variants
or less commonly schmalz
1
: extremely or excessively sentimental music or art
" … It's not showbiz schmaltz; it's a story about the battle to overcome hardship. … "—Elton John
A lot of people make fun of this show, pegging it as pure schmaltz.—ReadWriteWeb (online)
"Doin' It" is both ridiculous schmaltz and a luscious rap song that sounds like a 5:45 p.m. sunset over Gotham City.—Pete Tosiello
2
: sentimentality sense 1
There is a hint of schmaltz, in the best possible sense—an unabashed emotionalism that puts meat on the bones of the music without violating its essential spirit.—Louise T. Guinthe
… the arrangements balanced smoky jazz and soft pop without turning to abstraction or schmaltz.—Rolling Stone (online)
Steven Moffat has written a heart-warming drama, free of schmaltz and sentiment …—Patrick Mulkern
A sprinkling of schmaltz is expected—nay, needed—in an emotional extravaganza like this, and you couldn't put together a better cast …—Brian Truitt
3
: rendered animal fat and especially chicken fat
When it's properly made, schmaltz has a brawny, roasted character that comes from the bits of poultry skin that brown in the pan.—Melissa Clark
"Schmaltz is a basic tenet of Jewish culture. In the real kosher home you couldn't use butter if you were eating meat, so you had schmaltz."—Stan Zimmerman
There's also the schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) vs. vegetable oil debate. Tastier matzo balls are made with schmaltz.—John Kessler
schmaltzy
ˈshmȯlt-sē
adjective
ˈshmält-
… if Mr. [Victor] Young's scores for The Uninvited, Love Letters, and My Foolish Heart are schmaltz, then my musical taste is unabashedly schmaltzy.
—Andrew Sarris
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share