Monday, August 15, 2011

gazump

gazump \guh-ZUHMP\, verb:

To cheat (a house buyer) by raising the price, at the time a contract is to be signed, over the amount originally agreed upon.

"I promise not to gazump you this time," he said, sitting down next to her on the sofa and reaching out to stroke the back of her head."
-- John Trenhaile, Tiger of Desire
"It is yet another thing for me to be paranoid about, but I can't see them letting anyone else gazump you us."
-- Diana Appleyard, Homing Instinct
Gazump evolves from the earlier gazoomph, "to swindle," which is an argot (jargon among thieves) word of uncertain origin.

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