meantolearn  +  314608 Fri, 12 Jan 07 11:01 PM What is "the dark con of man"?  (from the Da Vinci Code) What does 'con' mean here? Is it a common usage in modern english? Thanks, meantolearn Joined on Thu, Feb 24 2005 Regular Member 808 I think; therefore I am.

	MrPedantic  +  314612 Fri, 12 Jan 07 11:12 PM Hello M2L If I "con" you, I deliberately deceive you in some way, to my own advantage (usually financial). For instance, if I talk you into buying insurance with an insurance company that doesn't exist, then pocket your $250 premium and disappear, I have "conned" you. A "con" is the related noun. It's very common. All the best, MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... Nouns

	meantolearn  +  314624 Fri, 12 Jan 07 11:58 PM Hi, MrP. Thanks for your explanations. But, what does the whole phrase "the dark con of man" mean? Thanks, meantolearn

	MrPedantic  +  314625 Sat, 13 Jan 07 12:01 AM Well, it's a little difficult to say, out of context; but it seems to mean "the deceitful hidden nature of mankind", or "the sinister fraudulent heart of mankind". MrP MrPedantic

	Marius Hancu  +  314628 Sat, 13 Jan 07 12:05 AM I haven't read the book, so all this is speculation: >what does the whole phrase "the dark con of man" mean? that dark-skinned/swarthy cheating/stealing man (if you refer to his skin) that wicked cheating/stealing man (if you refer to his morals) that gloomy cheating/stealing man (if you refer to the "atmosphere" he "emits") Marius Hancu Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006 Veteran Member 11,673

	MrPedantic  +  314634 Sat, 13 Jan 07 12:13 AM I haven't read the book either; but to judge by the various blogs out there, my interpretation wasn't correct. The phrase seems to mean "the fraud perpetrated by the Church, in misrepresenting Jesus Christ". (I think at this point I had better hand over to someone who has read the book, though.) MrP MrPedantic

	Grammar Geek  +  314661 Sat, 13 Jan 07 01:45 AM I did read it, but I certainly didn't memorize it. I would interpret this to mean "The evil lie spread to fool mankind," based on what I remember Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,652 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!