trumpery

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The Word of the Day for May 29 is: 

trumpery   \TRUM-puh-ree\   noun
     1 : worthless nonsense
    *2 : trivial or useless articles : junk

Example sentence:
     Elizabeth's desk at work is crammed with souvenirs, paperweights, and 
other such trumpery.

Did you know?
     "Trumpery" derives from the Middle English "trompery" and ultimately from 
the Middle French "tromper," meaning "to deceive." (You can see the meaning of 
this root reflected in the French phrase "trompe l'oeil" -- literally, 
"deceives the eye" -- which in English refers to a style of painting with 
photographically realistic detail.) "Trumpery" first appeared in English in the 
mid-15th century with the meanings "deceit or fraud" (a sense that is now 
obsolete) and "worthless nonsense." Less than 100 years later, it was being 
applied to cluttering material objects of little or no value. The verb phrase 
"trump up" means "to concoct with the intent to deceive," but there is most 
likely no etymological connection between this phrase and "trumpery."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.