tchotchke means A small ornament of minor value; a knick-knack, a trinket.
tchotchke is pronounced /ˈt͡ʃɒt͡ʃkə/.
Why “tchotchke” is a great word
A small, decorative object of little value; a knickknack or trinket. From Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke, 'ornament, trinket; attractive girl'), from a Slavic source, likely imitative of a baby's utterances; compare Polish cacko ('toy, trinket'), Russian ца́цка (cácka, 'knickknack'). First attested in American English in 1964. Unlike a “curio,” which suggests a rare object of genuine curiosity, or an “heirloom,” which carries the weight of lineage and memory, a tchotchke is cheerfully insignificant, destined for a shelf rather than a vault. It is the ceramic frog wearing sunglasses on a windowsill, the snow globe from a forgotten city, the keychain that has lost its keys—the humble, dust-gathering proof that not everything must be precious to be cherished.
Etymology
Borrowed from Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke, “ornament; trinket; toy; (figurative) attractive girl or woman”), from a Slavic language and probably ultimately imitative of a baby’s utterances.
Slavic cognates
* Polish cacko (“toy; knick-knack, trinket; pretty thing”), from caca (“nice thing”), and czaczko (“(obsolete) toy; trinket; pretty thing”)
* Russian ца́цка (cácka, “(informal) knick-knack, trinket; (dated) toy”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; trinket; well-behaved child; nice person; conceited person”)
* Ukrainian ца́цка (cácka, “(dated) toy; ornament, trinket; conceited person; well-dressed person”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; well-behaved child; conceited person; attractive woman”)
noun
- A small ornament of minor value; a knick-knack, a trinket.e.g.“We're stuck with: 14 Provincial & Modern Kitchen chairs— […] 23 assorted Lamps and miscellaneous "Tchotchkes"! Help us unload.”
- An attractive girl or woman.
Words closest in meaning
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