schmear

English edit

Alternative forms edit

shmear, schmeer, shmeer

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Yiddish שמיר (shmir, “smear, spread”); compare German schmieren. Doublet of smear.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ʃmɪə(ɹ)/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Noun edit

schmear (plural schmears)

A spread that goes on a bagel.
A batch of things that go together.
- 1994, United States. Congress. Joint Economic Committee, Field Hearing: Defense Conversion: Hearing..., page 21:
  So you can buy a la carte programming, or you can buy the whole schmear.
An aggregate.

Verb edit

schmear (third-person singular simple present schmears, present participle schmearing, simple past and past participle schmeared)

To spread something, often a bagel spread.
(slang, transitive) To bribe.
- 1969, Morris Renek, Siam Miami, page 131:
  "What happened?"
  "Nothing."
  "How could nothing happen if you're not with her? Listen, did you grease that d.j.?"
  "No."
  "You didn't schmear him? You think the world owes you a living?"
- 2003, Lawrence Block, Small Town, page 638:
  […] I slipped the guy a hundred dollars."
  "You had to schmear him to sell you a patch?"

Anagrams edit

Marches, charmes, machers, marches, mesarch