What does it mean to sell a bridge?

What does it mean to sell a bridge?

sell someone the Brooklyn Bridge From the name of a bridge in New York City. The idea is that no ordinary person would be allowed to sell the bridge, so if they tried to sell it to you they would be cheating you. View the pronunciation for the Brooklyn Bridge.

Why do people say I have a bridge in Brooklyn?

Ever since I was a young person, I have used the phrase, “If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you”. The phrase originated because for over a century people have fallen for the con that New York City is selling the Brooklyn Bridge.

What does you have the bridge mean?

When Captain Kirk says “Sulu – you have the Conn”, most people think that this means “You have the CONtrol or CONsole of the Bridge. In actual fact, “Conn,” is a naval term meaning the power to metaphorically steer the course of an endeavor or enterprise.

What did George C Parker sell?

the Brooklyn Bridge
George C. Parker (March 16, 1860 – 1936) was an American con man best known for his repeated successes “selling” the Brooklyn Bridge. He made his living conducting illegal sales of property he did not own, often New York’s public landmarks, to unwary immigrants.

Why do people say Ive got a bridge to sell you?

Used to indicate that one believes someone is especially gullible. A reference to the con man George C. Parker, best known for “selling” property that he did not own, most famously the Brooklyn Bridge.

How many times did George C Parker sell the Brooklyn Bridge?

It’s believed Parker could have sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for forty years. In addition to selling the Brooklyn Bridge, he also sold Madison Square Garden, The metropolitan museum of Art, The statue of liberty, and Ulysses Grant’s tomb, posing as his grandson to his gullible targets using counterfeit deeds.

What is bridge slang?

Bridge and Tunnel (often abbreviated B or BNT) is a term – often used pejoratively – to describe people who live in communities surrounding the island of Manhattan in New York City, and commute to it for work or entertainment.

Was the Brooklyn Bridge ever sold?

A good salesman could sell it, a great swindler would sell it, and the perfect sucker would fall for the scam. But this was not just a rhetorical or a fictional conceit. A turn-of-the-century confidence man named George C. Parker actually sold the Brooklyn Bridge more than once.

Who said I have a bridge to sell you?

A reference to the con man George C. Parker, best known for “selling” property that he did not own, most famously the Brooklyn Bridge.

Where did the phrase I have a bridge to sell you come from?

Etymology. In reference to George C. Parker, an infamous conman who successfully duped his victims into “buying” the Brooklyn Bridge.

What does take me to the bridge mean?

“It is not musical in origin, to “Take it to the Bridge” was to take an issue or complaint to the Ships Captain. Musicians seem to have hijacked this expression!” ​ This makes sense as “Take it to church”, would be the same thing but, instead of taking you complaint to the captain, you take it to God.

What does bridge a gap mean?

Definition of bridge the gap : to have qualities of two different groups or things —often + between His work bridges the gap between popular fiction and serious literature.

Where does bridge come from?

A pastime that has been traced back to the 16th century, Bridge is a card game with quite a history! Traces of Bridge-like card games were said to begin in the 16th century in Britain and it was called ‘Whist.

Can I buy a bridge?

Bridges are available for between $1 and $500. Most of the bridges are well designed but cannot hold weight of modern traffic. If no one buys the bridges, they will be demolished and scrapped.