Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


Jul 21, 2006
This week's theme
Words from Yiddish

This week's words
yenta
schmooze
maven
schlub
shtick

This week's comments
AWADmail 219

Next week's theme
Eponyms
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

shtick or schtick or schtik

Pronunciation Sound Clip RealAudio (shtik)

noun:
1. A performer's routine or gimmick.
2. One's special trait, interest, or talent.

From Yiddish shtik (pranks, gimmick, routine, literally piece), from German Stück (piece).

"The trio, whose shtick is to give a 1940s swing treatment to modern hits, do amazing things to Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights."
Caroline Sullivan; Wireless Festival; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 26, 2006.

See more usage examples of shtick in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

X-Bonus

A great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great writers, only minor ones. -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (1918- )

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith