Meaning of cackle-bladder | Babel Free

Definitions

A bladder containing (real or fake) blood, used to fake someone's death or injury, as in espionage or confidence tricks where a person is made to think that he is an accessory to murder.

Examples

“1951 June 16, Racket Squad (television review⟳), in The Billboard, page 8, It tells you how they work⟳ on the mark's own⟳ larcenous cravings for a killing, how they build⟳ him up to betting his entire stake — and then "put⟳ the chill on" via the "cackle bladder" routine, a prop murder⟳, so named because originally the "corpse" bit on a chicken bladder and drenched himself in chicken blood.”

“Use⟳ a cackle bladder to bite⟳ on and spit⟳ blood whether faced with a gang or a single assailant. This is often enough to dissuade would-be aggressors […].”

“It's a trick⟳ con men call⟳ the cackle-bladder. You take⟳ a little bag made from a pig's bladder and fill⟳ it up with chicken blood, and keep⟳ it inside your mouth until it's time to play⟳ dead.”

“"A cackle-bladder," she murmured. "A what?" "It's a way to deal⟳ with the violent ones. You make⟳ them party to the consequences of violence, make⟳ them believe⟳ they've murdered someone."”

CEFR level