# rinky-dink

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹɪŋ.kɪ.dɪŋk/

## Definitions
1. A person who is contemptible or insignificant.
2. A person who is contemptible or insignificant.
3. Something that is not up to acceptable standards; something of low quality.
4. A miscellaneous object or thing; a thingy.
5. Deceptive or underhanded rigmarole; deception, trickery; (countable) often preceded by the: an instance of this; a deception, swindle, a trick.
6. Alternative form of rinky-tink (“a tinkling, tinny style of music; honky-tonk”).

## Etymology
Origin unknown; possibly a variant of rickety (“of an object: not strong or sturdy; of a person: feeble in the joints, tottering”), reduplicated with a change of the initial consonant. The noun is attested earlier than the adjective.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rinky-dink