Sunday, September 25, 2011

Word of the Day - "Tchotchke"



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.

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?

2 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. I 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!)

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