Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a facetious pfx, used to nullify the word (and thus the statement) to which it is appended.

1949		I. Shulman Cry Tough! 60: ‘He dresses warm,’ his wife said. ‘Warm, shmarm,’ her husband replied angrily.
1953		S. Bellow Augie March (1996) 149: Oh, fooey, no. What bushwah! Love, shmuv!
1955		Mad mag. Aug.–Sept. 48: Stark Club, Shmark Club, this is still a saloon.
1958		Murtagh & Harris Cast the First Stone 234: Ain’t we the fancy schmancies? Pink prison bars yet.
1960		P. Rabe Murder Me for Nickels (2004) 25: All right, friends, shmends.
1960		J. Havoc Early Havoc 228: ‘It’s not like vaudeville or stock — it’s not legit!’ ‘Legit, schlegit!’ Bobby mocked.
1961		T.I. Rubin In the Life 2: ‘What’s to think?’ ‘Choice, schmoice.’.
1969		Nard n’ Pat [comic strip] Well fuck that shit! Vagabond Schmagabond!
1970		D. Mitchell Thumb Tripping (1971) 141: Kill it, schmill it!
1972		C. Bukowski Erections, Ejaculations etc. 370: ‘I have to go to work early tomorrow morning.’ ‘Work. Smerk. The Turk lurked and jerked.’.
1978		L. Kramer Faggots 36: Closets, schmosets, everyone’s out of the closet.
1985–6		J. Stahl ‘Finnegan’s Waikiki’ in Love Without (2007) 140: The chemo, the shmeemo, the operations, the examinations.
1988		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 8: schm- [...] College-Schmollege.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 141: fancy-shmancy. Too fancy, pretentious.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 294: ‘I didn’t think you’d heard of me.’ ‘Heard, shmeard, word gets out.’.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 294: ‘I can recommend competent alternate counsel.’ ‘Alternate, shmalternate . . . I want you on this appeal, Sidney.’.
2000		Penguin Book of All-New Aus. Jokes 159: Commitment Schmittment (formerly Wedlock Schmedlock).
2008		T. Dorsey Atomic Lobster 173: ‘You mean I can actually meet him?’ ‘Meet him, shmeet him.’.
2013		T. Dorsey Riptide Ultra-Glide 145: ‘Always the character! Full of moxie!’ [...] ‘Moxie, schmoxie, I’m completely serious’.
2014		M. Miner ‘The Hurt Business’ in ThugLit July [ebook] [E]verything looks like an old church. Fancy-shmancy.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 538: ‘Centuwies schmentuwies. Tha’s your time - not my time’.