10 Unexpected Wrestling Origins That'll Blow Your Mind
6. Where The Term "Mark" Came From
Long before professional wrestling was selling out stadiums, this particular form of entertainment could be found going down at American carnivals in the 1800s.
The term "carnie", used when referring to those individuals found trying to pull a fast one on colleagues and employees within the wrasslin' industry today, originated from said early carnival days. And those U.S. carnival beginnings also saw the use of another somewhat negative term that is still used today.
You've likely heard a few people within the business refer to some fans as "marks" over the years, with the word often being used as a way of mocking those who are so very invested in the wrestling and storylines unfolding on-screen. Back in the day, though, "marks" were punters picked out by dodgy carnival operators due to them seeming quite gullible.
The word eventually went on to mean the same as a "sucker", with these poor souls being literally marked secretly with some chalk as a way of informing other operators that they could squeeze a little more money out of these easily deceived faces (via PACC).
Nowadays, though, trying to take the p*ss out of anyone just happily connecting to the tales being told on-screen feels like a bit of an A-hole move, really. There's nothing wrong with marking out from time to time, folks!