tinhorn means cheap, inferior; pretentious. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “tinhorn” is a great word
TINHORN — [Adjective] Cheap and inferior in quality, or pretentiously flashy. From the nouns 'tin' (a cheap metal) and 'horn' (a noise-making instrument, or a funnel), originally referring to a cheap chute used by low-stakes gamblers; first attested in American English around 1857. Unlike *dilettante* (which suggests a superficial dabbler) or *poseur* (which emphasizes affectation), *tinhorn* carries the specific, grimy aura of fraudulent commerce and cheap materiality. It is the brassy, peeling gilt on a back-alley saloon sign, the garish, oversized ring on a card-sharp's finger, and the hollow clatter of dice in a doctored leather cup—the enduring performance of worth where none exists.
adj
- Cheap, inferior; pretentious.
noun
- A contemptible or pretentious person, especially one who gambles for low stakes.““[…] Them rich fellers, they don't make no bad breaks with their money. They watch it all th' time b'cause they know blame well there ain't hardly room fer their feet fer th' pikers an' tin-horns an' thimble-riggers what are layin' fer 'em. […]””