shtick

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Yiddish שטיק (shtik, “shtick, act, piece”). Cognate with German Stück, Dutch stuk. Doublet of shtuka, steck, and styca.

1. A generally humorous routine.

   “Sally Marr: Lenny [Bruce] used to do a shtick between strippers. / The Interviewer: What kind of stick? / Sally Marr: No, it's shtick, darling, shtick.”

   “Dag and I are drying glasses, a strangely restful activity, and we're listening to Mr. M. do his Mr. M. shtick. We feed him lines; it's like watching a Bob Hope TV special but with home viewer participation.”

2. A characteristic trait or theme, especially in the way people or media present themselves.

   “I'm never ever gonna quit 'cause / Quittin' just ain't my shtick”

   “Like you, I have stumbled through life without knowing what an umlaut signifies and looked it up today only because language is my shtick.”

3. A gimmick.