tin medal
n.— «The prize of a gold medal for the best female skater was award to Miss Mamie McElwee, and the prize of a tin medal for the poorest male skater was given, in a joke, to a young gentleman who really skates excellently well.» —“The Rink Closed” The Landmark (Statesvill, N.C.) Mar. 24, 1882. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...