What is the origin, and correct spelling of, “shtook”?

Question

I quite frequently use a word that sounds like "shtook", to mean, trouble with the law or other authorities, as in, "You'll be in dead shtook if you do that" or "you'll be in real shtook if you don't finish your homework", but I have never seen it written, and don't know how it is spelt.

Can anyone shed some light on the matter. A search like this doesn't get very far; the real dictionaries don't recognise it and the Urban Dictionary here has only a typically obscene interpretation not in the least bit like I remember it.

Answer 1

The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English has this:

shtuck; schtuck; schtook; stuk noun trouble. Not Yiddish despite appearances, although probably formed on the Yiddish model of a reduplicated word commencing with a ‘sh’ sound, in which case ‘shtuck’ is a variant of ‘stuck’ (in a difficult situation) UK, 1936.

The OED agrees, "origin unknown: app. not a Yiddish word".

Answer 2

I recall members of my family (Romany background, Cockney slang influence?) referring to a schtook, a piece of cloth which was tied around the neck, which makes sense in that if you were in schtook you'd be up to your neck in trouble.

Answer 3

Clive James in The North Face of Soho mentions the first time he heard this word when it was used by television producer Paul Knight in the 60s in London. He used to say they were in 'deep shtuk' although this was later amended to 'deep Took' as their somewhat unimpressed boss was Barry Took.

Answer 4

I've done a little bit of research about this "shtook" slung term and it looks like the Yiddish origin cannot be ruled out so easily.

To sum it up, I've come to the conclusion that the most probable origin is an abbreviation of the phrase shtuck dreck which means piece of crap and it comes from the Jewish community.

Here is some supporting evidence.

1. Wikipedia has an list of article titled "English words used by English-speaking Jews. One entry reads:

shtick dreck – literally "a piece of dirt" (see Dreck), but usually applied to a person who is hated because of the antisocial things he has done: "He's a real shtuck dreck." Possibly shtick dreck: a piece of crap. Cf. German Stück Dreck.

NB: In German: Ein Stück means "a piece of" and Dreck in Yiddish means "excrement". Hence the often seen deep in "in deep shtuck". Speaks for itself.

2. The slang dictionary also postulates a Yiddish origin.

shtuk/shtook/stook/schtuk  in trouble. A very widespread expression which moved from a restricted demi-monde and theatrical usage to common currency in the mid-1960s, partly through its use in the entertainment media. Shtuk in its various spellings is Yiddish for difficulties. ‘In shtuk’ often refers to financial difficulties.

3. I also found in the usenet archives at Google (formerly dejanews) the expression used in the soc.culture.jewish news group:

They really do stick to their shtuck drek.

4. One possible reason why the word might be deemed as non Yiddish is because it is supposed to come from London (as opposed to NY). However I also found this interpretation:

...are ubiquitous in the East End (London) but seem to have been particularly strong around the Bethnal Green/Spittalfields market areas. There is (or was) a strong Jewish immigrant presence in that quarter. It seems quite possible to me that 'shtook' is a joint Cockney-Yiddish development

So despite the Partridge Slang dictionary I'd go for the Yiddish/German origin.

Answer 5

Poking around Google hits for "shtook" I found "schtuck" which is just "stuck" with a goofy pronunciation.

Haha, now you're schtuck.

"Shtook" and its many variants seem common enough to credit but my childhood was probably using "stuck".

Answer 6

Perhaps you mean the Yiddish term shtuk:

in shtuk/shtook/stook/schtuk in trouble. A very widespread expression which moved from a restricted demi-monde and theatrical usage to common currency in the mid-1960s, partly through its use in the entertainment media. Shtuk in its various spellings is Yiddish for difficulties. ‘In shtuk’ often refers to financial difficulties.