tinhorn

American  

[tin-hawrn] / ˈtɪnˌhɔrn /

noun

1. someone, especially a gambler, who pretends to be important but actually has little money, influence, or skill.

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adjective

1. cheap and insignificant; small-time.

   a tinhorn racket.

tinhorn British  

/ ˈtɪnˌhɔːn /

noun

1. a cheap pretentious person, esp a gambler with extravagant claims

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adjective

1. cheap and showy

Etymology

Origin of tinhorn

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; tin + horn

Example Sentences

Mencken wrote this in 1926: “They come in as newspapermen . . . trained to get the news and eager to get it; they end as tinhorn statesmen, full of dark secrets and unable to write truth if they tried.”

From Salon

He became a regular guest star on such disparate shows as “Gilligan’s Island,” playing an exiled tinhorn autocrat named Pancho Hernando Gonzalez Enriques Rodriguez, and “The Untouchables,” as an Al Capone mob associate named Jake “Greasy Thumb” Guzik.

From Washington Post

Among them were Cronies Sports Grill in Agoura Hills, which reached a settlement with the county in October; Bread & Barley in Covina, which also reached an agreement with the county; and Tinhorn Flats in Burbank, which is facing ongoing litigation after the restaurant was evicted last year.

From Los Angeles Times

It also filed suit against Tinhorn Flats, a Burbank restaurant that had defied orders to halt outdoor dining.

From Los Angeles Times

The litigation against Tinhorn Flats is ongoing.

From Los Angeles Times