tchotchkes

[Bruce Dykes]

-----Original Message-----
From: Victoria Neufeldt <vneufeldt at m-w.com>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Date: Monday, February 28, 2000 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: tchotchkes


>The word 'tchotchke' is not necessarily a pejorative term.  It is in fact a
>synonym for 'knickknack'; that is, something not very valuable in itself,
>but having sentimental or other personal appeal.  That is supported
>immediately by Dennis's reaction to Diana's original posting.  He did after
>all call the souvenir on his desk a 'tchotchke'.  People will refer to
their
>own things as tchotchkes, but rarely as kitsch (except for self-conscious
>kitsch collectors, of course).


Which hearkens back to an old George Carlin bit: if it's yours, it's stuff,
if it's somebody else's, it's crap (I think he used $hit).

"Did you touch my stuff?"
"Get your $shit off the couch."

Of course, that was more than twenty years ago now...

bkd