Tchotchke

The word tchotchke derives from a Slavic word for "trinket" ( ; , ; ; ; ), adapted to Yiddish singular . A wide variety of spellings exist for the English usage of the term, such as tchatchke, tshotshke, tshatshke, tchachke, tchotchka, tchatchka, chachke, tsotchke, chotski, and chochke; the standard Yiddish transliteration is tsatske or tshatshke. In YIVO standard orthography, it is spelled טשאַטשקע. In Israeli Hebrew it is often spelled , , with a tsade instead of teth-shin, as in Yiddish. A Hebrew variant is צ׳אצ׳קע, using צ (tsade) with a geresh to represent the sound . == Alternative meanings and context ==

Depending on the context, the term has a connotation of worthlessness or disposability as well as tackiness. A common confusion is between the terms tchotchke and tsatske or rather tsatskele, with the diminutive ending -le. Both terms have the same Slavic root. Tchotchke usually references trinkets, while tsatskele is more likely to mean a young girl or woman who uses her charms to reach her goals. Being Yiddish, the meaning can change by the use of gestures and a change in tone, so that tsatskele can become the favorite child. Leo Rosten, author of The Joys of Yiddish, also documents a sense of tchotchke as meaning a young girl, a "pretty young thing", as well as noting pejorative usage ("a loose or kept woman"; "a sexy but brainless broad"). == See also ==