bait-and-switch

American  

[beyt-n-swich] / ˈbeɪt nˈswɪtʃ /

adjective

1. denoting a deceptive method of selling, by which customers, attracted to a store by sale items, are told either that the advertised bargain item is out of stock or is inferior to a higher-priced item that is available.

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noun

1. an act or instance of such practice.

bait and switch Idioms  

1. A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.

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Etymology

Origin of bait-and-switch

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

But really, it's a bait-and-switch.

From Salon

This week’s episode, titled “Qui,” challenges that with a bait-and-switch scenario that swaps out the gruesome for the mournful.

From New York Times

This is the bait-and-switch he played at for years.

From Salon

But, in what looks in hindsight like a crafty bait-and-switch, the show actually led with Logan’s fragility.

From Washington Post

Slow-growth groups said the plan was a bait-and-switch that would reduce homeownership opportunities, slash larger units for families, and potentially displace single-family renters and seniors living on fixed incomes.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• chicanery
• deceit
• dishonesty
• razzle-dazzle
• scam
• shell game
• stunt