sucker list

noun

Informal.

a list of names and addresses of persons considered by a business, charity organization, etc., to be likely purchasers or donors.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sucker list¹

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

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Idioms and Phrases

A list of names of likely prospects for making purchases or donations, as in Some charities raise money by selling their sucker lists to other organizations . This term uses sucker in the sense of “dupe,” a usage that in turn alludes to the naiveté of a baby suckling at its mother's breast. [ Colloquial ; 1940s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Answering the phone when scam artists call can put you on a “sucker list” that will prompt more calls.

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The movie was called “Sucker List.”

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This was called lead generation, and it professionalized the sucker list.

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Once people appear on a “sucker list” as having responded to a fraudulent call or mailing, con artists will pursue them.

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It is a ‘sucker list’—the names of stock biters and the price per bite.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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