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Brummagem antique

Brummagem antique

9.9
An object from Birmingham that looks old but is usually a copy and often fake
  • noun
  • /ˈbrʌmɪdʒəm ænˈtiːk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : antigüedad de Brummagem
  • She discovered that the vase was a cleverly crafted Brummagem antique, not a genuine Georgian artifact.

Examples

  • Some shops on the outskirts sold Brummagem antiques made to look like rare Victorian pieces.

  • The collector was wary of buying a Brummagem antique without proper authentication.

  • This Brummagem antique is worth a lot of money.

  • I found a Brummagem antique at the flea market.

  • She discovered that the vase was a cleverly crafted Brummagem antique, not a genuine Georgian artifact.

  • Some shops on the outskirts sold Brummagem antiques made to look like rare Victorian pieces.

  • The collector was wary of buying a Brummagem antique without proper authentication.

How Authentic

antique
118 5.2
replica
82 3.6
Brummagem antique
  • Archaic
9.9
forgery
37 6.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Brummagem + antique

A learner who knows 'Brummagem' (Birmingham) and 'antique' will readily derive the basic locational meaning 'an antique from Birmingham', so the compositional core is clear. However, the phrase carries a culturally specific, historically pejorative nuance ('cheap/imitative; dubious authenticity') associated with 'Brummagem' that is not predictable from the parts and would likely be unfamiliar to a B1 learner, so the full meaning is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Brummagem antique comes from the old nickname Brummagem for Birmingham, a city once known for making cheap copies of older items or stylish 'fakes'. So a Brummagem antique usually means an object that looks like an old piece but may be an imitation or 'fake' rather than a genuine antique.