Re: [OT] Punters? Re: After Con Report - ECC VII

[Tony Francis <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've just looked it up on http://www.yourdictionary.com/ - none of the four results it gave matched the usage I intended ! A 'punter' usually refers to someone who gambles (Australia's cricket captain is known is 'Punter' Ponting because of his love of gambling in his younger days) but its use seems to have spread to mean anyone who purchases or is a consumer. It's regularly bandied about at shows (sorry, 'conventions') to mean the general public (AKA 'The Great Unwashed' ;-) ).

Doug Evans wrote:

Punters at our events are far more shopping oriented(...)
    

Could you explain this term? I was familiar with the paramutual players,
and assumed it's use for folks that like small, flat bottom boats, but I'm
a little unclear here. Of course, the less said about that game laughingly
referred to as 'American Football', the better.

Thanks!

The_Beast