Goldbricker refers to an individual or situation that creates an illusion of value without evidence. It can be applied to employees who appear busy but do little work, or situations where the appearance is enhanced to deceive. The term comes from an ancient practice of coating bricks with gold to convey wealth. Goldbricking can lead to termination or block promotions.
A goldbricker is a term used to describe an individual or situation where some effort is made to pass something of limited value for something that is considerably more valuable. As it relates to an individual, the term is usually applied to someone who is creating an illusion of being productive but is actually accomplishing very little. When applied to a situation, goldbricking usually involves adding some elements that create a perception of value, enhancing the appearance in a deliberate attempt to deceive.
The colorful reference to goldbricking comes from an ancient practice of taking bricks made from various materials and coating them with some sort of gold product. The idea was to provide the illusion that the bricks were actually made of solid gold, conveying a sense of wealth and opulence. Over time, the term has expanded into use in reference to virtually any situation where the illusion of value is projected without there being any real evidence of that value. For example, a house that has received considerable attention in terms of repainting the exterior and creating attractive landscaping in the backyards, but which has quite serious problems in terms of plumbing, wiring, and foundation, could be considered a goldbricker.
When people engage in gold trading, they are typically referred to as gold trading. This particular application of the term is often used in the workplace, especially in reference to employees who, in fact, do very little but give the impression of being very busy. Efforts to function as a goldbricker can sometimes be very elaborate and may involve tricking others into doing the work while the goldbricker takes the credit, making it possible to climb the corporate ladder without putting any real effort into assigned tasks.
In general, a goldbricker is viewed with some degree of suspicion and possibly contempt. Even when the individual has considerable skills and talents, this can be overlooked if the general perception of coworkers is that someone is unwilling to do their fair share of the workload. When discovered by employers, goldbricking can often lead to termination of employment, or at least block the way to promotions. On a more casual level, it’s not uncommon for even productive employees to have the occasional day or two where taking on a more casual pace in the workplace can be jokingly called the golden earring.
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