How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Sting.
Quote #7
HENRY GONDORFF: Get a couple extra guys in the line, then. We'll give him the shut-out.
The thing to notice about this line is the way Gondorff quickly uses the term shut-out. His casualness here tells us that this is a common term that's understood among almost all grifters, especially ones that have used the "wire" scheme before.
Quote #8
KID TWIST: These guys have gotta be the quill, Dukey. We can't afford to rank the joint.
Twist needs a lot of people to help pull off the big con. But at the same time, he's not willing to compromise on the quality of the people he's hiring. That's why it's important for all the top-shelf grifters to know which men are good at conning and which ones aren't so good.
Quote #9
BOUDREAU: Get me the sheet, Jake. Let's see who's in town.
This is a great line because it shows us that someone like Boudreau actually has a working list of all the conmen currently working in Chicago. The fact that he has a list means that there's an incredible level of organization among the community of conmen in town.