Meaning of thimblerig | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess under which of three small cups (or thimbles) a pea-sized object has been placed after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery; a shell game.
   countable, uncountable
2. One operating such a game.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“He’ll muddle away the Begum’s fortune at thimble-rig, be caught picking pockets, and finish on board the hulks.”

“‘Great Barnums?’ says I. ‘You're a ringer for a circus thimblerig man.’”

CEFR level