A prop is a support, and to prop means ‘to support and prevent from falling with or as with a prop’ or ‘to rest a thing against a wall or other means of support.’ Usually followed by up, it also means ‘to support or sustain something.’ Unrelatedly, a prop is a movable object used on stage or in a movie to enrich a performance; in this sense it is short for…
A gimmick is an ingenious or novel device or scheme designed to attract attention. It is also a concealed aspect or feature of a plan or deal. A gimmick is also a hidden mechanical device by which a magician works a trick or a gambler controls a game of chance. In US English, gimmick can also be used as a verb, often followed by up, meaning…
To whizz means ‘to make a humming, buzzing, or hissing sound,’ as might be made by an object flying or moving quickly through air. To move or go quickly making that sound is also to whizz. As a noun, a whizz is both the sound of a whizzing object and a quick movement that produces that sound. Informally, a very skillful person in a particular field is…
