spiel

American  

[speel, shpeel] / spil, ʃpil /

noun

1. a usually high-flown talk or speech, especially for the purpose of luring people to a movie, a sale, etc.; pitch.

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verb (used without object)

1. to speak extravagantly.

spiel British  

/ ʃpiːl /

noun

1. a glib plausible style of talk, associated esp with salesmen

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verb

1. (intr) to deliver a prepared spiel

2. to recite (a prepared oration)

Other Word Forms

• spieler noun

Etymology

Origin of spiel

First recorded in 1890–95; (for the noun) from German Spiel or Yiddish shpil “play, game”; (for the verb) from German spielen or Yiddish shpiln “to play, gamble”

Example Sentences

Upon landing, the flight attendant’s voice rang over the intercom to give us the usual spiel as our aircraft made its way to the jet bridge.

From Salon

“We should never bore the guest with an entire spiel,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

With “The Phoenician Scheme,” Anderson is celebrating the art of the spiel, the capitalism that artists are supposed to be against.

From Los Angeles Times

Here, we see the Muppets, also celebrating a 70th anniversary, try and fail to give a safety spiel.

From Los Angeles Times

He has long integrated assertions about a third term into his political spiel.

From Salon

Related Words

• song and dance