Mark (victim) Article Index for
Mark
Website Links For
Mark
 

Information About

Mark (victim)




In some instances the victim would literally be marked; such was a practice among traveling crooked carnival game mobs who were known to hit towns, set up an amusement park and leave after a few days. When one of the operators was done working a victim he would give him a friendly tap on the shoulder and wish him better luck next time. The real purpose of the gesture was to leave a dusty chalk mark, or a sticker, that operators of other games would recognize to mean that this ''mark'' has particularly good potential.

In modern usage, inner city Slang and Rap songs sometimes use the term "mark" to disparage someone who is foolish, a social reject or a loser.