Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A lengthy or extravagant speech or argument usually intended to persuade.
- intransitive & transitive verb To talk or say (something) at length or extravagantly.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A game; play; a curling-match.
- noun Talk; a yarn; lingo; patter.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
lengthy andextravagant speech orargument usuallyintended topersuade . - noun A fast excuse or sales pitch.
- verb To
talk at length.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb replay (as a melody)
- noun plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)
- verb speak at great length (about something)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Our standard spiel is to describe our work in the region.
Wonk Room » Goldberg: Talking About Israel With Arabs Is Hate Speech 2009
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The spiel is a mix of ecology, myth-busting (water moccasins are not found in this region) and safety tips (most bites occur when someone is trying to catch the snake).
Michael Shwedick's career handling reptiles came from childhood fascination Steve Hendrix 2010
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The spiel is a mix of ecology, myth-busting (water moccasins are not found in this region) and safety tips (most bites occur when someone is trying to catch the snake).
Michael Shwedick's career handling reptiles came from childhood fascination Steve Hendrix 2010
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Today the sales spiel is that variation (a) isn't a safe bet, either, because "minor league" soccer on the West Coast may be ending soon.
New pitch for Paulson: No new stadium, no summer sports at all (Jack Bog's Blog) 2009
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Today the sales spiel is that variation (a) isn't a safe bet, either, because "minor league" soccer on the West Coast may be ending soon.
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The spiel is a mix of ecology, myth-busting (water moccasins are not found in this region) and safety tips (most bites occur when someone is trying to catch the snake).
Michael Shwedick's career handling reptiles came from childhood fascination Steve Hendrix 2010
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Teenagers saving the world spiel is seen all too often, but O.K.,
Archive 2008-05-01 2008
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Teenagers saving the world spiel is seen all too often, but O.K.,
Robert V.S. Redick - The Red Wolf Conspiracy (Book Review) 2008
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"Her spiel is about relationships and making the best of your relationships."
Funny stuff 2008
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That spiel from the photographer about his battle against sexual inequalities and such is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to get some feminist backside waving in front of his semi-erect self, and to get some hench pictures of boobies and so forth.
azd commented on the word spiel
verb, to reel off; recite : he solemnly spieled all he knew.
April 8, 2007
silas commented on the word spiel
German
das Spiel (n.) - a game; backlash
spielen (v.) - to play
I had never seen this word in writing before, except in German class. Then, one day, trying to write about someone who had given a spiel, I looked it up and could not believe they were spelled exactly the same way. I will always feel odd using this word now.
September 19, 2009