alibi game
n.— «Carnys call these “alibi games,” because the operator uses a long litany of excuses to keep the mark from giving up in disgust, and encouraging him to dig more money out of his wallet and try “just one more time” to win a stuffed animal that his girlfriend doesn’t even really want.» —“Rigged carny game” by Mark Frauenfelder Boing Boing Aug. 27, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...