Word of the day: simulacrum

simulacrum

1. an image or likeness.
2. a mere image or one that does not represent the reality of the original. (thefreedictionary.com)

Used by: Mark Steyn:

In that sense, like Beyoncé lip-synching the National Anthem at the Inauguration, the State of the Union embodies the decay of America's political institutions into a simulacrum of responsible government rather than the real thing, and a simulacrum ever more divorced from the real issues facing the country. -- Mark Steyn

My usage:

You call that a whole cookie? It's more like a simulacrum.

And that's the way the Ball bounces, er, cookie crumbles.