When you try to outdo someone in a deal, trade, or barter with crafty energy — not crooked, just
slick. A shangle isn’t a
scam; it’s the art of winning the deal while making the other person laugh (and maybe roll their eyes).
Origins:
Said to carry echoes of old-school Jewish trading slang, where bargaining was part sport, part comedy, and part survival. Think Yiddish chutzpah with street-market flair.
Usage:
“That guy tried to sell me the shoes for $80, but I shangled him down to $50 and
free laces.”
“
Don’t get
mad, it’s just a little shangle — everybody walks away
happy.”
“She pulled a classic shangle on me; I ended up buying two instead of one.”
Related: haggle, hustle, barter, finagle.
Pro-Tip:
If nobody’s laughing at the end, it wasn’t a shangle.