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Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English:rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who handled materials for construction on fairgrounds. In modern times it is applied to rural employment, such as those assistingsheep shearing, and positions in the oil industry.
Oil roustabout refers to a worker who maintains all things in theoil field. Roustabout is an official classification ofnatural gas andoil rig personnel. Roustabouts working in oil fields typically perform various jobs requiring little training. Drillers start off as roustabouts until they gain enough hands-on experience to move up to a roughneck or floorhand position, then to driller and rig supervisor.[1] Roustabouts will set up oil well heads, maintainsaltwater disposal pumps, lease roads, lease mowing, create dikes around tank batteries on a lease, etc. An oil roustabout has no limits in theoil industry and can, and will do any and all oil field work, including roughneck drilling,oil well completion and well service, and even chemical work. An oil field roustabout will also do all things that an oil field pumper would have to do. However, they frequently turn out to be long-term employees and take on more difficult and sometimes dangerous jobs as they gain experience. Most go on to at least become “roughnecks” if they work for the rig company for more than a few months.
An early 2010 survey by Careercast.com of the best and worst jobs based on five criteria—environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress—rated 'roustabout' as the worst job.[2] Nonetheless, the anecdotal and subjective experience of an actual roustabout suggests that for some, it can be a challenging, adventurous job.[3]
InAustralia andNew Zealand a "rouseabout" can be any worker with broad-based, non-specific skills, in any industry. However, rouseabouts or "rousies" most commonly work in rural employment, especiallysheep farming, as in the filmThe Sundowners, where they leave town before the sun goes down.
The term was discriminately used in Disney's 1941 animated filmDumbo, during a musical scene in which depicted a group of African-American laborers pulling circus materials off the train for construction.
Roustabout was a 1964 musical movie starringElvis Presley,Barbara Stanwyck, andJoan Freeman, in a story set in a traveling carnival — for which Presley recorded the song titled "Roustabout".
Farley Granger's character, Arthur "Bowie" Bowers, inNicholas Ray's 1948 film noirThey Live By Night, tells Catherine "Keeetchie" Mobley (Cathy O'Donnell) that he was a roustabout with a circus.
The term is used in the song "The Mariner's Revenge Song", byThe Decemberists. "Roustabout" is also the name of a song recorded by the bluegrass band,Open Road, on their albumLucky Drive.
The term is also used byBeats Antique for two songs on their albumCollide.
The Slamball teamRousties is named after a roustabout. In the musical theater productionAll Shook Up, the lead character Chad is often referred to as a roustabout.
Roughnecks and Roustabouts is the second album by Pete Williams, formerly bassist and vocalist withDexys Midnight Runners, and currently performing as The Pete Williams Band.[4]
In the sci-fi short storyBig Sam Was My Friend, Harlan Ellison refers to roustabout robots as "roustabots".
In a 1995 episode of BBC TV comedy series "Bottom" titled "Hole", the two main characters Richie and Eddie are deliberately left at the very top of a fairground ferris wheel, after Richie sexually approached the attendant. When it is noticed they are the only ones on the ride and left up there, Richie goes into a rant referring to those on the ground below as roustabouts.
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