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In the town where I live, many street vendors actively cheat customers by using an inaccurate scale. As a result, people receive less than what they ought to.

For example, if you buy five apples, which actually weigh 2 kg on a standard scale, the false readout might show 3 kg or higher. As a result you pay for 3 kg worth of apples, but you get only 2 kg or even less.

It's called "扼称" in my mother tongue, which means "to play trick with a tampered scale to take advantage of customers". An example:

Jack was back home from shopping at the market where he just bought several apples that weighed 3 kg. But when weighing it with his own scale, it showed only 2 kg. Realizing that he had been cheated, he told his brother: "I just got ____ by that sneaky vendor! I'm going after him now."

Is there an idiomatic verb/phrase/expression for this in English? (It doesn't necessarily fit the sentence structure, that's just a suggestion.)

Edit: Someone suggested 'rip off', is that a idiomatic phrase to describe that behavior?

user239460
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18 Answers18

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I'm not sure if this is exactly right, but there is the expression "to put your thumb on the scale", meaning that you manually push the scale down while weighing something, to make it seem heavier than it actually is.

The meaning has broadened out from the original "grocer's shop" context to apply to any situation where someone in charge of making a measurement deliberately makes the measurement incorrect, in order to gain some kind of advantage.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/thumb+on+the+scale

  • A method of deception or manipulation that creates an unfair advantage for the swindler, likened to a merchant holding a thumb on the scale when weighing goods for sale, therefore increasing the weight and price.
    You have to suspect that the casinos have their thumb on the scale when it comes to the slot machines. There's no way you're getting fair odds.
Max Williams
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    It seems to me that this is usually used metaphorically, not when there's an actual scale that's biased. – Barmar Jul 05 '17 at 21:22
  • @Barmar what's your suggestion? – user239460 Jul 06 '17 at 08:04
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    @Barmar I agree, that's why I said I wasn't sure if it was exactly right. However, it could be used literally. Generally, if you don't want an idiom or a figure of speech, but instead you want to literally describe a situation, then I think it's best to just use the normal translation. – Max Williams Jul 06 '17 at 09:05
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    I've never heard the phrase "putting your thumb on the scale". I'm in the UK. – Michael Kay Jul 06 '17 at 10:29
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    @MichaelKay Do you comment on everything to say whether or not you've encountered the word or phrase before, or are you trying to make a point? – Max Williams Jul 06 '17 at 14:25
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    I think his point is that the expression is not that common (based on his experience), and as such is not a useful answer to the OP. I am surprised, because that was the phrase I thought of immediately too. – Martin Bonner supports Monica Jul 06 '17 at 14:52
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    @MichaelKay On the other hand, I, for one, have heard/read the expression dozens of times and it automatically came to mind when I read the question. I'm on Spain (born, raised and still living there) :) – xDaizu Jul 06 '17 at 15:26
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    @MaxWilliams Sometimes a phrase is used by everyone in the US and by no-one in the UK, or vice-versa. If that's the case, then someone asking the question in China or Japan might find it useful to know this. So I'm just trying to be helpful. – Michael Kay Jul 06 '17 at 15:44
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    @MichaelKay I'm also from the UK and I have heard the phrase "putting your thumb on the scale". So there. – dkwarr87 Jul 07 '17 at 09:52
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    All useful data points. – Michael Kay Jul 07 '17 at 09:58
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How about to give "Short measure"?

Not specifically weight, you see the term used for any deliberately fiddled measurement (Volume, weight, length....).

The OED gives a definition 1 as :

An amount, especially of alcohol, less than that which is declared or paid for. ‘coal users in North Yorkshire are being sold short measures’ ‘the most serious crime is short measure on a pint’

Dan Mills
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    Or the more precise short weight? – Tim Lymington Jul 05 '17 at 18:39
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    @TimLymington — I am afraid the ideom is "short measure". There is no ideom, "short weight". – David Jul 05 '17 at 19:50
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    Good answer, but on SE we really want citations or links to corroborate answers so we can follow them up. You will easily find a link in an on-line dictionary (search for "meaning of short measure". Do that and then edit your answer, otherwise it's liable to be deleted. (Believe me.) – David Jul 05 '17 at 19:53
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    @David: The OED disagrees with you."Not coming up to some standard of measure or amount; inadequate in quantity. *short measure, short weight" (short, III,15.). So does Merriam-Webster: "Short weight: weight less than the stated weight or less than one is charged for". PS The word is idiom*. – Tim Lymington Jul 05 '17 at 21:47
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    @TimLymington — I'm being subjective, but in my experience, "short measure" is the familiar phrase that can be applied generally, whereas short weight is a precise and restricted description. Google ngram does not back me up, but it can give weird results. My guess is if you looked back at the early (mediaeval usage) you would find "short measure". However, no time at the moment. – David Jul 05 '17 at 21:58
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    @David - It sounds like you're suffering from confirmation bias, as you are rejecting evidence that doesn't agree with you (two respected dictionaries and google ngrams). English is spoken differently all over the world; just because you never hear "short weight" where you live doesn't mean it isn't used in many other places. – AndyT Jul 06 '17 at 08:53
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    @AndyT — No need for that. I was being honest about ngram and hadn't the space to explain why ngrams can give false results. You look at the curves and then look at the individual sources and find that there is a mere juxtaposition of two words rather than a fixed phrase. Also it's not just a matter of "hearing where I live", it's a matter of reading literature by both British and American authors. (And, though German isn't relevant here, Das falsche Gewicht by Joseph Roth comes to mind.) I am a scientist. I weigh evidence, but am sceptical at the same time. – David Jul 06 '17 at 09:04
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    @AndyT — So if ngram is not appropriate, what is the scientific approach? If something is an established idiom it will have been in the language a long time, so let's look at the entries for measure and weight in the OED, Complete 1928 edition (which I happen to own in a form that requires a magnifying glass or camera phone). Under measure we find "Full, good, short etc. measure" (for etc. I would add half) with the first example quoted from 1382. Nothing under "weight". Actually "weight" tends to be used idiomatically more for comparison because of the two scales used for weighing. – David Jul 06 '17 at 18:15
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    There are plenty of government documents, from Canada, the U.S.A., and the U.K. from the early and middle 20th century discoverable with Google Books that use three or even all four of the terms light weight, short weight, short measure, and short count. For example see the 1934 Codes of Fair Competition by the USNRA or the 1921 Statutes of the Province of British Columbia. Short Weight, for another example, is a marginal note in the Baking Trade Act 1810 (3 GEO III 73) in the U.K.. All of these terms exist and have done for centuries. – JdeBP Jul 07 '17 at 11:55
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Short-change:

verb [ T ] also shortchange

1. COMMERCE to give someone back less money than they are owed when they are buying something from you:

The check-out girl short-changed her.

​ 2. to treat someone unfairly by giving them less than they deserve:

The case alleges that the company shortchanged female employees on opportunities for promotion.

Davo
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    This does not match the question. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 06 '17 at 17:36
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    Nineteen of us think it does, but thank you for your feedback. – Davo Jul 06 '17 at 17:37
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    The expression "short-change" refers to a specific scam where a person is tricked into giving the wrong amount of change for a given transaction, either with sleight of hand or confusing machinations of asking for different denominations to be exchanged etc. It is more often something that a customer might do to con a cashier, but certainly could work the other way as well. However it has nothing at all to do with tampering with scales, which makes this a pretty bad answer; the upvotes seem to be a weakness with many SE sites as user bases increase. Also true of democracy in general I suppose. – jkf Jul 07 '17 at 01:43
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    @jkf That is certainly the origin of the phrase, but it's widely used in a generalized sense now. – chrylis -cautiouslyoptimistic- Jul 07 '17 at 06:12
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    @Davo - than 19 of you are wrong. Millions have been wrong before, that's why ad populum is a fallacy. – Davor Jul 07 '17 at 09:58
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    @Davor In language, when millions are wrong, they become right. Languages aren't static. – CDCM Jul 07 '17 at 11:00
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    @jkf Anyone who has ever looked at a dictionary knows that words can have multiple meanings. That's what the little numbers mean. – barbecue Jul 07 '17 at 14:15
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    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortchange http://www.dictionary.com/browse/shortchange http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/british/short-change https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/short-change http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/short-change https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/short-change http://www.oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=shortchange – barbecue Jul 07 '17 at 14:16
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    When you are looking for an idiom referring to a specific scam, don't you think it would be best to avoid using one which refers to a different specific scam? – jkf Jul 07 '17 at 15:02
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    I agree with both Lightness and jkf. This idiom refers to a different sort of scam and no amount of upvotes will make this the right answer to someone trying to learn English. – The Anathema Jul 08 '17 at 04:54
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There are a few idioms that talk about this, like putting your thumb on the scale — biasing a measurement or a situation in your favor.

However, since you asked for a single word, then more generally the term for this would be swindling or cheating your customers.

John Feminella
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My grandmother warned of being sold "a pound of thumb" when buying five pounds of meat. I watched the butcher carefully and never saw him doing that. Perhaps my grandmother had better eyes than I did.

Snezzy
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You might refer to it as using false weights.

false weight noun a weight as measured on a shop scales which is wrong and so cheats customers - investorwords.com

This concept can be traced back at least to Biblical times. The following contrasts a false balance with a just weight:

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. - Proverbs 11:1, ESV

Here's an example of the term false weight used in the context of a maths test. The setting indicates that the term is well-established.

A shopkeeper cheats to the extent of 10% while buying and selling, by using false weights. His total gain ... - Sawaal

Lawrence
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  • thanks. is that a business terms? – user239460 Jul 05 '17 at 16:38
  • To be fair, it doesn't necessarily date back to biblical times (i.e., ~2k years ago) but to the late 1500s. The earliest use I found (in a quick, non-exhaustive search) was the Geneva Bible (1599). It's unclear which version of the Wycliffe Bible biblegateway.com uses but they list A guileful balance; if it is the early version, it would be 1382 or thereabouts. But even if it dates back to 1599, that's still a significant amount of time. – Roger Sinasohn Jul 05 '17 at 16:49
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    @RogerSinasohn The particular phrasing obviously isn't biblical (the bible not having been written in English), but it appears that the concept really did have to do with rigged weights in commercial transactions. Much commentary here: http://biblehub.com/commentaries/proverbs/11-1.htm – 1006a Jul 05 '17 at 18:05
  • @RogerSinasohn It does date back to biblical times: see Deuteronomy 25 13-15. – michael.hor257k Jul 05 '17 at 22:06
  • @michael.hor257k -- I'm no biblical expert, but I thought that the bible was not originally written in English. Per this site, it was translated into Latin in the early 5th century and, presumably, from there to English. So the English phrase doesn't go back that far, although the concept likely does. – Roger Sinasohn Jul 05 '17 at 22:17
  • @RogerSinasohn That is how I read what Lawrence wrote above. I don't think anyone would argue that any English existed in biblical times. – michael.hor257k Jul 05 '17 at 22:39
  • @RogerSinasohn I distinguished between the concept and the (English) usage of the term. It's the concept that went back to biblical times. – Lawrence Jul 05 '17 at 23:27
  • @michael.hor257k Thanks. Yes, I wasn't arguing that the Bible was originally written in English. – Lawrence Jul 05 '17 at 23:29
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    I thought I had posted a comment noting that while the English phrase likely doesn't date back 2,000 years, the concept was probably invented about 10 seconds after the invention of the first scale. 8^) – Roger Sinasohn Jul 05 '17 at 23:39
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    @RogerSinasohn Indeed. I was responding to your earlier comment, pointing out that I (also) used the word concept in my answer. :) – Lawrence Jul 05 '17 at 23:40
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    @user239460 It's certainly describing business practices, but I think courts of law and business communication these days would call it fraud or dishonesty, etc. – Lawrence Jul 05 '17 at 23:46
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    I'm not sure how old "False weight" is in English, but it certainly is an established idiom in German. As I mention in another comment, there is book by Joseph Roth entitled "Das falsche Gewicht". – David Jul 06 '17 at 18:17
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Shorted

Merriam Webster

short [transitive verb] 2: shortchange, cheat

This is a drop-and-go term for your example: "I just got shorted by that sneaky vendor!"

For attestations "in the wild" see for example "shorted my order"

Yorik
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  • thanks, what does drop-and-go and the last part of your answer mean? – user239460 Jul 06 '17 at 16:23
  • You can use it in your sentence without rewriting or rearranging it (as in my example) – Yorik Jul 06 '17 at 16:27
  • but you got to tell me what that mean? i am not a native speaker. – user239460 Jul 06 '17 at 16:41
  • I just did, reread the last comment with "it means that you can use ... " – Yorik Jul 06 '17 at 16:57
  • sorry, my poor English, but your last part of your answer still confused me a bit. (For attestations "in the wild" see for example "shorted my order") – user239460 Jul 06 '17 at 17:06
  • Just google "shorted my order" with the quotes. You will see this used a lot in exactly the way you are asking about. – Yorik Jul 06 '17 at 17:14
  • shorted is another way of saying, to short, for example by this link, "tv. to give someone less of something than was agreed upon. "They shorted us on the last order, so we switched suppliers." | http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/short – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 22:22
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    @user239460, when Yorik says drop-and-go, think a quick and direct action. Drop-and-go has the connotation that you basically do one simple action and move on instead of messing around to set things up. No/Low-maintenance, easy instructions/none needed, that kind of thing. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 22:32
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    @kayleeFrye_onDeck thank you so much, i mean the last part of his answer, that part: (For attestations "in the wild" see for example "shorted my order". ) which is what confused me. – user239460 Jul 07 '17 at 22:47
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    Ah. Yorik meant, if you want proof (attestations), you can look for its use in real life (in the wild) by searching for the phrase, "shorted my order." – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 22:51
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    Btw, if you have access to Google in your country, here's a benign / unwitting usage: https://tinyurl.com/ya89gk7p || and this is a malicious usage: https://tinyurl.com/ya7y95vw – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 22:58
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    @kayleeFrye_onDeck i finally know what that part mean by your explaination, i am so grateful for your help, thank you so much! if he had said 'proof' and 'in real life', it wouldn't be that hard to understand though; i appreciate that, but unfortunately Google isn't available in my country, you seem to be aware of that possibility. – user239460 Jul 07 '17 at 23:04
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    Is Imgur available? I added captions: http://imgur.com/a/4nYJB | http://imgur.com/a/MMEc4 – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 23:18
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To "give short measure" and to "put a thumb on the scale" and to "short change" are all old idioms that can be used literally or figuratively in describing petty commercial frauds..

"Rip off" is a modern idiom that means to "cheat" or to "defraud" but is not specific in how the cheating/defrauding was accomplished.

Jeff Morrow
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    +1 from me if you edit your answer and show how rip off is used in a sentence, and include its dictionary definition/link. – Mari-Lou A Jul 06 '17 at 18:53
  • @Mari-Lou A i agree with you, this answer include many good words to match the description, more illustration would make it a very good answer. – user239460 Jul 08 '17 at 01:36
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    +1 - I agree with your answer except the reference that this type of commercial fraud is *petty *. I think that the penalties for a merchant caught perpetrating this sort of fraud can be quite severe. – Kevin Fegan Jul 09 '17 at 02:34
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Fleecing is a word that is often used in journalism.

Fleece:

Obtain a great deal of money from (someone), typically by overcharging or swindling them.

e.g. The city's cab drivers are notorious for fixing fares and fleecing tourists.

Your sentence could be

I just got fleeced by that sneaky vendor! I'm going after him now.

BlackSwan
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I would use 'Chiseling' here. It's not overly common depending on your part of the world but it is one word and accurate.

to cheat or swindle (someone): He chiseled me out of fifty dollars.

or

to get (something) by cheating or trickery: He chiseled fifty dollars out of me.

This is normally used in the context of slight cheating not outright cheating.

GenericJam
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    To me, chiseling always implies a methodical, drawn-out process of multiple attempts and techniques. It's never just a single act. – Phil Sweet Jul 08 '17 at 00:12
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All of these common English phrases could express your situation:

  1. Pull a fast one
  2. (1)Take someone for a ride / (2)take him for a ride / (3)take her for a ride / (4)take them for a ride
  3. (1)Short-change / (2)short change
  4. Fudge the numbers
  5. Swindled

In regards to thumb on the scale, I won't argue its validity or general use, only state that I have not observed its usage in conversation to any recollection. That being said, I think it is self-evident when used and requires no further explanation, nor a history of usage to be considered valid.

All of these alternatives provided above are common in conversational English in America. Fudge the numbers is probably the least used in a modern context but should still be understood by native speakers.

For American English, I can also vouch for:
fleeced, by Himabindu Boddupall
duped, by justin
shorted, by Yorik

Dupe can often but not exclusively hold the connotation that the deception was a substitution.

kayleeFrye_onDeck
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    thanks. plenty of choice here, which one is most common used in daily life? – user239460 Jul 05 '17 at 23:41
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    It would depend on who you're speaking with. Formal spoken English would use swindled. The other four are not formal but are well-known. Taking someone for a ride usually infers that it is an extended deception instead of a singular event. Pull a fast one or fudge the numbers would probably work best, in-general. Fudge the numbers has the benefit of being proper English and used as slang. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 06 '17 at 00:08
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    @kayleeFrye_onDeck I'd opine that "fudge the numbers" would apply only to situations where the deception involved playing fast and loose with arithmetic i.e."cooking the books" and wouldn't be appropriate for a physical deception like in the case of the scale. – Some_Guy Jul 06 '17 at 09:12
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    @kayleeFrye_onDeck Also, in my dialect "swindle" doesn't sound particularly formal, it's a pretty vernacular term. But that's British English, I can't speak for how it sounds to an American. – Some_Guy Jul 06 '17 at 09:14
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    btw, Is 'rip off' a good phrase to describe that behavior? – user239460 Jul 06 '17 at 16:12
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    Some_Guy, good to know! Swindle is a word I don't think I've heard from the mouth of an American under 40 in who knows how long xD It's not rare but it lost a lot of momentum for its use. Rip-off would also be another way to technically describe it, but that usually has the connotation that you are getting what you pay for, just getting a bad deal out of it. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 06 '17 at 18:06
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    @kayleeFrye_onDeck i suggest you add some reference and citation to your answer, i just saw the attention sign by the SE that without these your answer might be removed, just to let you know. – user239460 Jul 07 '17 at 17:01
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    @user239460 I'm a native English speaker from America, so I generally only cite sources when it's a matter of contention, or obscure. But I've updated my answer for you. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 18:26
  • that's good, citation and reference seems is required if It's supposed to be an good answer on SE. btw, do you have any idea what's the last part of @Yorik's answer is about? (For attestations "in the wild" see for example "shorted my order".) thank you! – user239460 Jul 07 '17 at 22:17
  • Well, you can't always cite sources especially for really old and really recent uses as well as region-specific uses, so I would say that it's encouraged as a matter of record to prove your answer is right. I've looked up some antiquated and obscure terms and phrases that I've pretty much only seen inside of phrase/slang collections and dictionaries regardless of past popularity who don't cite their sources all the time. Furthermore, remember that this is an English language and usage Q&A, not a more rigid English rules Q&A. I also answered your question about Yorik's answer. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 22:27
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    i understand that, in some occasion citation seems impossible, but SE seems favoring answer like that regardless if whatever is about the answer; thanks for your answer! it's just the last part if his answer that confused me. – user239460 Jul 07 '17 at 22:50
  • Thank you! Apologies but I do not use Quora or Yahoo Answers, only Stack Exchange. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 23:41
  • thanks. How about 'short weighed' and 'rigged'? – user239460 Jul 29 '17 at 17:05
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A more generic term that covers situations of minor swindling is diddle:

  1. informal with object Cheat or swindle (someone) so as to deprive them of something. ‘he thought he'd been diddled out of his change’

    1.1 Deliberately falsify. ‘he diddled his income tax returns’

-- oxforddictionaries.com

Example: Many of my local street vendors diddle the scales.

bruised reed
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The first term that comes to my mind is "jipped" being synonymous with "cheated". Unfortunately a quick bit of research revealed that the more common spelling is "gypped" and that the word is a slur against gypsies and the stereotyped tendency to make easy money off of gullible people. Not knowing the proper spelling, I never made the connection.

www.dictionary.com

verb (used with or without object), gypped, gypping.

1.Informal: Sometimes Offensive. to defraud or rob by some sharp practice; swindle; cheat.

noun

2.Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a swindle or fraud.

3.Also, gypper [jip-er], gypster. Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a swindler or cheat.

Usage note: Gyp in the meanings “to swindle” or “a person who swindles” is sometimes perceived as insulting to or by Gypsies, since it stereotypes them as swindlers. However, gyp has apparently never been used as a deliberate ethnic slur, and many people are unaware that it is derived from Gypsy.

I do think it has been used for the type of dishonest transaction described by the OP:

"Jack was back home from shopping at the market where he just bought several apples that weighed 3 kg. But when weighing it with his own scale, it showed only 2 kg. Realizing that he had been cheated, he told his brother: "I just got jipped by that sneaky vendor! I'm going after him now."

(I'm sticking with my original spelling in order to disassociate from the stereotype)

Tricia Russell
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    When I was growing up we knew exactly what the derivation was from. I think most older people will also know. Curiously enough, in the US at least, it usually referred to groups of "travelers" offering "services" such as roofing and driveway resurfacing who were not actually Gypsies. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jul 06 '17 at 22:28
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    Jipped / Gypped is considered an offensive pejorative by some people in the USA. I wouldn't advise using it. However, your chances of running across an actual Gypsy in the USA is pretty low, so the people you'd be offending probably wouldn't be actual gypsies. That doesn't make it better/worse, just explaining the scenario. That said, a lot of us said jipped when I was a kid, and there was never any direct correlation to getting ripped off, gypsies, and jipped. It made sense when I got older, but it never came up as a kid. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 07 '17 at 18:32
  • https://www.google.com/search?q=gypsy+slur https://www.theodysseyonline.com/word-racial-slur – cat Jul 09 '17 at 18:16
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One term that comes to mind is skimming.

The meaning references taking the top layer off something, as in skimmed milk, but would be used in this context to refer to swindling someone by withholding a small amount from what you owe them or not giving them quite as much product as they are paying for.

The most obvious example I can think of for it's use is the kind of financial crime as depicted in the original Superman movie, where the bad guy made his fortune by intercepting bank interest payments and diverting a penny from everyone's account into his own. The theft was barely noticeable on a individual level, but made a large amount of money for the thief.

Simba
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The first word that came to my head was "duping".

dupe(verb) gerund or present participle: duping deceive; trick.

Ex: "the newspaper was duped into publishing an untrue story"

justin
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While this one doesn't necessarily imply an inaccurate scale, it implies the transaction is heavily weighted in one sides favor. If this happened to me, I might say the scales were rigged. Example

The pumps at that gas station are rigged, you don't get your money's worth.

This can also be used in other unfair situations

During his campaign the president posited that the election would rigged against him

Rigged (verb) past tense: rigged; past participle: rigged

  • manage or conduct (something) fraudulently so as to produce a result or situation that is advantageous to a particular person.
  • cause an artificial rise or fall in prices in (a market, especially the stock market) with a view to personal profit.
Community
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Sidney
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To rig an election; dictionary.com fails pretty hard core on this one. You could also say one is fudging the numbers though that is more of an idiom.

John
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0

Jack was back home from shopping at the market where he just bought several apples that weighed 3 kg. But when weighing it with his own scale, it showed only 2 kg. Realizing that he had been cheated, he told his brother: "I just got ____ by that sneaky vendor! I'm going after him now."

To answer the original question!

Here are some words to put in the gap.

scammed

ripped off

swindled

overcharged

Note that these don't specifically refer to weight but, if your brother sees you weighing goods and then you say any of the above, your brother will know from the context what you mean!

chasly - supports Monica
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