night trick
n.— «Sandra Gill works the “night trick,” a term used to describe the night shift, as a yardmaster at the North White Plains yard of the Metro-North Railroad. She took the job with the thought that working overnight would allow her to be home with her children during the day.» —“Night Shift | Yardmaster” New York Times: City Room Sept. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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FWIW, when I was in the Army in Berlin, 1961-62, the *human resources performing the work* constituted the “trick,” headed by a “trick chief.”
The tricks were alphabetized: A, B, C, & D.
In the sense exemplified above, the standard “shift” was used, the night shift being referred to as the “mid” shift and the other two being called “day’ and “swing,” resp.