Shakedown Edit Meaning

1.

(n.)

Another word for extortion/ blackmail, or the obtaining of a good or service through means of force, threats/intimidation, or abuse of power.

Shakedown by force, threats and intimidation:

The Mafia would usually give small business owners "the shakedown," in which if the owner did not pay protection money (or "tribute") to the Mafia Don, their store would mysteriously be firebombed by vandals (read: Mafiathugs) who presumably would have been deterred if the owner had opted to partake in the Mafia protection plan.

Shakedown by abuse of power:

City councils are notorious for shakedowns by abuse of power. Suppose you bought a house for an inflated price of $50000, before property values started declining. The state wants to build a highway, and decides that your house is in the way. You don't want to move, but they offer you $25000 to pack up and leave. If you don't leave, the council will employ the eminent domain laws, which will simply *force* you to leave and *force* you to accept a measly compensation of $15000 (fair market value) for your property. While such practice is actually legal, it's still a shakedown, because if you don't agree to their initial unreasonable demands, you're going to be even worse off as a consequence--just like debating whether you want to drown in your own piss, or someone else's.

2.

Term used to describe the row in the lot where most of the action is taking place. The majority of the vendors, trading, narcotics, and people, usually congregated almost entirely at shakedown. The term itself most likely originated from the Grateful Dead song, "Shakedown Street". It can also be attributed to the first deffinition of this word, as seen on the Urban Dictionary, as it was also a popular place for UC's, cops, and dready fedy's.

Head #1: "Dude, where's shakedown at? I'm ready to schwill on some taddy's."

Head #2: "It's way over there by that old school bus, man."

Head #1: "Right on, you have any extra's?"

See phish, nugs, caps, schwill

3.

The main walking path through a festival (parking) lot, usually lined with folks selling drugs, beer, art, T shirts, food etc. Essentially, the heart of the lot. From the Grateful Dead song "Shakedown Street"

" Let's set up camp near Shakedown , so we can off these veggie burritos and buy ourselves wristbands."

See lot, festi, festy, slangin, hippie, hippy

4.

A means of exacting revenge where an individual snoops through another's computer with the intention of ousting a hidden porn collection and informing the public at large of its existence.

"What are you doing on my computer? Is this a fucking shakedown?"

See shake down, revenge, gag, prank, owned

5.

A means of exacting revenge where an individual snoops through another's computer with the intention of ousting a hidden porn collection and informing the public at large of its existence.

"What are you doing on my computer? Is this a fucking shakedown?"

See shake down, revenge, gag, prank, owned