trumpery

English

WOTD – 13 April 2016

Trumpery (bric-a-brac) for sale at a flea market in León, Guanajuato, Mexico

Etymology

Borrowed from French tromperie (“deceit”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹʌmpəɹi/
• Hyphenation: trump‧ery

Noun

trumpery (plural trumperies)

1. Worthless finery; bric-a-brac or junk.
   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 296, columns 1–2:

     I have ſold all my Tromperie: not a counterfeit Stone, not a Ribbon, Glaſſe, Pomander, Browch, Table-booke, Ballad, Knife, Tape, Gloue, Shooe-tye, Bracelet, Horne-Ring, to keepe my Pack from faſting: […]

   • 1610, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act IV, scene 1:

     PROSPERO.^{[To Ariel]}

     This was well done, my bird.

     Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

     The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither

     For stale to catch these thieves.

2. Nonsense.
   • 1698, Robert South, “The Lineal Descent of Jesus of Nazareth from David by his Blessed Mother the Virgin Mary. Proved in a Discourse on Rev. xxii. 16.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, London: Printed by Tho[mas] Warren for Thomas Bennet, OCLC 272362693; republished as Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, 6th edition, London: Printed by J. Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, at the Rose in Pater-noster Row, 1727, OCLC 85047152, page 287:

     Now upon the coming of Chriſt, very much, tho' not all, of this idolatrous Trumpery and Superſtition was driven out of the World: […]

3. (obsolete) Deceit; fraud.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Grenewey to this entry?)

   • 1859, Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White:

     In that case there is no need for me to write about the trumpery scandal by which I was the sufferer—the innocent sufferer, I positively assert.

Translations

worthless finery; bric-a-brac or junk

• Greek:

  Ancient: λῆρος m (lêros)

• Persian: زلم زیمبو (fa) (zalam-zimbo)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: броские (broskije) дешёвые (dešóvyje) украшения (ukrašenija) (bróskije dešévyje ukrašénija) pl, безделу́шки (ru) pl (bezdelúški)

Adjective

trumpery (not comparable)

1. Gaudy but of no value.
   • 1872 February 3, A. R. Adams, “The Birmingham Law Students' Society”, in The Law Times: The Journal and Record of the Law and the Lawyers, volume LII, London: Published at the Office of the Law Times, Wellington Street, Strand, W.C., →OCLC, pages 259–260:

     He earnestly exhorted them all to be earnest in their studies, and to think nothing beneath them. Let them not pass over any cases as unimportant; for they must remember that some of the greatest principles of the law had been enunciated out of the most apparently trumpery cases that had come before the judges.

   • 1954, Anthony Buckeridge, According to Jennings, London: William Collins, Sons, OCLC 255905255; republished London: Stratus Books, 2003, ISBN 978-0-7551-0165-8, page 136:

     “Of all the trumpery moonshine!” Mr Wilkins exploded. “What do you think you're playing at, Jennings!”