gold ‧ brick /ˈɡəʊldbrɪk $ ˈɡoʊld-/ BrE AmE ( also gold‧brick‧er /-brɪkə $ -ər/) noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: From a trick in which a brick is sold by pretending it is made of gold ]
American English informal someone who stays away from their work, especially by pretending that they are ill
—goldbrick verb [intransitive]