Discussion Forum (Archived)
Guest
It's annoyed me for half a century that people are saying "card shark" instead of "card shark." I saw a little part of "I dream of jeannie" on TV tonight, and thought I'd explore the terms on Ngram Viewer.
It turns out the term was originally "card sharper". and originated about 1855. About 1872, "card sharp" was introduced, and in 1888, "card shark". About 1910, "card sharp" became the most popular version, but in 1947, card shark took a slight lead. Shark and sharp were pretty much neck-and neck, until shark started taking a significant lead in 1982, and sharper keep dying.
It was 1978 when "Card Sharks" hit the TV. I can just imagine decision where they decided to name it "sharks":
"I dunno, JB, my dumb wife says sharks, and it's wrong but it's kinda cute."
The guy from the sponsor says, "It gets sharks the idea that these are vicious competitors without seeming really gory."
"So you think the riverboat gamblers didn't want to get tossed overboard because of all the sharks in the Mississippi? You know, on Maverick, Bret and Bart were always being accused of being card sharps. And people think of card sharps as being cheaters, but a shark is just hungry."
"Well, JB, let's test it"
JB picks up his phone, and calls his mistress. "Well, Bubbles thinks sharks are cuter, and you know what thet say."
"Nobody ever got fired for underestimating the public's intelligence?"
JB said, "Well, that, too, but I had another saying in mind. 'Never insult the boss's mistress.' Clean out your desk."
I tried a similar search for the related pool shark/sharp and was told that pool sharp doesn't even exist in Google's database. Maybe the "shark" part of the epithet got transferred over to cards.
(You might expect there to be actual sharks in pools, after all. Because of the water.)
I've heard both terms (shark and sharp) and understand how they could be confused in spoken language. But in the world of poker, the preferred term is "card sharp" (not "sharper" which now seems to be obsolete).
Heimhenge said
I've heard both terms (shark and sharp) and understand how they could be confused in spoken language. But in the world of poker, the preferred term is "card sharp" (not "sharper" which now seems to be obsolete).
I don't perceive a difference in meaning between card sharp and card shark. It's like flammable and inflammable. What is the difference that you perceive?
There aren't many other opportunities for a mechanic to cheat at cards other than poker, are there? people wager on gin, euchre, bridge, canasta, etc., but it's hard to get much of an advantage by stacking the deck, dealing from the bottom, dealing seconds, etc. but the fact that poker is a game of bluff,and one can wager more or less makes cheating more advantageous.
Auric Goldfinger cheated at gin, but it was Jill Masterson with binoculars with binoculars.
Doyle Lonnegan depended on stacked decks: "What was I supposed to do - call him for cheating better than me, in front of the others?"
Auric Goldfinger cheated at Gin, with an earphone and Jill Masterson spying with binoculars, but he also cheated at golf:
Hawker: If that's his original ball, I'm Arnold Palmer.
James Bond: 'Tisn't.
Hawker: How do you know?
James Bond: I'm standing on it.
deacobB asked: I don’t perceive a difference in meaning between card sharp and card shark. It’s like flammable and inflammable. What is the difference that you perceive?
None whatsoever. They both mean "someone skilled at the game, legally or illegally." The only difference is that "shark" comes with additional emotional baggage that was never intended by those who coined the term (as you pointed out in your first post).
RobertB said
Sounds like there is a difference there: x-shark sounds like someone making a living by skinning other people, whereas x-sharp is just a smart person.
I disagree. Sharp practice means something that one might argue is legal, but is in practice meant to take advantage of the innocent and gullible,like the potato bug killer, guaranteed to work, which consists of two pieces of wood; you're supposed to swueeze the bug between the blocks. Yep, guaranteed to work.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
1 Guest(s)