rinky-dink
/ˈɹɪŋkiˌdɪŋk/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.68 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who is contemptible or insignificant.
American usage; Countable; Informal; Uncountable
noun
A person who is contemptible or insignificant.
American usage; Countable; Informal; Uncountable
noun
Something that is not up to acceptable standards; something of low quality.
American usage; Countable; Informal
noun
Deceptive or underhanded rigmarole; deception, trickery; (countable) often preceded by the: an instance of this; a deception, swindle, a trick.
American usage; Archaic; Informal; Uncountable
noun
Alternative form of rinky-tink (“a tinkling, tinny style of music; honky-tonk”).
American usage; Informal; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The point is that SCUBA diving is not for "rinky-dinks" ; it is for well trained people only, and then only in the company of other experienced divers."
- "Of course, most of the great players were at war and there was no need to pay the rinky-dinks, who were merely occupying uniforms until the studs got back."
- "We've been ordered to some godforsaken place near Pleiku—the whole damn company, you and me and them other rinky-dinks back in Qui Nhon."
- "A player one time said, "You never let me play with Alcindor ([Kareem] Abdul-Jabbar). I can do better if you let me play with him. Now you have me with some rinky-dinks." I told him one time, "That's what somebody said about you when you were in there. You were one of the rinky-dinks.""
- "In addition to such creeps, there is also found in various organizations an assortment of longhairs, corny antiques, arky back-numbers, moldy mossbacks, rinky-dinks, tintypes, schmoes and schmaltzes of all flavors."
- ""I'm suing the Pacific Gas and Electric Company," he [Ty Cobb] explained, "for overcharging me on the service. Those rinky-dinks tacked an extra sixteen dollars on my bill. Bunch of crooks. When I wouldn't pay, they cut off my utilities. Okay—I'll see them in court.""
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹɪŋkiˌdɪŋk/
- British English: /ˈɹɪŋ.kɪ.dɪŋk/
Usage
- American usage
- Countable
- Informal
- Uncountable
- Archaic