spiel n : plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson) [syn: patter, line of gab]

1 replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" [syn: play]

2 speak at great length (about something)

see Spiel

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːl

Etymology

The word has two possible etymologies:

• from the Scots word for game, competition, or (sporting) match http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?query=spiel&sset=1&fset=20&printset=20&searchtype= from the German Spiel
• from a Yiddish language word used in prison culture(from the German Spiel), an evolutionary stage between rap and hip hop and the earlier chain gang songs influenced by gospel and Afro-Caribbean music.

Noun

1. A lengthy and extravagant speech or argument usually intended to persuade.
2. A fast excuse or sales pitch.

Verb

1. To talk at length.

Usage notes

In the United States spiel is used to describe the protean rap music vocalizations in the 1960s, for example as used by The Last Poets. It is also used by Lenny Bruce to describe his beat era comedy routines.

In Scotland it is used in Scots or Scottish English linguistic contexts, for example in the expression "wheesht yer spiel", meaning "shut up". It is also used to refer to a curling match held between members of the same club or community, as opposed to a bonspiel which refers to a curling match between teams, clubs or communities.

Internationale Spieltage SPIEL, often called Essen after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day game trade fair held in October (Thursday to the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen. Many german-style board games are released at the fair.

Unlike the other major German game fair, the Nuremberg International Toy Fair, Spiel is open to consumers as well as publishers and designers. The fair often has over 130,000 guests with 151,000 in 2006, although numbers were low in 2007 due to a German rail strike.

The Deutscher Spiele Preis, the International Gamers Awards, and Essen Feather are presented at the fair.

It is reputedly the biggest and best public show for boardgames, card games and CCGs, with designers and publishers demonstrating their newest games, retailers selling games at discount, and a large fleamarket with a wide range of new and used games. In addition, there is usually a hall of comic book sellers, and one or two halls with RPGs and live action material, and a hall of large inflatables and activities for kids. The show sometimes has computer games, but these are unusual.

The exhibition centre is called the Messe Essen, also know as the Gruga Halle or the fairgrounds. It is in an area of Essen called Margarethenhöhe, in the South of the city.

See also

• Spellenspektakel, a similar but smaller fair in the Netherlands

References

External links

• Spiel homepage
• Essen 2006 preview by Rick Thornquist

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