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Schmear
SHMEER • Noun / Verb
שמיר
Snappy Essence
A generous spread of cream cheese on a bagel; or modernly, a minor bribe or grease to make a deal happen.
Nuance
To apply cream cheese with extreme, edge-to-edge luxury. In business, it's the 'greasing of the wheels'—giving the building inspector a small favor to speed up the permit review.
Pro-Pronunciation Tip
Rhymes with 'beer' or 'clear'. Let the 'sh' melt smoothly into the 'm' like spreading butter.
Examples in the wild
Classic
"I'll have a toasted sesame bagel with a heavy schmear of chive cream cheese."
Modern Yinglish
"If we want this permit approved by Friday, we might need to offer the city clerk a little schmear."
Mishegas Meter4/10