Gimmick
/ˈɡɪmɪk/noun
A trick or device used to attract attention, or a gimmicky gimmick or feature.
Did you know?The word first showed up in American slang in the early 20th century, probably from carnival and magic-shop jargon, where a ‘gimmick’ meant a secret device or sleight-of-hand contraption.
Etymological Timeline
Early 20th Century
English
gimmick
“A trick, device, or secret contrivance used to deceive or attract attention.”
Late 19th Century
English (slang)
gimcrack
“A showy but useless trinket or contrivance; a flimsy decorative object.”
19th Century
English (slang)
gim
“A trick or device; a variant slang base sometimes cited in early attestations.”
Origin uncertain
English
?
“The exact source is unclear, but it is often linked to earlier slang and possibly to terms used by gamblers, magicians, and confidence tricksters.”