🗓️ Idiom: Bait and Switch (n)
💬 Meaning
- A dishonest marketing trick where a company advertises one product to get attention, but then tries to sell a different (often worse or more expensive) product.
- A strategy that misleads customers with a false offer.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The laptop ad was a bait and switch. They showed a cheap price, but it was out of stock and they pushed a pricier model.
- Be careful shopping online; some stores use bait and switch tactics.
- Customers were angry after finding out the deal was just a bait and switch.
🏛️ Origin
This phrase became common in the 1900s, especially in American retail. “Bait” refers to the attractive offer, like a worm on a hook, and “switch” is the trick, offering something else once the person is interested. It’s now used in marketing, business, and even politics to describe misleading actions.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The company used a __________ tactic by advertising a cheap service, then adding hidden fees.
Answer
bait and switch
2. Choose the correct meaning of “bait and switch”:
A) A fair business deal
B) A marketing mistake
C) A dishonest offer used to trick customers
Answer
C) A dishonest offer used to trick customers
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“The company attracted customers with a special offer, but then sold them something else.” → Change the sentence using: bait and switch
Answer
The company used a bait and switch to sell a different product.