Schtick

A Schtick or shtick is a Yiddish expression which refers to a comic theme.

The term is best explained by giving examples:

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Famous Comedians And Their Schticks

Jack Benny's character on his radio program was notoriously 1) stingy and 2) a bad violin player. In real life, Benny was known as an expert violinist and lavish tipper.

The Blues Brothers, the dark-suited alter egos of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, began as a schtick and grew into a record and two movies.

Johnny Carson's schticks include Karnak the Magnificent, an Indian fortune teller who could divine answers to questions sealed in envelopes and kept in a mayonnaise jar on the front porch of Funk & Wagnalls since earlier that afternoon.

Andrew Dice Clay[?] is a crude mysogynist[?] (at least one hopes this is just his schtick.

Rodney Dangerfield don't get no respect.