Tchotchke (pronounced chahch-kuh or chotch-kee)
(1) In
Yiddish, an inexpensive, often showy trinket
(2) By
adoption in English slang, an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament.
(3) In Yiddish,
an attractive young woman (with variants).
(4) By
adoption in English slang, an attractive young woman (now rare).
(5) In
slang, objects of inferior quality (now rare US use of the word as a kind of
alternative to schwag or swag (trinkets or promotional items given away at an
event)) and used also of marijuana of low potency.
1950s: From
the Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke) (ornament; trinket; toy and (figuratively) attractive
girl or woman), from a Slavic language, perhaps the Russian цацка (tsatska) (toy or small ornamental object)
or Ukrainian цяцька (tsatska (toy or
trinket) but many etymologists think the Polish czaczko (trinket; knickknack) the most likely source and probably
ultimately imitative of a baby’s utterances.
The Polish czaczko is long
obsolete; the modern cacko exists in
the same sense (originally dialect, of expressive origin). Tchotchke is a noun; the noun plural is tchotchkes.
The dual meanings have survived despite the use to describe women being obviously sexist and sometimes derogatory (ie the latter sense transferred from “cheap trinket”) but it’s said now to be used with an emphasis on the “attractive” or “amusing” rather than any hint of “intellectually unsubstantial” with at least two Yiddish dictionaries adding “sometimes used affectionately”. However, in many languages, with descriptors of women, there have been those who re-purpose even complimentary terms as pejoratives and documented uses of tchotchke have extended to what would in English be understood as “a kept woman”, “a manipulative minx” and “a bimbo”. There can also be confusion with the Yiddish tsatskele (either “young woman who exploits her attractiveness to achieve her ends” or “one’s favourite daughter”, an explanatory note in Leo Rosten’s (1908–1997) The Joys of Yiddish (1968) explaining the meaning shift being effected by a change in the tone of voice). In Yiddish, context matters much, regional uses also including “bruise”, “nobody”, “misfit” and “brat”. That variety is emblematic of Yiddish because, unlike formal, structured Hebrew, Yiddish long grew without any sense of a “standard canon” and words used in one city district could convey a different meaning than those heard no more remotely than a few suburbs or blocks away. Even today, not all entries in Yiddish dictionaries are necessarily comprehensive; the language varied by region and community with not every recorded sense universally understood. If ever the term “melting pot” could be applied to languages, it was of the way Yiddish forms in the nineteenth & twentieth centuries swirled around New York City, entering (sometimes adapted but usually not) US English and the spreading.
There are those who inherit their tchotchkes, others acquire them while some have the thrust upon them. Albert Speer (1905–1981; Nazi court architect 1934-1942; Nazi minister of armaments and war production 1942-1945) had the typical upper-middle class distaste for kitschy stuff and in his (sometimes reliable) memoir Erinnerungen (Memories or Reminiscences; published in English as Inside the Third Reich (1969)) the presence of not a few tchotchkes in Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945; Führer (leader) and German head of government 1933-1945 & head of state 1934-1945) country house, on Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps, some years before it was enlarged in the sprawling complex centred on the Berghof: “After Berchtesgaden came the steep mountain road full of potholes, until we arrived at Hitler's small, pleasant wooden house on Obersalzberg. It had a wide overhanging roof and modest interior: a dining room, a small living room, and three bedrooms. The furniture was bogus old-German peasant style and gave the house a comfortable petit-bourgeois look. A brass canary cage, a cactus, and a rubber plant intensified this impression. There were swastikas on knickknacks and pillows embroidered by admiring women, combined with, say, a rising sun or a vow of ‘eternal loyalty.’ Hitler commented to me with some embarrassment: ‘I know these are not beautiful things, but many of them are presents. I shouldn't like to part with them.’”
Anastasia Sanchez and Eva Chambers had been members of a number of musical
aggregations and had released some material before in 2020 recruiting Emily Tooraen
as lead guitarist, the trio adopting the name Tchotchke. Most tracks on their eponymous album (2022)
had been recorded prior to Tooraen’s arrival but their second release (Playin'
Dumb) in 2025 included contributions from all three. Working in what’s described as a “retro blend”
of 1960s “pure pop” and sometimes formulaic “playlist-friendly power pop”, the
band often collaborates with fellow New York outfit the Lemon Twigs, both in
packaged recordings and undertaking tours.
Tchotchke’s emphasis on the use of harmonies (a nod to the “girl groups”
of the 1960s) and analogue recording techniques produce a “vintage sonic
aesthetic” (always, their material concurrently is available on vinyl) and
reviewers have noted it works as well with a touch of “old time static” as it
does in the crystal-clear digital version.
Despite the obvious commercial appeal of their “candy-coated” sound, definitely
the trio belong somewhere in the “art house” genre.
Wish You Were a Girl (2022), official music video.
While tempting
(for men at least) to assume the band’s name was chosen as an allusion to the
photogenic qualities of the members, Ms Sanchez said the origin lay in the
fondness she and Ms Chambers have for tchotchkes: “We like tchotchkes and have collections that
are constantly growing. Emily is more of
a minimalist, which has been healing to our hoarding tendencies.” Pleasingly though, an element of nominative
determinism appeared in the in official music video of Wish You Were a Girl (2022) with many tchotchkes included as verisimilitude.
The Volvo 200 series, in production between 1974 and 1993, was the famously robust machine that more than any established the brand in the US; some 2.8 million were built. Available mostly as two & four doors sedans and a five-door station wagon, there were some low-volume variants including LWB (long wheelbase) limousines (supplied mostly to the GDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic; the old East Germany, 1949-1990)) and a distinctive two-door PLC (person luxury coupé) with a lowered roofline (the “chop-top” 262C (1978-1980)). The 262C, designed in-house, was built by in Turin, Italy by Carrozzeria Bertone and although fewer than 7,000 were made, the expensive model was always intended as an exclusive range-topper and was throughout its run a success, demand greatly exceeding the original projections. Visually, the lowered roof-line atop the otherwise brick-like structure made the 262C something of a caricature but the look was less pronounced than the way it was implemented on some of the US PLCs of the 1970s, Imperials and full-sized machines from Chrysler's other divisions featuring the most exaggerated expression of the motif.
Factory publicity shot for 1981 Volvo 262C (left) and 1972 Imperial LeBaron Two-door Hardtop (right). The 262C's “small greenhouse atop large body” was not wholly “un-Volvo like” because the look had been seen on the earlier 1800 coupés (1961-1972) and it reflected the design language of the US PLCs of the 1970s that at times approached absurdity, the ratio of cabin to what lay fore & aft as inefficient as it looked. By comparison with them, the Volvo was better balanced, the most desirable of the 262Cs made in the final season with the unfortunate vinyl roof receiving an overdue banishment. Alone among the 260 range, only the 262C attracts much interest but although of its genre a “minor classic” with many cachets (two doors, lavish interior, limited production, built by a storied Italian coach-building house), the collector market still prices it in the lower range.
Unusually, although among collectors, as a general principle, desirability tends to rise as cylinder-count and displacement increases, it’s the cars powered by Volvo’s (reputedly indestructible) four-cylinder engines that are preferred to those with the PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) “Douvrin” V6 that gained a reputation for thirst, sluggishness and fragility, even before it appeared in the tail of the stainless steel fiasco that was the doomed DMC DeLorean (1981–1983); production of the V6 260 ended in 1984 and in that aspect, the long-running 200 series differed from its predecessor. The 140 Series was produced exclusively in four-cylinder form between 1966 and 1974 but in 1969 the companion 164 appeared, powered by Volvo’s 3.0 litre (182 cubic inch) straight-six. The 164 was highly regarded (a lack of power one of the few complaints about the 140), the robust engine (used also in marine, military, industrial and other applications) a paragon of reliability. Unexpectedly, the 164 remained in (limited) production for a season beyond the retirement of the 140, batches needed for certain markets (notably the US and Japan) while the PRV V6 was made compliant with their more onerous emission rules. That made those PRVs less toxic to the environment but further compromised its dubious reputation, the anti-emission plumbing sapping more of the anyway modest power, the only metrics to increase being fuel consumption and complaints. While to this day the 240 enjoys a cult following, few lamented the demise of the 260 and even at the highest reaches of the company, the PRV seems not to have been admired. Pehr Gyllenhammar (1935–2024) between 1970-1994 served as Volvo’s CEO (chief executive officer) & chairman and his 262C company car was a genuine one-off, fitted not with the PRV but a more vibrant B21ET (a 2.1 litre (130 cubic inch) turbocharged version of the faithful in-line four). In the years since, some owners have followed the chairman’s lead and re-powered their own 262Cs; predictably, several have received a US V8 of some flavor.
The NNN designation system (N=Series; N=Cylinders; N=Doors) was in 1983 simplified so 242, 264, 245 etc was replaced by 240 & 260. The predecessor of the 200 series is a footnote in diplomatic history as what Volvo calls the “biggest car heist in history”. In 1974, a thousand Volvo 144s were ordered by the government of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)) and duly supplied, along with an invoice than went unpaid. The factory got paid by the Swedish state because the transaction had been underwritten by SECA (Swedish Export Credit Agency) but, despite SECA periodically sending “reminder notices” to Kim Il-Sung (Kim I, 1912–1994; Great Leader of DPRK 1948-1994), Kim Jong-Il (Kim II, 1941-2011; Dear Leader of DPRK 1994-2011) and Kim Jong-Un (Kim III, b 1982; Supreme Leader of DPRK since 2011), the invoice remains in SECA’s BD (bad debts) ledger and not even the ownership of Volvo in 2010 passing to the Chinese Geely Group seems to have assisted in extracting money from Pyongyang (Beijing among the few “friends” of the “Hermit Kingdom”). Adding insult to injury, some of the 144s are still in use and the Great Leader, Dear Leader & Supreme Leader never contested the bill; they just ignored the letters of demand.
With interest accumulated over a half-century odd, the total owed is now some US$455 million but despite hacker operation TraderTraitor (known also as the Lazarus Group and allegedly the 414 Liason Office within the DPRK state apparatus) recently stealing a reputed US$6.4 billion in cryptocurrency from the Binance exchange, it’s unlikely the anyone at SECA is expecting a cheque in the mail. Apart from all else, the Supreme Leader has other demands on his purse, photos published by the KCNA (Korean Central News Agency, the DPRK's energetic and highly productive propaganda arm) suggesting Supreme Daughter (Kim Ju Ae, (b circa 2013), by Kim Jong-Un out of Ri Sol-ju (b circa 1988)) has very expensive tastes in clothes, shoes, handbags and such. Still, the DPRK’s in-house hacking operation is making progress, cybersecurity company Elliptic revealing their analysis suggested TraderTraitor was taking a recently emerged approach to cyber-laundering, minting worthless meme tokens simply as “pass-through devices” to move stolen cryptoassets through decentralized exchange liquidity pools, meaning there’s no direct path from wallets holding stolen assets to wallets intended as ultimate recipients. The method’s attraction is its low cost (the tokens created as “throw-aways”) and the convolutions created on the blockchain, the latter making more time-consuming the task of those investigating the heist. The DPRK’s foreign ministry has denied the state engages in any form of hacking and certainly had nothing to do with the “Binance incident” but, just as rule during the Cold War (1948-1911) was “nothing can be confirmed as true until denied by the Kremlin”, the industry seems assured it has found the culprit, the DPRK having “a bit of previous”: An outfit that would steal a thousand Volvos would not be squeamish about pickpocketing Bitcoins.
Yiddish has
enriched English, the words often a “highlight” of the sentence in which they
appear. Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky (b 1973, with whom Bill Clinton (b 1946; POTUS 1993-2001) “did not have sexual relations") was
a good Jewish girl (who got led astray) and one of her emails (discussing gifts Mr Clinton had
purchased from The Black Dog at Martha’s Vineyard and sent her through the office
of his secretary Betty Currie (b 1939)) to college friend Catherine Davis (b
1973) was published in the “Starr report” (Referral
from Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity with the Requirement of
Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c) (1998) by Ken Starr
(1946–2022; independent counsel investigating the Clinton-era Whitewater(gate)
affair and other matters). “Well, I found out
from Betty yesterday that he not only brought me a t-shirt, he got me 2
t-shirts, a hat and a dress!!!! Even
though he's a big schmuck, that is surprisingly sweet – even that he
remembered!” Some other Yiddish
words most frequently used in English include:
Bupkis (or
bubkes): Emphatically nothing or a worthless amount (as a Jewish mother telling
her daughter: “Your new boyfriend isn't
worth bupkis”).
Chutzpah (pronounced
hutz-pah): Impudent nerve, supreme
self-confidence, or audacity.
Glitch: A
minor technical malfunction or sudden error (as in “a glitch in the matrix”).
Klutz: A
clumsy, uncoordinated person (from the Yiddish word for a wooden block or
beam).
Kvell: To
beam with pride and joy, especially over a child or family member.
Kvetch: To
whine, complain, or squeeze out a grievance (a word that might have been coined
for crooked Hillary Clinton (b 1947; US secretary of state 2009-2013).
Mensch: A
good, honorable, and decent person of integrity (rarely used by most people).
Meshuggah
(or meshugener): Crazy or senseless.
Nebbish: A
timid, ineffectual, or unfortunate simpleton.
Nosh: To
snack or nibble on food.
Oy vey: An
interjection expressing dismay, exhaustion, or grief.
Plotz: To
collapse, burst, or explode from overwhelming emotion (laughter, stress, or
anger).
Schlemiel:
A clumsy or chronically incompetent person.
Schlep: To
drag, haul, or travel with great difficulty or heavy effort.
Schlimazel:
A chronically unlucky person (often used in conjunction with “schlemiel”: “The schlemiel spills the soup; the
schlimazel is the one on whom it lands”).
Schmaltz:
Excessive sentimentality or melodrama (most of the reading list for women’s
book clubs).
Schmooze:
To chat in a friendly, conversational way, often to make social connections or
gain an advantage.
Schmuck: A
foolish, obnoxious, or contemptible person (although sometimes used
affectionately of one loved despite their flaws).
Schmutz:
Dirt, grime, or a smudge of filth.
Spiel: An
elaborate, rehearsed, or persuasive sales pitch or story.
Verklempt:
Choked up or overcome with emotion.
Yenta: A nosy, gossipy person or busybody.
There are words that can be synonyms of tchotchke including “trinket”, “ornament”, “kitsch”, “souvenir”, “knick-knack”, “gewgaw” and “bric-à-brac” but the significance of the Yiddish word is it’s so specific in meaning “small & inexpensive”. In that, it differs from “ornament”, “kitsch”, “souvenir”, all terms that can be applied to stuff that can be large and costly (sometimes inexplicably expensive) and differs from “trinket” because there's not the same sense of the dismissive; a trinket intrinsically is “useless” while a tchotchke might fulfil some purpose, even if abstract. Souvenirs, by definition, tended to be “location or event specific” and while tchotchkes certainly could be souvenirs, not all were. In the US, tchotchke also entered the jargon of business, the small toys in breakfast cereal boxes and the stuff in bags handed out in conferences also described thus. So, of all these words there’s a definite “evaluative undertone” and while none are exactly positive, as terms of derision all are fairly mild although “ornament” is an outlier in that ornaments can be both exquisite and expensive so are more like bibelots (by convention, used of stuff both beautiful and expensive). Depending on the context (and item(s)), the term can have a connotation of worthlessness or disposability as well as tackiness: To say: “She’s a collector of porcelain figurines” is neutral whereas: “She collects tchotchkes” probably in the minds of most summons visions of clutter, perhaps a room full of lovingly curated teaspoon collections, all in wall-mounted display cabinets.
