but I do think it's an evolution of the term and that saying "you can't con an honest man" refers to the older and more specific usage.

Exactly.

Much sympathy, shrift, and good luck with the herding.

I'm so sorry shrift. Good luck with the people herding.

I don't think I saw that Hustle (there are recent episodes?), so I'm not sure what my answer would be.

It's in season 7. Here's the scenario (it's just the opening con, nothing to do with the main plot): Chick in the restaurant is on the phone, desperately begging for a job, offering to work below market value. When the bill comes, she's forgotten her wallet and leaves her watch that her grandmother gave her as security. A table of gentlemen calls over the waiter and exclaim that the watch is vintage and valuable and offer the waiter thousands of pounds for it. The waiter refuses, and gives the watch to the bartender. Everyone but the bartender is on the Hustle team, BTW. When the woman comes back, a guy that overheard all this offers her up to 500 pounds for the watch. Because he's a shithead, and wants to make thousands of pounds of profit. But if he'd been a really good guy, he might offer thousands of pounds, to get something he thinks is valuable, and to help out someone he thinks is in dire straits.

At least as far as the show is concerned, the trope is bullshit. It's just there to try and maintain some sort of higher moral ground, which just isn't there. Say you only target dishonest people, if you need the buffer. But there's nothing inherent in what they're doing that means only scoundrels can be affected.

eta: In this episode they're very careful to repeat you can't con an honest man. Such crap.

Maybe there's a conman code of honour where they only target dishonest people, but seriously? What are the odds of that? I bet there are perfectly decent people who are that stupid or clueless that they'll fall for a Ponzi scheme, or whatever. Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick were conned, weren't the?

eta2: So sorry to hear that, shrift. Family harmony to you.

I'm sorry, shrift.

Hey Aurelia, I didn't! I can' access it!

I just made another attempt, Allyson.

Shrift- I am so sorry, but also glad for your grandmother to be out of pain.

I'm sorry, shrift. Good luck to you.

Speaking of conning- I had the weirdest con/pickup experience on the bus tonight-- I am actually a bit unsettled, but it is mostly because my politeness instinct gets in the way of my "get the hell away" instinct.

This young man (who was a little drunk) seemed like he was in a game to get me to give him my phone number, but he wasn't really trying to hit on me. He was pretty good at reading me, and tried several tactics- first he asked me if I was an artist, because I looked like one, and what if he could start a business selling my type of art, would I be the one to call. Then, when I wasn't biting he started telling me about how he was trying to find a job, and better himself, and help give money to his girlfriend and child, and I seemed like I would be a good person to give a reference and could he get my name and number to do that with. Then, that didn't work because I said I did not give references to people I didn't know, he instroduced himself, and wanted a chance to get to know me. THEN he started telling me about how he was writing a book, and he met a man who could help him by doing just what he was doing to me, and could I help him.

And stupid me, I was just paralyzed there, nodding and smiling, like a random polite person. Then when I moved to another seat, he just started talking with his friends and didn't care anymore.

I'm sorry, shrift.