ringdropping
Preserved but no longer current.
Is a pursuit to which London "magsmen" and "street-muggers" are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to be found just in front of a "soft-looking party," and he or she is tempted to buy it at less than half its supposed value.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “ringdropping” mean?
Is a pursuit to which London "magsmen" and "street-muggers" are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to be found just in front of a "soft-looking party," and he or she is tempted to buy it at less than half its supposed value.
Is “ringdropping” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.