__NOTOC__ ''Schmear'' is a word of Germanic origin, equivalent to "smear" or "spread" (usually fat or butter). In some Germanic languages, the

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical ef ...

of ''smear'' itself means butter (c.f. ''smör/smør'' in the

North Germanic languages The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is also ...

). The use and spelling of ''schmear'' or ''shmear'' in American English is a direct loanword from

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

, where its original usage referred to cheese. In modern usage it has extended to anything that can be spread, such as cream cheese spread upon a

bagel A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is fi ...

.
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- In some cases, it refers to "an entire set or group of related things", or the expression "the whole shmear". It can also refer to bribery, as a "little extra" spread on top. In

card game A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ga ...

s such as

Schafkopf Schafkopf (), also called Bavarian Schafkopf, is a popular German trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century, from German Schafkopf. It is still very popular in Bavaria, where ...

Pinochle Pinochle (), also called pinocle or penuchle, is a trick-taking, Ace-Ten card game typically for two to four players and played with a 48-card deck. It is derived from the card game bezique; players score points by trick-taking and also by for ...

or Sheepshead, schmearing is to play a high-scoring card to a trick in the hope that one's partner will win it (see

schmear (cards) The following is a glossary of terms used in card games. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of common and uncommon slang terms. Terms in this glossary should not be game-specific (e.g. specific to Bridge, Hearts, Poker or Rummy), ...

). As a slang term, the word in Yiddish can also refer to a slap on the face, primarily when disciplining young children.

Origin

Before 900; (v.)

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old Englis ...

: ''smeren'', ''smirien'' to rub with fat, anoint;

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...

: ''smirian'', ''smerian'', ''smerwan''; cognate with Dutch: ;

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: ,

: שמירן, Icelandic: ,

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

: ''smyrja'', ''smyrwa''; (noun) in current senses derivative of the verb; compare obsolete ''smear'': fat, grease, ointment; Middle English: ''smere''; Old English: ''smeoru''; cognate with Dutch: ; German: , Old Norse: ''smjǫr'', Swedish: ''smör'' – butter; Danish and Norwegian: ''smør'' – butter;

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: () – rubbing powder.

References

External links

* Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine Cheese dishes Yiddish culture {{Jewish-cuisine-stub

Origin

See also

References

External links