Cackle-bladder
A cackle-bladder is a rubber bag filled with fake blood used to fake a death. The name comes from the old practice of using chicken blood. It’s used in tricks and espionage. In a con, it can make the person being fooled believe a fellow con artist has been killed, so they won’t seek revenge. In spying, it can be used as a way to blackmail someone. The idea has been popularized by the BBC show Hustle and was featured in the climactic scene of the 1973 film The Sting.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:57 (CET).