gold brick

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gold brick inf. • n. a thing that looks valuable, but is in fact worthless. ∎  (also gold·brick or gold·brick·er) a con man. ∎  a lazy person: [as adj.] hardworking Amos and goldbrick Andy. • v. (usu. goldbrick) [intr.] invent excuses to avoid a task; shirk: he wasn't goldbricking; he was really sick. ∎  [tr.] swindle (someone).

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