Brummagem , also: brummagem

The significant button industry gave rise to the term 'Brummagem button'.

During the 18th century Birmingham was known by several variations of the name "Brummagem".

By the late 19th century, "Brummagem" was still used as a term for Birmingham.

The beer seller's costume includes examples of cheap brummagem jewellery.

I'll get to use quince and brummagem and all those portmanteau words I could never work into a book title.

The girl would accept a little thing like a genuine earldom, she was merely prejudiced against the brummagem article.

Around this time, Birmingham's foremost criminal gang referred to themselves as the Brummagem boys.

"It is a bit of brummagem I picked up along the way," said Cugel carelessly.

But, then, why the brummagem alibi?

"And this brummagem Sir Pellinore beguiled your mother with false entitlements!"

It was the signal for the concessionaires to stop their irreverent bawling of brummagem wares, to close their shutters.

"Oh," said Miss MacDonald, "you won't wish to carry home such brummagem ware.

The terms are all derived from Brummagem or Bromwichham, historical variants or alternatives to Birmingham.

For does it not define Brummagem - the dialect name for Birmingham - as an adjective meaning counterfeit, cheap and showy?

This originates from the city's dialect name, Brummagem, which may in turn have been derived from one of the city's earlier names, 'Bromwicham'.

Rather La-di-da and Brummagem."

The poor quality of a proportion of these gave rise to a pejorative use of the word, "Brummagem ware", although such items were not exclusive to the city.

However, as shown by James Dobbs's song "I can't find Brummagem" (see below), it remained in use as a geographical name for the city.

The Birmingham politician Joseph Chamberlain was nicknamed 'Brummagem Joe' (affectionately or satirically, depending on the speaker).

Mrs. PERRIN must not mingle her genuine native goods with such Brummagem ware".

Brummagem and Brummagem ware are also terms for cheap and shoddy imitations, in particular when referring to mass-produced goods.

But at Lowwood, on Windermere, half-crown echoes might be had by those base snobs who would put up with a vile Brummagem substitute for 'the genuine article'.

Carl writes a weekly local history column in the Birmingham Evening Mail and edits the popular Carl Chinn's Brummagem Magazine.