David W. Maurer’s Followers (26)

David W. Maurer

Born

in The United States

April 12, 1906

Died

June 11, 1981

Genre

Nonfiction, Social Sciences, True Crime

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David Warren Maurer was a professor of linguistics at the University of Louisville from 1937 to 1972, and an author of numerous studies of the language of the American underworld.

Maurer received a doctorate from the Ohio State University in Comparative Literature in 1935. He spent much of his academic career studying the language of criminals, drug addicts, and other marginal subcultures. He died on his farm outside Louisville from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"The Big Con" is Maurer's most popular and perhaps most important book. It was originally published in 1940 by Bobbs-Merrill. The source material for it came from Maurer corresponding, interviewing, and informally chatting with hundreds of underworld denizens during the 1930s. Among ...more

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David W. Maurer’s books

Average rating: 3.81 · 1,174 ratings · 146 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man by David W. Maurer, Lucy Sante (Foreword by) 3.82 avg rating — 1,259 ratings — published 1940 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Whiz Mob: A Correlation of the Technical Argot of Pickpockets with Their Behavior Pattern 3.98 avg rating — 53 ratings — published 1964 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kentucky Moonshine by David W. Maurer, Wes Berry (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) 3.43 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1974 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Language of the Underworld it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Narcotics and narcotic addiction, (American lecture series, publication no. 915. A monograph in the Bannerstone division of American lectures in public protection) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1973 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	スリのテクノロジー 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Renaissance man 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The argot of the underworld narcotic addict 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The argot of forgery 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The argot of the racetrack. As contained in no. 16 of the publications of the American Dialect Society 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by David W. Maurer (?)

“The clip-joints are filled every night with marks who crave the tat,” said one con man. “If you gave one of them an even break, it would spoil his evening.”
― David W. Maurer, The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man

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“Most marks come from the upper strata of society, which, in America, means that they have made, married, or inherited money. Because of this, they acquire status which in time they come to attribute to some inherent superiority, especially as regards matters of sound judgment in finance and investment. Friends and associates, themselves social climbers and sycophants, help to maintain this illusion of superiority. Eventually, the mark comes to regard himself as a person of vision and even of genius.”
― David W. Maurer, The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man

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David W. Maurer’s Followers (26)

David W. Maurer

Combine EditionsDavid W. Maurer’s books

Combine Editions
David W. Maurer’s books