Word of the Day : October 11, 2020

shill \SHIL\ verb

Definition

1 : to act as a decoy especially for a gambler or pitchman

2 : to act as a spokesperson or promoter

Did You Know?

Someone who shills today may very well be employed to simply extol the wonders of legitimate products. But in the early 1900s, when the first uses of the verb shill were documented, it was more likely that anyone hired to shill was trying to con you into parting with some cash. Practitioners called shills did everything from faking big wins at casinos (to promote gambling) to pretending to buy tickets (to encourage people to see certain shows). Shill is thought to be a shortened form of shillaber, but etymologists have found no definitive evidence of where that longer term originated.

Aired October 11, 2020

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