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Definition:
c) overly sentimental and emotional (art, people)
German translation:
schmaltzy = schnulzig (z.B. Literatur, Film)
schmaltzy = rührselig (Mensch)
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GOOGLE INDEX
schmaltzy: approximately 125,000 Google hits
Sample text:
Sometimes they're SCHMALTZY, sometimes they're silly, sometimes they're deeply affecting, but love songs are the oldest form of pop music.
(BBC News)
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The sentimental, and more than a touch SCHMALTZY, 90-second advertisement cost £6 million and the online excitement it is creating suggests it is bringing more than a few tears to the eye.
(The Sun)
Did you know?
schmaltzy
adjective
- marked by excessive maudlin or sentimentality
(American Heritage Dictionary)
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Schmalts is the Yiddish word for chicken fat and stems from the Middle High German smalz for animal fat. It was integrated into American English by Yiddish-speaking Jews who used this word mostly to refer to the kosher poultry fat, which gives food a rich flavour.
In English, schmaltz is used in an informal sense to describe excessively sentimental music or art or exaggerated sentimentality. Its earliest usage in this sense dates to around 1950.
Schmaltz is also used in the idiom "falling into the schmaltz pot." This refers to the idea of having something good happen to you, often by pure luck, such as winning the lottery.
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SYNONYMS
corny, drippy, hokey, maudlin, mushy, nostalgic, sappy, syrupy
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I sometimes watch old, schmaltzy films."
Thanks to Philip for suggesting today's word!
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And now...
Today's Learning Tip (11):
LEARN OPPOSITES
Many words have natural opposites (antonyms) - rich/poor, heaven/hell, boom/bust,... by also checking opposites you are completing your understanding of the concept and filling-in gaps in your personal wordpool.
more learning tips
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