt
---

# Scams & Magic Part 24 – Stage Magic Glossary – 2024

# Scams & Magic - Stage Magic Glossary

## Part 24

## Understanding the Methods Used by Both Scammers and Magicians to Deceive

### Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight

##### Author:
•  Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
•  Portions from other sources

## Article Abstract

Stage magic involves a variety of terms that describe the different parts of the process or act. These terms help define specific techniques, moments, and components that contribute to the overall magic performance.

## Stage Magic Glossary

**A list of all stage magic terms for parts of the process or act**

Stage magic involves a variety of terms that describe the different parts of the process or act. These terms help define specific techniques, moments, and components that contribute to the overall magic performance.

## The People and Participants in Stage Magic

### Stage Magic Glossary: Terms Referring to Persons Involved in Magic

- **Assistant**: A person who helps the magician perform tricks, often playing a key role in creating illusions.
- **Assistant Magician**: A performer who helps the primary magician, often performing minor tricks or helping with major illusions.
- **Audience**: The group of people watching the magic performance.
- **Audience Volunteer**: A member of the audience selected to participate in a trick.
- **Confederate**: An individual secretly assisting the magician by pretending to be an audience member.
- **Confederate Volunteer**: An audience member who is secretly assisting the magician but appears to be a volunteer.
- **Dupes**: The people who are being tricked or fooled by the magician's illusions.
- **Interlocutor**: A person who interacts with the magician during the performance, often asking questions or providing commentary.
- **Mark**: A person targeted by a magician for a trick, especially in street magic or cons.
- **Onlooker**: An individual watching the magic performance, not directly involved but part of the audience.
- **Participant**: A person from the audience involved in the magic trick.
- **Plant**: An audience member who is secretly in on the trick and helps the magician.
- **Ringer**: A participant who appears to be a regular audience member but is actually in on the trick.
- **Shill**: A person who helps the magician by pretending to be a regular audience member but is in on the performance.
- **Spectator**: Any member of the audience observing the magic performance.
- **Spectator Assistant**: An audience member brought on stage to help with a trick.
- **Stooge**: Another term for a confederate or plant, assisting the magician covertly.
- **Subject or Client**: The person on whom the magic trick is performed.
- **Target**: The specific person chosen by the magician for a trick or illusion.
- **Volunteer**: An audience member who participates in the performance, often chosen by the magician.

These terms highlight the various roles individuals can play in a magic performance, either as participants or observers, contributing to the creation and experience of magical illusions.

## Common Stage Magic Terms

Here’s a list of common stage magic terms related to the parts of the process or act:

- **Ambitious Card**: A card routine where a selected card repeatedly rises to the top of the deck.
- **Back Palm**: A technique where a card is concealed behind the hand.
- **Biddle Grip**: A way of holding a small packet of cards between the thumb and fingers.
- **Bill Switch**: Changing a bill into another denomination or object.
- **Black Art**: A stage technique using black velvet and lighting to conceal objects.
- **Bottom Deal**: Dealing the bottom card of the deck while appearing to deal from the top.
- **The Build-Up:** The part of the routine where the magician builds anticipation and interest, typically leading up to a major trick or climax.
- **Card Force**: Any method used to make a spectator choose a predetermined card.
- **Center Tear**: A technique used to secretly read information written by a spectator.
- **Charlier Cut**: A one-handed cut of the deck.
- **Classic Force**: Forcing a card by timing the offer of the forced card.
- **Classic Palm**: A method of holding a coin in the palm invisibly.
- **Color Change**: Changing one card into another with a sleight.
- **Control:** Manipulating the position of a card or object within a stack or group without the audience’s knowledge.
- **Cups and Balls**: A classic magic trick involving balls appearing, disappearing, and reappearing under cups.
- **Cut and Restored Rope**: A trick where a rope is cut and then magically restored.
- **Double Lift:** A common card trick technique where the magician lifts two cards as one, usually to disguise the identity of the top card.
- **Downs Palm**: A method of palming a coin using the bottom of the palm.
- **Effect:** The outcome of a magic trick as perceived by the audience, such as an object disappearing or transforming.
- **Elmsley Count**: A false count used to hide certain cards in a packet.
- **Escape:** A type of performance involving the magician escaping from restraints or traps.
- **False Shuffle**: A shuffle that maintains the order of the cards.
- **Finger Palm**: A method of concealing a small object in the fingers.
- **Flash Paper**: Special paper that burns quickly and leaves no ash.
- **Floating**: A trick where an object appears to defy gravity and float.
- **Force**: Making a spectator choose a predetermined object.
- **Forcing:** A technique where the magician gives the audience the illusion of choice (e.g., choosing a card), but the outcome is pre-determined by the magician.
- **French Drop**: A coin vanish technique.
- **Gaff**: A special card or prop used to achieve a magic effect.
- **Glide**: A technique to secretly switch a card while dealing.
- **Illusion**: A large-scale trick often performed on stage.
- **Invisible Deck**: A special deck of cards used to perform an incredible effect.
- **Kicker**: An unexpected ending to a trick.
- **Lapping**: Dropping an object into your lap secretly.
- **Levitation:** Creating the illusion that an object or person is floating unsupported.
- **Load:** Secretly adding an object to a location before its revelation in the performance.
- **Loading**: Secretly placing an object in a specific location for later revelation.
- **Matrix**: A coin trick where coins magically move under cards.
- **Misdirection:** The technique of diverting the audience’s attention away from the method being used to perform the trick.
- **One Ahead Principle**: A method where the magician is always one step ahead.
- **Out of This World**: A card trick where the spectator sorts the deck by color.
- **Pass**: A secret cut of the deck.
- **Palm:** Holding an object in the hand in such a way that it appears empty.
- **Patter:** The dialogue a magician uses during the performance to engage the audience, provide explanations, and distract from the sleights being performed.
- **The Prestige:** The final part of a magic trick where the effect is revealed to the audience, often bringing resolution and amazement.
- **Pre-Show Work**: Preparations done before the audience arrives.
- **Production:** Magically causing an object to appear from nowhere.
- **Reel**: A device used to retract or pull objects secretly.
- **The Reveal:** Similar to the prestige, where the outcome of the trick is shown to the audience, culminating in the trick's climax.
- **Riffle Shuffle**: A common method of shuffling cards.
- **Rising Card**: A trick where a selected card rises from the deck.
- **Routine:** A series of magic tricks performed in sequence, often themed or linked by storytelling.
- **Restoration:** Appearing to destroy an object, then restoring it to its original state.
- **Servante**: A secret compartment on the magician’s table.
- **The Setup or Pre-Show Work:** Preparations made before the show begins, which might involve pre-arranging props or interacting with the audience to set up aspects of the performance.
- **Shell**: A hollow coin or cup used in magic tricks.
- **Sleight of Hand:** Skillful manipulation of objects like cards or coins, essential for performing close-up magic tricks without detection.
- **Snap Change**: A quick card change performed with a snapping motion.
- **Stage Illusion**: A large-scale trick performed on stage.
- **Svengali Deck**: A trick deck where certain cards appear more frequently.
- **The Switch:** A secretive exchange of one item for another, performed in a way that the audience is unaware of the switch.
- **Thumb Tip**: A fake thumb used to conceal small objects.
- **Top Change**: A card switch performed at the top of the deck.
- **Torn and Restored**: A trick where a torn object is magically restored.
- **Transformation:** Changing one object into another or altering its appearance.
- **Triumph**: A card trick where mixed cards right themselves except for the chosen card.
- **The Turn:** The middle part of a magic act where the magician executes the main maneuvers of the trick but hasn’t yet revealed the effect to the audience.
- **Ultimate Transposition**: A trick where two objects switch places.
- **Vanish:** Making an object disappear from view.
- **Visual Magic**: Tricks that rely heavily on visual impact.
- **Wand Spin**: Spinning a magic wand for effect.
- **You Do As I Do**: A trick where the spectator seemingly performs the same actions as the magician.
- **Zarrow Shuffle**: A false shuffle that looks genuine but keeps the deck's order.

These terms provide a framework for understanding and discussing the intricacies and techniques involved in the art of stage magic, each contributing to the wonder and mystique of a magician’s performance.