maquignonner

Senses

1. 1.

   to buy and sell horses dishonestly

   to engage in crooked horse trading or deal unethically

2. 2.

   to manipulate or tamper with

   to alter or fix something fraudulently

3. 3.

   to scheme or intrigue

   to engage in underhand dealings or conniving

Examples

• "Il a maquignonné cette vente pour tromper l'acheteur."

  He manipulated that sale to deceive the buyer.

• "Ne te laisse pas maquignonner par ses promesses."

  Don't let yourself be taken in by his scheming promises.

• "Ils ont maquignonné les résultats du scrutin."

  They rigged the voting results.

Usage

Dated and somewhat literary term derived from *maquignon* (horse trader). Carries connotations of fraud, dishonesty, or underhand dealing. Often used figuratively beyond horse trading to mean fixing, manipulating, or scheming.