tinhorn
Small-time show-off
Tinhorn describes someone pretentious but unimpressive—a person who puts on airs of importance or expertise without the substance to back it up.
Originally American slang for a cheap gambler, it now applies to anyone who talks big but lacks real skill or status: some tinhorn politician, a tinhorn dictator.
The word carries contempt for phoniness and small-time ambition.
Fraudulent person or thing
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- fakerOne who pretends
- shamFraudulent imitation
- poseurPerson feigning refined tastes
impostor · charlatan · fake · bluffer · braggart · show-off · wannabe · four-flusher
Hearth implement for coals
- faroBanking card game
- diceMarked cubes for chance
- bettingStaking money on outcomes
- wagerStake on uncertainty
stakes · card-sharp · hustler · spieler · small-timer · penny-ante · cheap · petty
phony
Fraudulent person or thing
poseur · impostor · charlatan · fake · bluffer · braggart · show-off · wannabe · four-flusher · blowhard
poker
Hearth implement for coals
wager · stakes · card-sharp · hustler · spieler · small-timer · penny-ante · cheap · petty · nickel-and-dime
corrupt
Dishonest, open to bribes
- crookedBent or dishonest
- small-townLimited local outlook
- pettyOf little importance
local · hack · machine · boss · graft · patronage · crony · backroom · scheming · unscrupulous
- American slangbamboozle, bogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate
- Old Westcowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, sheriff, sheriffs
tinhorngenuine article
Authentic original item
real deal · genuine · authentic · legitimate · bona fide
tinhorntop-notch
Of superior quality
first-rate · big-time · world-class · elite · master
tinhornbig shot
Influential, powerful person
big wheel · bigwig · heavyweight · high roller · big-timer