The word of the week: Schneid

Our winner is a loser

December 12, 2017 at 5:16PM

Definition: Sports jargon for a losing streak.

Sample usage: "The team is never going to win the championship, but can't they at least get off the schneid?"

Popularity: It made the official Merriam-Webster dictionary, so it's a real word, not just made-up sports drivel. But it's also quite odd. Injected into popular culture by ESPN announcer Chris Berman, the word typically is attributed to a German insult but actually traces its roots all the way back to Old Norse.

JAMES LILEKS

Interested in other words we've dissected? See more at startribune.com/word.

about the writer

about the writer

James Lileks

Columnist

James Lileks is a Star Tribune columnist.

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