Dictionary

spruik en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /spɹuːk/

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.

Meanings

1. (Australia, transitive) To promote a thing or idea to another person, usually informally.
   • 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. 2011, Kylie Ofiu, “Work as a spruiker”, in 365 Ways to Make Money, page 120:
   • There was no spruiking or showmanship, no flash shirts or ten-gallon hats. 1948, Louis Esson, Louis Esson and the Australian Theatre, page 18:
   • Lennon spruiks laptop 28 years after his death [title] 2008 December 30, “Lennon spruiks laptop 28 years after his death”, in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Forms

Deriveds

spruiker

Synonyms

tout (promote something to someone) · pitch (promote something to someone) · pimp (promote something to someone) · hawk (promote something to someone)

Translations (1)

sh uvaljivati (to promote a thing or idea)