bunco-steerer
Definition
Noun: - A swindler's accomplice: "bunco-steerer" refers to a person who lures or steers victims into a confidence game or scam, especially one involving bunco — a type of fraud where the victim is tricked into betting or investing money. This term is primarily used in American slang.
Usage Examples
- (The accomplice attracted victims into a gambling scam.)
- (The accomplice was caught for assisting in the fraud.)
Advanced Usage
- "to act as a bunco-steerer": to perform the role of luring victims into a swindle.
- He acted as a bunco-steerer for a ring of card cheats. (He helped the cheats find people to deceive.)
- "bunco-steerer" is often used in the context of historical or literary descriptions of 19th- and early 20th-century American con games, such as the "shell game" or "three-card monte."
Variants and Related Words
- Bunco (n): a swindle or confidence game, often involving dice or cards.
- The old man lost his savings in a bunco scheme. (He was tricked by a fraudulent gambling game.)
- Steer (v): to guide or direct someone toward a particular course of action.
- The con artist steered the victim into a trap. (He guided the victim into the scam.)
Synonyms
- Lurer: someone who attracts victims into a trap.
- Confederate: an accomplice in a fraudulent scheme.
- Shill: a person who pretends to be a customer or player to entice others into a scam.
Related Idioms
- To play someone for a sucker: to deceive or take advantage of a gullible person.
- The bunco-steerer played the tourist for a sucker, leading him into the game. (He tricked the tourist into losing money.)
Differences in Meaning
- Bunco-steerer differs from a con artist in that the steerer is typically not the main operator but the one who identifies and brings in victims. A con artist is the primary fraudster who executes the scheme.