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Dictionary definition of “stooper”

stooper

n. at a race track, a person who picks up discarded bet tickets in search of those which represent unclaimed winnings. Subjects: , ,
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Citations: 1940 Damon Runyon Zanesville Signal (Ohio) (Apr. 16) “The Brighter Side” p. 14: This is the stooper. He gets his name from his occupation. He goes around the racing yard between races picking up and examining parimutuel tickets that have been discarded as worthless by the original purchasers. 1985 Hugh A. Mulligan (AP) (May 10) “Professional Track Prognosticators Have Uncanny Ability”: “The Stooper never had a losing day,” says Lacombe in ill-concealed envy. “He comes here broke, and the worst he can do is break even. Lots of win tickets go astray. Last year this track turned back $280,000 in uncashed tickets to the state.” 2004 John Holl New York Times (Aug. 2) “At the Track, Fewer Stoop for the Payoff”: The man, who declined to be interviewed, is part of a horse racing subculture made up of people known as stoopers. Much like people who spend afternoons wandering the beaches with metal detectors searching for treasure in the sand, stoopers spend their day at the track hoping to discover a discarded winning ticket.
Posted 16 Aug 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

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