[Ads-l] Scam etymology

Thu Jun 11 00:44:59 UTC 2026

Green's Dictionary of Slang has this related sense of the verb "scam":

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https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/ffxh2sa
4. (US campus, also _scam on_) to go in search of and look over the
opposite sex for casual sex.
1985 Eble _Campus Sl._ Oct. 9: scam -- to check out [...] Let’s go to the
pit and do some scamming on the guys.
1992 D. Burke _Street Talk 2_ 2: I can’t believe you’re scamming on that
goob!
1996 Eble _Sl. and Sociability_ 51: College students, who are perennially
preoccupied with the quest for a partner for romance or sex, _cruise_, _put
it in cruise mode_, _check it out_, _scam_, _scope_, or _troll_.
2004 T. Fey _Mean Girls_ [movie script] You do not come to a party at my
house with Gretchen and then scam on some poor, innocent girl [...] three
days later.
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On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 8:33 PM Emily Gordon <
0000205244c4ee9d-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> I have always wondered about this: in 1989–90, I went to a private boarding
> school in Massachusetts. A slang term for hooking up/making out was “scam,”
> as in, “I met up with Pete in the woods last night and we scammed!” Or “So
> how was the dance? Did you scam?”
>
> On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > Here is another intriguing example of Damon Runyon using "scamus".
> > Runyon writes, "pull the scamus on me" in 1945.
> >
> > Date: February 19, 1945
> > Newspaper: Springfield Daily News
> > Newspaper Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
> > Article: As I See It
> > Author: Damon Runyon
> > Quote Page 4, Column 6
> > Database: Newspapers.com
> >
> > https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-scamus/199340588/
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > I prefer a fake that I know in advance is to be a fake because then I
> > can study the technic from start to finish but I am just as happy when
> > they pull the scamus on me unexpected like 'and give a sudden unlooked
> > for thrill. A real good fake between lads who know their business is
> > never dull while a square john encounter can sometimes bore you half
> > to death.
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Garson O'Toole
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 8:03 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
> > <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Interesting question, Zeke. Excellent citation, Ben.
> > >
> > > Here is another piece of evidence. The 1955 citation below uses the
> > > phrase "scam tricks" in the domain of automobile sales. The
> > > Lincoln-Mercury auto seller is in Encino, California. The article
> > > refers to different types of scams using short phrases. The phrase "
> > > T.O. men" probably refers to "turn-over men". See the 1965 citation
> > > given further below.
> > >
> > > Date: June 16, 1955
> > > Newspaper: The Van Nuys News
> > > Newspaper Location: Van Nuys, California
> > > Article: Integrity (Advertisement for an automobile seller: Reg. Fudge
> > > Co., Lincoln-Mercury, Encino, California)
> > > Quote Page 22D, Column 1
> > > Database: Newspapers.com
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-van-nuys-news-and-valley-green-sheet/199336807/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > If you are the type of person that wants a fair and honest deal, no
> > > T.O. men, no "high balls," ups, downs and other scam tricks. If you
> > > wish to be treated courteously and like a sane intelligent person,
> > > visit our showrooms. Our salesmen specialize in low pressure.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > The 1965 citation below describes a "T. O. Man" (or "turn-over man")
> > > as a high-pressure salesman who closes a deal. This citation does not
> > > contain the word "scam". It is simply intended to help explicate "T.O.
> > > men".
> > >
> > > Date: October 31, 1965
> > > Newspaper: Southern Illinoisan
> > > Newspaper Location: Carbondale, Illinois
> > > Article: He Turned the Depression Into Opportunity
> > > Author: Erik Stottrup (The Southern Illinoisan)
> > > Quote Page 18, Column 1
> > > Database: Newspapers.com
> > >
> > >
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-illinoisan-toman/199337485/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > "In those days if a salesman couldn't make a sale with a guy he would
> > > turn him over to another man,' Goldstein said. The T. O. Man, or
> > > turn-over man," Goldstein said, then twisted the customer's arm a
> > > little harder in an effort to make the sale.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > Garson O'Toole
> > > QuoteInvestigator.com
> > >
> > > On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 10:36 AM Ben Zimmer
> > > <00001aae0710f4b7-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Another data point, from 1950:
> > > >
> > > > ---
> > > >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news-carnie/199299574/
> > > > Citizen-News (Hollywood, Cal.), Dec. 26, 1950, p. 2, col. 1
> > > > "Odd Lingo Explained: Carnie Heeds Law, But Con Man Doesn't"
> > > > Research begun recently at the University of California at Los
> Angeles
> > by
> > > > Dr. Edwin M. Lemert, assistant professor of sociology, indicates a
> > striking
> > > > similarity between the language of the carnie, person working with a
> > > > carnival, and of the con man, one who swindles by gaining the
> > confidence of
> > > > a "mark" (victim) and taking money from him under false pretenses.
> > [...]
> > > > "Certain words, such as 'strom,' 'gischray,' and 'skam,' have many
> > meanings
> > > > and yet have no meaning at all," explains Dr. Lemert. "You have to
> take
> > > > part in the conversation to understand what is meant by such words."
> > > > ---
> > > >
> > > > (I've seen "strom" in lists of carny lingo defined as "the handle or
> > pedal
> > > > that controls a rigged game." No idea about "gischray.")
> > > >
> > > > Jonathon Green's suggestion that the word comes from "scheme" seems
> > > > plausible.
> > > >
> > > > --bgz
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 9:42 AM Zeke Faux <zeke at zekefaux.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Hi everybody – I’m a writer and investigative reporter (author of a
> > book on
> > > > > crypto and fraud called Number Go Up) and I am looking into the
> > etymology
> > > > > of the word “scam” for a new book.
> > > > >
> > > > > Some sources (OED) cite a 1963 interview with Steve McQueen in Time
> > > > > Magazine as the first usage. He’s talking about when he was a
> carny,
> > and he
> > > > > says, “It was a full scam. My boss was scammin’ from the public and
> > I was
> > > > > scammin’ from him.” A few years later, the word appeared in the
> Wall
> > Street
> > > > > Journal, and at that time, the writer explained that it was
> > originally
> > > > > carny slang, but was now being applied to bankruptcy fraud.
> > > > >
> > > > > But Green’s has an entry from 1958, a use in a novel called Vice
> Trap
> > > > > that’s not in a carnival context. “He scammed me the stuff was
> > yours.”
> > > > >
> > > > > There are also two early entries in Green’s for similar words.
> > Neither
> > > > > comes from carnies:
> > > > > D. Runyon Runyon à la Carte 201: By this time I figure out what the
> > scamus
> > > > > is. (1944)
> > > > > C. Stoker Thicker ’n Thieves 406: This obviously was newspaper
> ‘skam’
> > > > > designed to buttress the political fortunes of Mayor Bowron. (1951)
> > > > >
> > > > > I couldn’t find any references to “scam” in David Maurer’s books
> (my
> > > > > favorite con man reference), and my attempts to verify the carny
> > origins in
> > > > > articles about carny slang have failed.
> > > > >
> > > > > Does anyone know where this word comes from, and if the carny story
> > is
> > > > > true? Thank you, Zeke
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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