(especially in comic acting) a routine or piece of business inserted to gain a laugh or draw attention to oneself.
2.
one's special interest, talent, etc.
Also, shtik.
Origin
1955-60; < Yiddishshtik pranks, whims, literally, piece < Middle High Germanstücke,Old High Germanstucki (GermanStück); cf. stucco
Examples from the web for shtick
Many took his often cringe-inducing behaviour as a kind of loopy shtick.
Much neater and logical framework than the usual money in politics shtick.
Her shtick demonstrates that she's a keen observer of all that sucks around us.
Or you can have a fresh shtick, something that kicks convention to the curb.
It's been done before, but these funny, relatively unknown actors make the bickering investigators' shtick seem fresh again.
In conversation, this is quirky and funny, but on the blog her clowning can sometimes read as shtick.
They have an adherence to eccentricity that often borders on shtick.
But almost nobody has acknowledged the shtick, or the nostalgia, or the foot stamping of these old guys.
At first they think they are in jail and start to perform their shtick to ingratiate themselves with their fellow inmates.
The excitement is offset by the deliberate cheesiness of the professor's merry shtick.
British Dictionary definitions for shtick
shtick
/ʃtɪk/
noun
1.
(slang) a comedian's routine; act; piece
Word Origin
C20: from Yiddish shtik piece, from Middle High German stücke
Word Origin and History for shtick
n.
also schtick, 1959, from Yiddish shtik "an act, gimmick," literally "a piece, slice," from Middle High German stücke "piece, play," from Old High German stucki (see stock (n.1)).
Slang definitions & phrases for shtick
shtick
noun
A small theatrical role or part of a role; a piece of theatrical ''business''; bit: It turned out to be a nice little ''shtick''(1961+ Show business)
A characteristic trait of performance or behavior; a typical personal feature: To each his own schtick. Chapman performs his with gusto(1968+ Show business)
A clever device; gadget, gimmick: The ''shtick'' is that the taped remarks of a number of political figures are tacked onto questions dreamed up by writers(1966+)
One's special area of interest or activity; bag, scene: Post-post literary theory is not my shtick(1968+)