birminghamize/ˈbɜː.mɪŋ.əmaɪz/EtymologyAttested since 1856, from Birmingham + -ize. From the English city being known for cheap knock-off goods. Coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson.verbTo make ersatz .“1856, Ralph Waldo Emerson, English Traits, ch. Ⅴ – "Ability". “The manners and customs of society are artificial;—made-up men with made-up manners;—and thus the whole is Birminghamized, and we have a nation whose existence is a work of art;—a cold, barren, almost arctic isle being made the most fruitful, luxurious and imperial land in the whole earth.””