tin medal
n.— «The prize of a gold medal for the best female skater was award to Miss Mamie McElwee, and the prize of a tin medal for the poorest male skater was given, in a joke, to a young gentleman who really skates excellently well.» —“The Rink Closed” The Landmark (Statesvill, N.C.) Mar. 24, 1882. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
Katie in Everett, Washington, is curious about the expression If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no need for tinkers. What is a tinker? She heard this phrase on the television series The Gilded Age, in response to a character who...