tchotchke

or chotch·ke

[ chahch-kuh ]

noun

, Slang.

1. an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tchotchke¹

First recorded in 1965–70, Americanism; from Yiddish tshatshke, from Polish czaczko “bibelot, knickknack” (now obsolete; compare modern cacko with same sense, originally dialect); of expressive origin

Example Sentences

And it imbues the foodstuffs, home goods, clothes, paraphernalia and tchotchkes that hail from here with a sort of unquantifiable, ineffable, sun-kissed, surf-adjacent vibe that wraps around you like a cartoon bear hug.

From Los Angeles Times

Like loved ones who leave behind scrapbooks or tchotchkes, many shows leave souvenirs of themselves in the form of cast albums.

From New York Times

Some keep tchotchkes — small statues, faux flowers — outside their tents to make the place feel more homey.

From Los Angeles Times

Their life mission, besides getting rich by selling cheap tchotchkes, is to push their brand of far-right Christianity on the country.

From Salon

Erlinda Vela Gutiérrez, who runs a stall selling tchotchkes in a San Salvador market, said she had been inundated by tourists requesting paraphernalia bearing the face of the man she called “my beloved president.”

From New York Times

More About Tchotchke

What does tchotchke mean?

A tchotchke is a small, cheap, ornamental trinket or souvenir; a knickknack.

Tchotchke is taken from Yiddish, a dialect of German based on Hebrew. It has several English spellings, including chotchke, tchachke, and chachki. In Yiddish, it is also sometimes used as a term for a young girl or pretty woman.

Example: My mother can’t go on vacation without coming back with a few tchotchkes.

Where does tchotchke come from?

Although tchotchke is borrowed from the Yiddish term tshatshke, it comes from the obsolete Polish word czaczko, which had the same meaning. Similar terms were found in several European languages. But today tchotchke is primarily an American word. It is first recorded in English in the 1960s.

Tchotchkes typically don’t serve a function other than being something nice to look at—they’re usually made to be displayed. They’re the inexpensive, little knickknacks that clutter up desks and collect on mantels and bookshelves: the decorative trinkets they sell at gift shops, like tiny animal figurines, souvenir spoons and thimbles, and pop culture bobbleheads.

The term can trace its origin back to words that referred to “pretty little things,” and in Yiddish that sense is sometimes extended to refer to an attractive young woman, somewhat similar to the word cutie.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of tchotchke?

• chotchke (alternate spelling)
• tchachke (alternate spelling)
• chachki (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for tchotchke?

• knickknack
• trinket
• bauble
• gewgaw
• gimcrack

What are some words that often get used in discussing tchotchke?

• collection
• souvenir
• decoration
• shop
• ornament

How is tchotchke used in real life?

Apart from frequently showing up in spelling bees (don’t forget that second T!), the word tchotchke is relatively common in the U.S. as a way to refer to a trinket that’s considered especially useless.

can't believe that i, the secret santa office organizer, have never thought to rig it so i get myself and don't have to worry about another tchotchke from the moma design store cluttering up my desk

— samcorb 2525 (@samcorb) November 25, 2019

finished the world's most labor-intensive coffee table tchotchke pic.twitter.com/JGeNuUkwvf

— post conspicuously, my lord (@vogon) July 23, 2017

I'm a minimalist so I don't have to worry abt chipping a tchotchke on another tchotchke or glimpsing my profile from a curio cabinet mirror.

— Alexa Kocinski (@TheWoodenslurpy) July 27, 2015

 

 

Try using tchotchke!

Which of the following things is typically considered a tchotchke?

A. souvenir snow globe
B. tiny ceramic kitten
C. superhero figurine
D. all of the above