The word "shill"

[Ian Pearse]

You'll all no doubt be aware of the word "shill", as in "...government shill.." Does anyone know where that word came from? I'm curious to know. I'd not seen it before reading these forums.

Could it be related in some way to "taking the Kings Shilling?" - the expression that used to be used to denote being accepted into the Army or Navy?

[gillianren]

According to www.etymonline.com,

1916, "one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc." (probably originally circus or carnival argot), probably a shortened form of shillaber (1913) with the same meaning, origin unknown. The verb is attested from 1914.

I know that I refer to "shilling" for my ren faire boss; I've known the word lo, these many years, before my debunking days. It may well be related to "the King's Shilling," or just shillings in general, but no one seems to know--at least according to the one source I keep bookmarked for just such occasions.

[Ian Pearse]

Thanks, Gillianren, for the info. I wonder how it got to be used in it's present incarnation?

[gillianren]

We're supposedly selling the government's position, though in a metaphorical sense.

[grashtel]

Going to the ultimate source of all knowledge about life the universe an everything (ie Wikipedia) finds this definition en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill:

Wikipedia said:

A shill is an associate of a person selling goods or services or a political group, who pretends no association to the seller/group and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. The intention of the shill is, using crowd psychology, to encourage others unaware of the set-up to purchase said goods or services or support the political group's ideological claims. Shills are often employed by confidence artists. In the UK the term plant is used.

[echnaton]

According to The Online Etymology Dictionary,

shill
1916, "one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc." (probably originally circus or carnival argot), probably a shortened form of shillaber (1913) with the same meaning, origin unknown. The verb is attested from 1914.

[gillianren]

Yes; that's the quote I posted.

[echnaton]

er, yes it is isn't it. ooops.