Today's Dictionary.com word is tchotchke:
\CHOCH-kuh\, noun:
1) A trinket; a knickknack
Tchotchke. I've never heard the word before, but it brought all kinds of memories of favorite trinkets to mind. My earliest recollection is of a charm bracelet I had as a child. It had silver charms from places I had visited-- Disneyland, the San Francisco Aquarium, the Grand Canyon--as well as places around the world that my father had visited as a pilot. Sadly, that charm bracelet was lost in one of many moves we made as a family while my father was in the Air Force.
Tchotchke. I've never heard the word before, but it brought all kinds of memories of favorite trinkets to mind. My earliest recollection is of a charm bracelet I had as a child. It had silver charms from places I had visited-- Disneyland, the San Francisco Aquarium, the Grand Canyon--as well as places around the world that my father had visited as a pilot. Sadly, that charm bracelet was lost in one of many moves we made as a family while my father was in the Air Force.
One of my very favorite knickknacks was a simple little present my sister, Tami, gave me when for my 16th birthday. She took a little pebble and wrapped it in a piece of toilet paper, and called it "Rock Hudson." It still remember how impressed I was at her cleverness, and I still have that little knickknack today.
When my children were young, my shelves were full of favorite trinkets--like this turtle dish that Adam made in second grade:
Or this flower ornament that Andrea made when she was in her hungry years in college:
One of my favorites is the first thing Stephen ever gave to me:
It's funny, the things we treasure. For me, it's usually something associated with a memory. A piece of jewelry, a framed photo, or something as simple as a sentimental note written on the back of a business card. Whether I still have these tchotchkes or not, I will always have the memories associated with them.
Do you have a favorite tchotchke?
OK, so that's how it's spelled. I've heard the word many, many times and could never find it in the dictionary. Thanks for clearing it up! And I have a zillion of them. Mostly packed away.
ReplyDeleteI first heard that word three years ago when my daughter's friend, Scott, was helping me "stage" my house. I've always said Nic-Naks (not sure that is how it is spelled either!)
ReplyDelete