Dictionary

outside man en · NOUN

Meanings

1. An accomplice who locates a mark to be swindled by a confidence trickster.
   • When he is shown that he can steal something from the outside man with whom he has already had contact he will say, "I don't feel that we should swindle him; he appears to be a nice chap." 1956, Chic Conwell, Edwin Hardin Sutherland, The Professional Thief, page 71:
   • Wilson and Haines concerned in actually obtaining the money, Flynn outside man […] 1901, Proceedings of the Parliament of South Australia:
   • For example, one person may have a specialty in cooling off the mark, while another is able to lure in the mark with ease; these people may be referred to as the “roper” or the “outside man”. 2012, Wilbur R. Miller, The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America:

Forms

Synonyms

roper