Showy but cheap and of poor quality; gaudy or tasteless in appearance. Often describes something that appears flashy but lacks genuine value or refinement.
From 'tawdry lace', a corruption of 'Saint Audrey's lace', cheap jewelry sold at St. Audrey's fair in Ely, England. Saint Audrey (Etheldreda) died of a throat tumor, which she believed was punishment for wearing elaborate necklaces in her youth.
This word has one of the most unexpected origins - it comes from a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon princess who became a saint! The cheap necklaces sold at her memorial fair became synonymous with flashy but worthless goods.
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