kibitzer

American  

[kib-it-ser] / ˈkɪb ɪt sər /

noun

Informal.

1. a spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who gives unsolicited advice.

2. a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice.

   Synonyms:

   snoop, busybody, meddler

3. a person who jokes, chitchats, or makes wisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss something seriously.

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Etymology

Origin of kibitzer

First recorded in 1925–30; from Yiddish kibitser; kibitz, -er ¹

Example Sentences

He expressed sympathy for the Biden team, saying he did not want to be an outside kibitzer and understood the arguments of lawyers who opposed premature public disclosure.

From New York Times • Jan. 21, 2023

“I found him to be a kibitzer, who liked to joke around with the guys, but had no serious interest in pursuing ideas and arguments,” Pinker said.

From Washington Post • Sep. 17, 2019

He’s also a grade-A kibitzer, a gregarious character, whose chatty and self-effacing wit bespeaks his Queens upbringing and Eastern European-Jewish heritage.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2016

This means a president, like a candidate, must be highly skeptical of the kibitzer.

From Slate • Sep. 27, 2012

After a gambler raked in that pot, my kibitzer asked me: "How much do you have to have on the first three cards to stay in the pot?"

From Card Trick by Berryman, John