schmaltz

Aug. 13th, 2007 07:19 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
schmaltz - n., excessively florid or sentimental art or music.


A leftover from last week. From Yiddish שמאַלץ, liquid chicken fat, from German root smelzan, to melt -- which was used by Eastern European Jews as a cooking oil, since olive oil was unavailable and butter and lard forbidden by dietary laws. Rendered kosher poultry fat gives cooking a rich flavor; Wikipedia cites a related expression, "to fall into the schmaltz pot," meaning having good fortune.

---L.
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