tin medal
n.— «Narelle placed fourth in 12.92 seconds, a whisker behind third-paced Queenslander Jessie Schellein (12.91) in the girls’ under-17 100m final. Whether the proverbial “tin medal” was a disappointment or an achievement depends on your point of view—the O’Loughlin College athlete was bedridden for most of the championships with the flu.» —“Oh so close to sprint bronze” by Chris Carter Northern Territory News (Darwin, Australia) Dec. 13, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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