gold brick

 
US informal

noun

  • 1a thing that looks valuable, but is in fact worthless.
  • (also goldbricker) a confidence trickster.
  • 2a lazy person.

verb

(goldbrick)
  • 1 [no object] invent excuses to avoid a task; shirk: he wasn’t goldbricking; he was really sick
  • 2 [with object] swindle (someone): look out they don’t goldbrick you