spruik

Definition

To promote a thing or idea to another person, usually informally.

Etymology

Unknown, likely Germanic. Compare Dutch spraak (“speech”), spreek (“speak”), spreuk (“saying”), sprook (“a story, fiction, tale, or false idea”). First recorded in the late 1890s and early 1900s, suggesting a possible derivation from Afrikaans (i.e. brought back by soldiers returning from the Boer War). With the exception of a few early uses of sprook, the word's spelling has been fixed since it first entered the language. The uncommon ⟨ui⟩ digraph provides further evidence for an Afrikaans or Dutch origin.

Example Sentences

• "There was no spruiking or showmanship, no flash shirts or ten-gallon hats."
• "Lennon spruiks laptop 28 years after his death [title]"
• "It can be a hard job, constantly on your feet, trying to think of things to say to lure people into the store you are spruiking for."