# Define these L&O terms?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 23, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558 "2008-07-23T23:45:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558/1 "2008-07-23T23:45:59Z")

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Could someone with a police/law background define these terms which regularly pop up on episodes of Law & Order?

Bootstrapping

Gaslighting

Sandbagging

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**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558/2 "2008-07-24T00:11:17Z")

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[QUOTE=Krokodil]

Bootstrapping  
[/QUOTE]

[The Wikipedia entry; I won’t quote here, since it’s a little long](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping_%28law%29)

> [@](#):
>
> Gaslighting

> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse. It involves an increasing frequency of systematically withholding factual information from, and/or providing false information to the subject, having the gradual effect of making the victim anxious, confused, and less able to trust his or her own memory and perception. A variation of gaslighting, used as a form of harassment, is to subtly alter aspects of a victim’s environment, thereby upsetting his or her peace of mind, sense of security, etc.

In the L&O context, it’s also been used to describe deception by manipulation, using the methods mentioned above.

> [@](#):
>
> Sandbagging

> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> In courtroom law, it refer to the process of concealing winning arguments for as long as possible to prevent the opposing attorney from effectively preparing to counter them. But rules of evidence and procedure often require early disclosure of certain kinds of arguments to prevent unfair sandbagging.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558/3 "2008-07-24T03:00:02Z")

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To add a little to the answers provided above:

**Gaslighting** - almost certainly from the movie [Gaslight,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/plotsummary) in which the described techniques were used by the bad guy to try to make his wife doubt her sanity.

**Sandbagging** - from auto racing. Originally the placing of actual bags of sand in one’s trunk during preliminary races, to make competitors think your car was slower than it actually was. Come the big important race, the sand bags are taken out and your opponents realize - too late - that you can beat them after all.

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**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558/4 "2008-07-24T08:06:50Z")

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I’ve known what sandbagging means, from bowling, but I never knew where it came from. Thanks for that.

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**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-these-l-o-terms/457558/5 "2008-07-24T16:12:37Z")

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[QUOTE=Gary T]  
**Gaslighting** - almost certainly from the movie [Gaslight,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/plotsummary) in which the described techniques were used by the bad guy to try to make his wife doubt her sanity.  
[/QUOTE]

Awesome movie, IMHO. 🆒