goldbrick

gold·brick

[gohld-brik for 1, 2; gohld-brik for 3–5]
noun
1.
Informal. a brick made to look like gold, sold by a swindler.
2.
Informal. anything supposed to be valuable but which turns out to be worthless.
3.
Also, gold·brick·er. Slang. a person, especially a soldier, who shirks responsibility or performs duties without proper effort or care.
verb (used without object) Slang.
4.
to shirk responsibility or perform halfheartedly; loaf.
verb (used with object)
5.
to swindle; cheat.
Origin:
1850–55, Americanism; gold + brick

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Goldbrick is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
to bark; yelp.
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Slang Dictionary

goldbrick definition


  1. n.
    a lazy person. : Pete is just a lazy goldbrick.
  2. in.
    to be lazy; to shirk one's duty. : Whoever is goldbricking when I come back gets a real talking to.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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