Zelig

[ zel-ig ]

/ ˈzɛl ɪg /

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noun

a chameleonlike person who is unusually ubiquitous.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Origin of Zelig

From Leonard Zelig, main character in Zelig, 1984 film by W. Allen

Zelig²

[ zee-lig, zel-ig ]

/ ˈzi lɪg, ˈzɛl ɪg /

noun

a male given name: from a Germanic word meaning “blessed.”

Franco himself is the Zelig of the literary world these days.
3 Must Reads: ‘Kayak Morning,’ ‘Mr. g,’ and ‘Alex Gilvarry’|Hillary Kelly, Mythili Rao, Jacob Silverman|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He is the Zelig from hell, a Francostein monster, a send-up of democracy and a travesty of meritocracy.
Lawsuit Over a Bad NYU Grade? Put James Franco in Detention!|Lee Siegel|December 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The New York Times called Gorseki the “Zelig of New York Fashion Week” last year.
Brad Goreski: On Styling, His New Show & Leaving Rachel Zoe|Isabel Wilkinson|December 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And the more details I learned about his Zelig-like life story, the more incredible it seemed.
The Craziest Diet Ever|Mark Adams|March 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The Bellman, in which “Zelig” appeared, is remarkable for the brilliance and power of its fiction.
The Best Short Stories of 1915|Various
I suppose there can be no doubt that “Zelig” is by all odds the most nobly conceived and finely wrought story of the year.
The Best Short Stories of 1915|Various
Of the many men and women employed there, only one person had the distinction of getting fellowship from old Zelig.
The Best Short Stories of 1915|Various
With them the cantor signed a contract by which Zelig was bound to him as a kind of musical apprentice for three years.
The Spirit of the Ghetto|Hutchins Hapgood
In six months he could read music so well that they called him "Little Zelig, the music-eater."
The Spirit of the Ghetto|Hutchins Hapgood