[Idiom] live your gimmick

maiabulela · Jan 1, 2012

Dear all,

What is the meaning of the expression "to live your gimmick"??

Thanks a lot.

billmcd · Jan 1, 2012

maiabulela said:
Dear all,

What is the meaning of the expression "to live your gimmick"??

Thanks a lot.

Probably means to be unique in your skills, talent or some aspect of your life that would separate you from others.

maiabulela · Jan 2, 2012

billmcd said:
Probably means to be unique in your skills, talent or some aspect of your life that would separate you from others.

how it has a negative connotation in my context? His friends try to advice him "If you live your gimmick too much, you will end up losing yourself. You have to be able to present your character without living it 14/7"

Thanks a lot.

JohnParis · Jan 2, 2012

Hello Maiabulela,

I don't pick up any negative context attributed to "gimmick" in your sentence.
Gimmick is an American word from the 1920's (gimmick : Oxford Dictionaries Pro) and it means a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade.
Without more context I can only guess that your sentence is speaking about actors that adopt a character to such a degree that it becomes a part of their life. They become the character and they lose their own personality/identity.

An informal synonym for gimmick is "shtick." (shtick : Oxford Dictionaries Pro)

billmcd · Jan 2, 2012

maiabulela said:
how it has a negative connotation in my context? His friends try to advice him "If you live your gimmick too much, you will end up losing yourself. You have to be able to present your character without living it 14/7"

Thanks a lot.

A person's "gimmick", if they have one at all, isn't necessarily considered a good one. For example, a person can be consistently confident in everything they do but also boastful in the way they act and are perceived by others.

emsr2d2 · Jan 2, 2012

maiabulela said:
how it has a negative connotation in my context? His friends try to advice him "If you live your gimmick too much, you will end up losing yourself. You have to be able to present your character without living it 14/7"

Thanks a lot.

It's not the gimmick itself that might be negative, but it's suggesting that "living the gimmick" all the time is not a good thing. That's where the potential negativity lies. If you have some kind of gimmicky behaviour and you do it all the time, it stops being a gimmick.

I assume the piece says "24/7" not "14/7", by the way.

maiabulela · Jan 2, 2012

emsr2d2 said:
It's not the gimmick itself that might be negative, but it's suggesting that "living the gimmick" all the time is not a good thing. That's where the potential negativity lies. If you have some kind of gimmicky behaviour and you do it all the time, it stops being a gimmick.

I assume the piece says "24/7" not "14/7", by the way.

Yes. You got me now. You are totally right. But really can you explain how can a person live his gimmick all the time? what is the difference. I'm still struggling to get it. how can it be positive and how can it be negative according to what you've kindly said? Can you give me an example?

Thanks a lot.

emsr2d2 · Jan 2, 2012

OK, let's say that my gimmick is that I'm good at doing impressions (impersonations) of famous people - I can make my voice sound like The Queen of England, or Angelina Jolie, or Brad Pitt!

If I only do it occasionally, perhaps at someone's birthday party or just for fun at Christmas, then it's still a gimmick.

However, if I start to do it all the time, every day, to everyone and at any occasion, even just in my house while eating my breakfast, then it stops being a gimmick and just becomes my regular, normal (and rather boring) behaviour.

maiabulela · Jan 2, 2012

emsr2d2 said:
OK, let's say that my gimmick is that I'm good at doing impressions (impersonations) of famous people - I can make my voice sound like The Queen of England, or Angelina Jolie, or Brad Pitt!

If I only do it occasionally, perhaps at someone's birthday party or just for fun at Christmas, then it's still a gimmick.

However, if I start to do it all the time, every day, to everyone and at any occasion, even just in my house while eating my breakfast, then it stops being a gimmick and just becomes my regular, normal (and rather boring) behaviour.

I totally got the meaning. So can we say that "gimmick" here is like a "gift" or a "talent"?

billmcd · Jan 2, 2012

maiabulela said:
I totally got the meaning. So can we say that "gimmick" here is like a "gift" or a "talent"?

....or possibly an annoyance.

Barb_D · Jan 2, 2012

I would be something you DO that is outside of "normal" behavior. It doesn't have to be a talent.

[Idiom] live your gimmick

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