BBC - Drama - Hustle (2024)

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Con Jargon

Do you know what 'a mark' is? What would you do with a 'cackle-bladder'? Get the low-down on the world of the con and the jargon used in Hustle.

'The mark' is the intended victim of the planned con.

A 'short con' refers to taking 'the mark' for all the money he has on his person. It's an opportunist scam that isn't pre-planned to any great deal.

A 'long con' or 'big con' refers to a more complex, planned con, whereby 'the mark' is sent to get more money or used to get more money than is just on his person.

'Putting him on the send' is another term for a 'long con' or 'big con'.

The 'big con' is a form of theatre - "staged with minute naturalistic illusionism for an audience of one who is enlisted as part of the cast".

'A mark' is lured in by the conman by, in the first instance, by making money himself on one of their scams. Having gained 'the mark's' trust, the conmen 'sting' him for a load of money.

There are two types of con settings, real life (ie. restaurants and hotel rooms) and 'The Big Store', where empty offices are rigged out to look like a real life setting.

'The Roper' is the 'Outsideman' - the man who identifies with 'the mark' (the victim) and gains their confidence.

'The Insideman' is the key player, the member of the con mob who stays near the 'big store' and receives 'the mark' (the victim) whom 'The Roper' brings.

'The Manager' manages the outfit and is often the bookmaker for the group.

'Extras' are unemployed conmen playing the role of extras in the con.

'Putting up the mark' refers to the process of locating a well-to-do victim.

'Playing the con for him' refers to gaining the victim's confidence.

'Roping the Mark' refers to steering him to meet the 'insideman' who will eventually fleece him.

'Giving him the convincer' refers to the process of allowing the victim to make a substantial profit on the first scam, thereby gaining his trust.

'Blowing him off' refers to the process of getting the victim out of the way as quickly as possible.

'Putting the fix' refers to forestalling action by the Law.

'Playing a man against the wall' refers to conning a man in a real setting, eg. a hotel room.

'Cackle-bladder' is a method of faking the death of one of the conmen. It involves filling a small receptacle with chicken blood which the conman conceals on his person for the fake gunshot.

If 'the mark' 'beefs' then he's gone to the Police to grass up the conmen.

'The Fix' refers to the cooperation bought from the Police. A Fixer usually has political connections and is paid off by the conmen for fixing people in the banks, police, and the courts. Most con mobs can't exist without 'Fixers'.

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