Fast and Loose

Fast and Loose is a cheating game played at fairs by sharpers. It is also known as Pricking the Garter (Renaissance), The Strap (1930 con man argot), The Old Army Game (World War II), The Australian Belt, and Pricking at the Belt. The basic game is played with a circle of some sort of material, typically belts or garters in the past, or loops of string or jewellery chains in modern times. It is placed on a table in such a way that it forms two open loops. The player, or mark, places an object such as their finger or stick in one of the loops. If they choose the right one, when the sharper attempts to lift the chain it will wrap around the object and become "fast" and the player wins. If they choose the wrong one, it is not actually around the object and is "loose". The confidence game involves the fact that which loop is fast changes depending on the way it is lifted, so the sharper can always make it loose. The term "playing fast and loose" now means to be tricky, saying one thing and doing another. This use of the term has been traced back to William Shakespeare's King John, implying the trick was already well established in the 16th century.