Term of the Day: false progress

false progress--work done to make it look like you are accomplishing something, often to appease a boss or management. "We stacked the boxes of new props, even though we knew we'd have to restack them later."

Expression of the Day: "I do one cable at a time"

"I do one cable at a time"--electrician push back to an overeager roadman giving too much information at once. "Hey, I do one cable at a time. Why don't you pick your end?" Subtext: you are too far ahead of yourself. One cable at a time.

Term of the Night: drop a dime, dimedropper

drop a dime, dimedropper--to fink on a person, to report someone. This was back when payphones were common and they only cost a dime.

Term of the Night: the push out

the push out--during the load in, when road boxes, motor boxes and pieces of scenery that have yet to be installed are pushed out onto the street at 8 a.m. to make room in the theater for the work of the load-in, to hang the show.

Term of the Day: dummy up

dummy up--keep quiet, often when management is around

Term of the Night: dummy proof

dummy proof--to mark something or to arrange a preset so that even the dumbest stagehand will get it right.

Term of the Night: deaf and dumb (D & D)

deaf and dumb (D & D)-- an old longshoreman's term. "He's deaf and dumb, he didn't hear anything and can't say anything about it."