bull con

English

Alternative forms

• bull-con

Etymology

Compound of bull (“lies; insincere talk”) +‎ con (“a confidence trick; fraud”). Attested from the late 19th century.

Noun

bull con (plural bull cons)

1. (obsolete, slang) A confidence trick, or deceptive speech by a swindler.
   • 1896, Frank Hutcheson, “The barkeep discusses hypnotism”, in The Barkeep Stories, Chicago: E.A. Weeks & Company, page 48:

     Dem guys has got t’ show me somet’in’ before I’ll stan’ fer dem tales dey tell. I t’ink it’s all de bull con.

   • 1907, John Peele, From North Carolina to Southern California without a Ticket and How I did it, page 109:

     Like most fellows who stay in the West long, Allen was a great bull-con man (hot air man). […] I hadn't been in the West long, and the poorest kind of bull-con dealer found in me an easy mark.

   • 1913 July 1, J.F., “Another great book”, in The Syndicalist, page 2:

     Every man who makes his living by peddling "bull con" can be put down as an enemy of liberty. The "bull con" artists are pretty plentiful yet.