Word of the Day: Shtick
Shtick is an unusual word. It originates from the Yiddish language which was mostly used by Jewish people before the Second World War. While people don’t use Yiddish much anymore, many words have survived and are commonly used today.
From my own experience, I can say that Yiddish words are mostly used in the Northeastern United States because those areas have quite a prominent Jewish population – think New York for example.
So what does shtick mean? Well, it’s a person’s unique skill or ability.
If a person is an entertainer and their unique ability is eating fire, then that is their shtick; it’s their ability.
If you think about some of the Japanese talents on TV, you can easily see what I mean. Most of them have one thing that they do well or is funny.
Today’s word is not exclusively used for entertainers. We can apply it to regular jobs as well.
If your key to success in your office is your ability to give fantastic sales presentations, then that can be referred to as your shtick.
As an English teacher, mine is 100% error correction and the detailed feedback that I provide for students after a lesson has been completed.
We all have a shtick. What’s yours?