brum·ma·gem

(brŭm′ə-jəm)

adj.

Cheap and showy; meretricious.

[Alteration of BirminghamEngland (from the counterfeit coins made there in the 17th century).]

brum′ma·gem n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Brummagem

(ˈbrʌmədʒəm)

1. (Placename) an informal name for Birmingham Often shortened to: Brum

2. (sometimes not capital) something that is cheap and flashy, esp imitation jewellery

adj

(sometimes not capital) cheap and gaudy; tawdry

[C17: from earlier Bromecham, local variant of Birmingham]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

brum•ma•gem

(ˈbrʌm ə dʒəm)

adj.

1. showy but inferior and worthless.

2. a showy but inferior and worthless thing.

[1630–40; local variant of Birmingham, England; orig. in allusion to counterfeit coins produced there in the 17th century]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	Brummagem - a city in central England; 2nd largest English city and an important industrial and transportation center Birmingham England - a division of the United Kingdom
Adj.	1.	Brummagem - cheap and showy; "a cheap Brummagem imitation" Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom tasteless - lacking aesthetic or social taste

brummagem

adjective

Tastelessly showy:

chintzy, flashy, garish, gaudy, glaring, loud, meretricious, tawdry, tinsel.

Informal: tacky.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

A Kru boy welcomed them with beaming face and fetched them drinks upon a Brummagem tray.

View in context

Members of the Glorishears of Brummagem group gathered just after 5am yesterday to perform traditional Cotswold Morris Dances and sing a hymn to celebrate the date.

Dancers herald May Day in style

Meanwhile, earlybird dancers with The Glorishears of Brummagem took to Barr Beacon in Birmingham for a sunrise performance yesterday.

News bloomin' lovely; Beauty spot covered in a blanket of bluebells

Brummie derives from Brummagem or Bromwichham, historical variants of the name Birmingham.

Speak the lingo

By the 18th century, the city had become the main European producer of buckles, buttons and a range of small boxes, jewellery and accessories often called 'Brummagem toys'.

NAME THAT SPOON; Can you tell your Cuzner from your Knox? We delve into the complex world of antique cutlery

Jeff, a man of few words who has always felt more comfortable in a recording studio than on stage, said: ''Hello Brummagem! It's so good to be back...

Third time's a charm for Jeff; ELO hero Lynne brings house down at arena

As always UB40 are a great night out, and a big, brassy bang for your Brummagem buck.

Spectacular show from '80s reggae favourites; REVIEW: UB40, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Other Coventry phrases included are "as true as Coventry blue" - meaning the real thing - and "Brummagem screwdriver" - apparently a local term for hammer which doubles up as a handy insult to our West Midlands neighbours.

Ninny to knap.. the Warks words guide

The Brummagem Boys, led by Billy Kimber, ruled the roost.

WHEN GANGS RULED THE RACECOURSE; As Britain emerged buoyant from the First World War, its racecourses became the playgrounds of choice for a liberated generation. But the bulging satchels of the bookmakers attracted a less welcome element to the races. Here we chart the story of the criminal gangs, the intimidating scams and the protection rackets that struck fear into on-course bookies

That is because barring divine intervention - not a frequent occurrence just west of Brummagem however hard you pray when stuck on the M6 - the jockeys are going on strike.

Racing: No winners, only losers; WE NEED JAW, NOT WAR

But it is his method, more than his message, that mesmerizes us today: the playful rhetorical taunting and toying, the verbal showboating that strews his copy with words like lucubrations, miscible, brummagem and latitudinarianism.

Happy Days Were Here Again: Reflections of a Libertarian Journalist

But demanding that publishers replace their brummagem wares with books which embody Kunin's "high standards of excellence" would be a promising-and cost-free-way to begin.

A Conspiracy of Good Intentions: America's Textbook Fiasco