| Front | gimcrack \JIM-krak\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun Something cheap and showy, of little use. adjective Showy, but worthless. ["Gimcrack" is only one of many peculiar-sounding words that have pervaded our language to refer to something ornamental and of little value. Others include "bauble," "trinket," "knickknack," "gewgaw," "kickshaw" and "tchotchke." "Bauble" appears to be the oldest among the group, with usage dating back to the 14th century. "Gewgaw" and "kickshaw" first appeared in the 16th century, whereas "gimcrack" and "knickknack" established themselves in the 17th century. "Tchotchke," borrowed from the Yiddish, is by far the most recent addition to our language, only first appearing as an English word in the 1970s.] "Uncle Rabid Prophet TechEye has worshiped more gimcrack bits of junk and practiced more half-baked religions than all of Hollywood combined." - Bow Down And Open Your Wallet; Warsaw Business Journal (Poland); Aug 21, 2006. |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Lentiginous len-tij-uh-nuhs adjective covered freckles latin lentiginosus freckled
Previous card: Acnestis reach collective ak-nees-tis noun part body scratch
Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary