spiel

[speel, shpeel]

noun

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

verb (used without object)

1. to speak extravagantly.

spiel

/ ʃpiːl /

noun

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

verb

1. (intr) to deliver a prepared spiel

2. to recite (a prepared oration)

Other Word Forms

• spieler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiel¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiel¹

C19: from German Spiel play

Example Sentences

The Treasury Secretary’s spiel can properly be seen as standard Trumpian deflection.

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

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The gist of Miller’s spiel — in fact, the worldview that he has been espousing for years — is that “illegal aliens” are responsible for all those ills, and exclusively responsible.

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

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

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Related Words

• song and dance