pinchbeck

[prettygoodword]

pinchbeck - n., an alloy of copper and zinc used as imitation gold; a cheap imitation. adj., made of pinchbeck; imitation, spurious.


From Christopher Pinchbeck (c. 1670 - 1732), a London clockmaker credited with inventing it.

---L.

Comments

[paulakate.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I knew that word, but not that it's a personal name. (I am not sure what I thought its derivation was, and rather mortified that it never occurred to me to wonder.)

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

I hadn't known either until looking it up this time.

---L.