shtick

American  

[shtik] / ʃtɪk /

Also schtick, or shtik

noun

Slang.

1. (especially in comic acting) a routine or piece of business inserted to gain a laugh or draw attention to oneself.

2. one's special interest, talent, etc.

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shtick British  

/ ʃtɪk /

noun

1. slang a comedian's routine; act; piece

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Etymology

Origin of shtick

First recorded in 1955–60; from Yiddish shtik “pranks, whims,” literally, “piece,” from Middle High German stücke, Old High German stucki ( German Stück ); cf. stucco

Explanation

Your shtick is the particular gimmick or act you like to perform — it's your theme. After dinner parties, your shtick might be showing everyone your pet cobra. A comedian or performer often has a shtick, which becomes the trick, song, or joke that people associate with her specifically. A clown's shtick could be falling flat on his back, and a pop star's shtick might be sticking out her tongue. In Yiddish, a shtik is "an act or gimmick," or sometimes "a trick or a prank." Literally, the word means "a little piece" or "a slice," from Middle High German stücke, "piece."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shtick

Ferrell’s shtick on social media is accepting challenges from his followers and then taping himself attempting to do what they propose.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

A guy who only knows how to go for broke, and always doubles down when things go wrong, has to stick to his guns or the whole shtick unravels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

You can say his act is getting stale, the whole shtick thinning out, but only when an act is truly vivid and has truly pierced can you trace the ups and downs of its lifespan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026

For once, I will say: Don’t drop the strongman shtick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

"Thin will ye tell me, Mrs. Ryan, why didn't they shtick till it?"

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, January 26, 1916 by Sir Owen Seaman