Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see separate entry.

(US prison) an influential convict who runs a gang within a prison.

1912		D. Lowrie My Life in Prison 94: Miller [...] had aroused the deadly enmity of the ‘con boss’ of his section.
1933		J. Spenser Limey 266: Many of the guards worked in conjunction with the big ‘con bosses,’ serving convicts themselves, who had divided San Quentin up into gang territories.
1959		(ref. to 1920s) G. Duffy Warden’s Wife 141: There were tremendous problems [...] which [...] made con bosses necessary. [...] carefully selected prisoners could handle the men on work projects just as well as civilian guards.
1971–2		C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 199: boss con, n. – a lifer who runs almost free in the pen.
1994		S. Hunter Dirty White Boys 1: He wasn’t a boss con’s fuckboy, either, or a punk or a bitch or a mary or a snitch.
2002		BlackBostonOnline 🌐 When the Iceman starts out his stretch by rudely dissing the popular Monroe, the wily old con boss (Peter Falk) gets the idea of a secret grudge match between the pair.

(orig. US) a piece of confidence trickery.

1896		Ade Artie (1963) 77: I’d jump in, grow some side-whiskers and put up as tall a con game as that old stiff.
1907		J. London Road 144: His advice was good, and I followed it, prepared, however, if it was a ‘con game’ the shack had given me, to take the blind as the overland pulled out.
1916		F.P. Spencer Dregs in Mayorga (1919) 445: We pick pockets, play any con games that we can.
1927		H. Yenne ‘Prison Lingo’ in AS II:6 282: Con game — Anything against the law.
1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 41: You can only trim a sucker in any con-game when he thinks he’s beating you.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 298: But himself, who had played the spiritual con game, there was no such redemption.
1957		C. Himes Imabelle 67: It’s a hell of a place to make a pitch on a con game.
1957		R. Prather Always Leave ’Em Dying 114: It’s just a large-scale con game.
1965		C. Himes Rage in Harlem (1969) 67: [as 1957].
1972		D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 61: con game n. 1. the process of trying to influence a person by using trickery or deception, often through conversation. See also game, program. 2. the process of attempting to obtain goods and services by trying to swindle an apparently gullible person.
1989		(con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 3: He was into [...] spivving, scrap metal, all the con games.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 277: ‘What’s wrong with selling cars?’ ‘Too much temptation . . . too many con games played on the public.’.
2001		N. Tosches Where Dead Voices Gather (ms.) 265: His long-lived and successful con game of packaging second-rate science fiction as literature of the ages.
2006		Burns & Price ‘Corner Boys’ Wire ser. 4 ep. 8 [TV script] What you saw out there? It’s a con-game. A band-aid on cancer.

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

(US) a confidence trickster.

1932		L.E. Lawes Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing 172: He had been a forger, a ‘con’ merchant of bygone days.
1961		T.I. Rubin In the Life 38: Like telling palm futures and horoscopes. Gee, what crap! Real con merchants.
1983		J. Sullivan ‘Wanted’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] You’re a right con merchant you are.
1986		R. Campbell In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 24: Warsaw didn’t have to be friendly to anybody he suspected was a con merchant.
2005		posting at feedback.ebay.co.uk 22 Sept. 🌐 THIS PERSON IS A CON MERCHANT!! PAID FOR GOODS & NEVER RECEIVED. WATCH OUT !!!!!

(US Und.) a team of confidence tricksters.

1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 76: It is a happy hunting ground for thieves because of the immense crowds on the streets, and with them mix the prowlers, pickpockets and con-mobs.
1939		V. Davis Gentlemen of the Broad Arrows 170: London is getting too hot for the con-mob.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 49: Some con mobs will send a tailer along home with the mark.
1961		(con. 1920s) J. Sparks Burglar to the Nobility 8: You look like a crossing-sweeper [...] no chance of mistaking any of your lot for a Con Mob.

see con-man n.

(US) insincerity, lies.

1896		Ade Artie (1963) 7: Puttin’ up the large, juicy con talk.
1901		W. Irwin Love Sonnets of a Hoodlum V 19: Brick Murphy butted in between, Rushing my funny song-and-dance to jail, My syncopated con-talk no avail.
1909		W. Irwin Confessions of a Con Man 39: The line of con-talk which I acquired in my later experience.
1949		W.R. Burnett Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 207: The delay, the smooth con talk, the abrupt about-faces.

1. well-adjusted to prison life, capable of sustaining one’s existence in prison; of officers, experienced.

1912		D. Lowrie My Life in Prison 143: He had been a prison officer nearly all his life, and was what is known as ‘con wise’.
1935		D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 230: Fish [...] have had no chance to become con-wise.
1953		T. Runyon In For Life 70: They said he was ‘con wise’ though, and I believe it.
1959		(con. c.1910) G. Duffy Warden’s Wife 50: My father [...] in the parlance of the Yard [...] was con-wise. He had the knack of sizing up men.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 32: When a person has been incarcerated for several years, he learns the nuances of prison life: how to get things accomplished, get a good job, etc. Once he acquires this knowledge, he is said to be con wise.
2017		T. Pluck Bad Boy Boogie [ebook] ‘Boy’s con-wise,’ Drake said. ‘Won’t say shit’.

2. manipulative of the system.

1970		J. Wambaugh New Centurions 123: These con wise little mothers are sticking together pretty damn good on their stories.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 32: Con wise is defined differently by prison administrators. To them, a person who is con wise is one who manipulates the system to his own advantage.

see con-man n.

(US) insincerity, lies.

1922

T. Dreiser A Book about Myself 69: Cut the gentle con work, Theodore.

(orig. US Und.) any major confidence trick, the keynote of which is that the victim is persuaded to send for (usu. large sums of) money, rather than merely defrauding them of what they may have in their possession.

1940		D. Maurer Big Con 288: big con. Any big-time confidence game in which a mark is put on the send for his money, as contrasted to the short con where the touch is limited to the amount the mark has with him. There are three recognized big-con games: the wire, the pay-off and the rag. However, competent confidence men often put the send into short-con games, especially the smack and the tip, with very good results. Touches on the big con range from $10,000 up.
1951		D. Dressler Parole Chief 218: A very few, so-called big con, games that do operate on the principle that you can’t cheat an honest man.
1968		W.R. Burnett Cool Man 75: Mr. Allen—whatever he was—and Chris had little doubt now that it was shady, probably a big con operator.

working as a confidence trickster.

1942		N. Algren Never Come Morning (1988) 148: I’ll break it to you. You’re strictly on the con.
1947		N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 131: I don’t want to catch you on the con in here.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 47/2: Con, on the. Engaged in, or by means of any con-game.
1966		J. Mills Panic in Needle Park (1971) 181: I GUESS BECAUSE I HAVE LIVED FOR SO LONG ‘ON THE CON’ THAT I FIND SINCERITY QUITE UNNATURAL FOR ME.
1970		L. Sanders Anderson Tapes 154: The faggot, Tommy Haskins, has never done a hard job before. He’s been on the con or hustling his ass.

to trick, to hoax, to practice confidence trickery.

1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 84: Never [...] try to play con on me.
1972		(con. 1950s) D. Goines Whoreson 99: I went downtown and started playing con with a deadly intent.

(orig. US Und.) to pretend, to attempt to swindle or deceive.

1940		D. Maurer Big Con 4: Gaining the victim’s confidence. (Playing the con for him.).
1968		K. Brasselle Cannibals 220: Play the con with him, but don’t help.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 10: Willie, needing a partner to play the con, had given me a [...] six weeks crash course.
1991		(con. 1920s) O.D. Brooks Legs 144: There’s no need to play the con.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 110: Although I’d had them all explained to me, and even performed for me, I had never played con.

a fraudulent scheme or confidence trick in which the victim is nurtured slowly and carefully towards their downfall.

1965

D. Pearce Cool Hand Luke (1967) 26: Come on. What is this? The Slow Con?

flattery, persuasion, any form of deceit based on soft words.

1977

(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 166: I don’t need that soft con, Ruby.

(US Und.) a trustworthy fellow criminal or prison inmate.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 34: Solid Con also Stand-Up Convict A trustworthy and well respected inmate. The prison code of ethics places a solid con near the top of the prison population.

(US) a form of begging in which the beggar uses persuasion and promises rather than threats.

1953

‘William Lee’ Junkie (1966) 63 : I could not stand any more of this sweet con. To cut him short I handed him one cap.