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  1. shtick love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Slang A characteristic attribute, talent, or trait that is helpful in securing recognition or attention: waiters in tropical attire are part of the restaurant's shtick.
  2. n. Slang An entertainment routine or gimmick.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A characteristic trait or theme.
  2. n. A gimmick.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. A person's special talent, line of business, or habitual activity.
  2. n. (Show business) A comic routine or a specific gag inserted in a show for laughs.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. (Yiddish) a contrived and often used bit of business that a performer uses to steal attention
  2. n. (Yiddish) a devious trick; a bit of cheating
  3. n. (Yiddish) a prank or piece of clowning
  4. n. (Yiddish) a little; a piece

Etymologies

  1. From Yiddish שטיק (shtik, "piece"), cognate to German Stück. (Wiktionary)
  2. Yiddish shtik, piece, routine, from Middle High German stücke, piece, from Old High German stukki, crust, fragment. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “You know your shtick is as stale and inept as Bush when he left office patsy!”

    Think Progress » San Francisco Commonwealth Club postpones O’Keefe event.

  • “I kept getting distracted by how villain Growing Man looked like a Sentinel, although his shtick is the classic “every time you hit him, he gets bigger, so how do you stop him without engaging him directly?””

    Agents of Atlas » Comics Worth Reading

  • “The whole problem with the RealAmerica shtick is the way they define it, RealAmericans are going to get consistently outvoted.”

    Matthew Yglesias » Income Inequality and Low Savings Rate

  • “Still, if you know me and have been paying attention to my thesis updates, etc, you'll know my shtick is all about what things are unique about videogames, and that we should be trying our best to capitalise on them.”

    Archive 2008-09-01

  • “The show has perfected the formula of well-chosen guest stars (Daily Show vets Rob Corddry and John Oliver, alt-comedy god Patton Oswalt, and, yes, Betty White, who's better in small doses like this week's cameo); snappy, pop-reference-rich dialogue; physical shtick from the masterful likes of Chevy Chase and Ken Jeong; and unexpected moments of M*A*S*H/Scrubs-esque sincerity.”

    Cheers & Jeers: Community Makes the Grade

  • “Emmy nominations are out; Tina Fey's Sarah Palin shtick got a nod.”

    Short Takes

  • “My whole shtick is putting twenty-six letters, ten numbers, and twenty-odd punctuation marks in an order that makes people cringe and guffaw and wet themselves and hide under the bed.”

    A Man in Trouble

  • “Lily Allen's whole shtick is light, happy music contrasted with her lyrics.”

    The Huffington Post: Tim Mohr: Exclusive Valentine's Day DJ Mix From Doctor Rosen Rosen (Plus Q&A)

  • “But you want to have a little respect for your elders, young man, and your whole “chagrin” shtick is a little sad.”

    Take Warning | ATTACKERMAN

  • “Her shtick is talking to Americans from every walk of life with interest and connection.”

    Archive 2009-04-01

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‘shtick’ has been looked up 1800 times, loved by 3 people, added to 15 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 15.