Bunko
/ˈbʌŋ.koʊ/noun
A swindle or confidence trick, especially one involving deception for money.
Did you know?The word entered English from Japanese, where it referred to a card game; American slang then twisted it into a term for fraud, showing how words can be magically re-weaponized by culture.
Etymological Timeline
Japanese (earlier source unclear)
Japanese
bunko
“A card game or gambling game”
19th Century
English
bunko
“A swindle or confidence trick”
Late 19th Century
English
bunko game
“A fraudulent scheme, especially one used to cheat victims out of money”
Modern English
English
bunko
“To swindle or cheat”