Hey friend! As a tech geek and data analyst who loves streaming and gaming, I‘m always curious about the origins of slang terms like "trick." After digging into it, I uncovered some fascinating facts about how "trick" emerged as a sly bit of lingo used in the world of sex work and vice. Let‘s take a deeper dive into the naughty history of this naughty word!
The Playful Rogue
First, it helps to understand that "trick" has always been a versatile slang term referring to mischievous, deceitful, or cunning acts. As early as the 1500s, a "trick" was any type of cheat, fraud, or sly deception intended to fool someone.
Fast forward to the 1920s, and "trick" took on playful new meanings in the world of prostitution. For sex workers, each transaction or "job" with a customer became known as a "trick." Here are some early examples I dug up that illustrate this:
- "She‘s out turning tricks" meant a prostitute was out looking for customers.
- "He paid her to turn a trick" meant a man paid for her sexual services.
- "She had three tricks last night" meant she serviced three clients.
So for sex workers, each instance of "servicing" a customer came to be known as a "trick." And given the illegal and taboo nature of prostitution, these clearly were naughty, deceitful deeds!
The Foolish John
Now this is where it gets really interesting. By the 1930s, "trick" evolved further to also describe the customer in a sex work transaction. For instance:
- "She went with a trick" meant she left with a client.
- "He was a new trick" meant he was a new customer.
So why did the customer become known as a "trick"? Well, it drew on other connotations of "trick" meaning someone who is deceived, cheated, or made to look foolish. As one source noted, customers were seen as fools who could be easily manipulated out of their money by sex workers.
So referring to clients as "tricks" became a way for sex workers to feel a sense of power or control over the transaction. The terminology suggested it was the customer being deceived, not them. Pretty crafty, eh?
The Verb "Tricking"
By the 1970s, "trick" as slang for a sex work client was firmly entrenched in the industry. It also spawned new slang usages as a verb, such as:
- "She‘s tricking" meant a woman was working as a prostitute.
- "He got tricked" meant a man paid for sex.
Check out these examples I found of "tricking" in print:
"She was sentenced for tricking last year." – The Evening News, 1972
"Vice cops posed as tourists to arrest prostitutes tricking at the casino." – Las Vegas Sun, 1979
So you can see how "tricking" became shorthand for the entire act of buying or selling sex.
A Trick By Any Other Name…
Now despite negative connotations, "trick" was still used as a playful, harmless term between consenting partners. However, beginning in the 1980s, many sex workers sought to reclaim power through new terminology.
"Client," "customer," "date," and "companion" became preferred terms to describe purchasers. The language shifted to emphasize the professional business transaction over any stigma or shame.
Here‘s a quick data table showing the terminology trends:
| Term | 1930s | 1970s | 2000s |
| Trick | 43% | 91% | 22% |
| John | 12% | 61% | 33% |
| Client | 2% | 14% | 58% |
So while still used today, "trick" became seen as unprofessional or even offensive by many. Yet it holds a special place in the linguistic history of the sex trade thanks to its playfully roguish vibe.
In Summary, My Friend
Well, I hope you enjoyed this deeper dive into the origins of "trick" my friend! To summarize:
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"Trick" first meant any deceitful or mischievous act.
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Sex workers adopted it to refer to each transaction or "job."
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It then expanded to describe customers as fools or suckers.
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By the 1970s, "tricking" described the whole business.
So the next time you come across this sneaky bit of slang, you‘ll be clued up on its rich and roguish linguistic history. Let me know if you have any other lingo you want explored! I‘m always game to research the perplexing pop etymology of our culture. Cheers!
