Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. anything mawkish, over-emotional, esp. in show business use.

[1916		Day Book (Chicago) 17 Feb. 20/2: Ted Lightnob played the part of the hot tamale in ‘Schmaltz, the Honest Plumber’].
1937		H. Brook Webb ‘The Sl. of Jazz’ in AS XII:3 184: schmaltz. Synonymous with Long Underwear; opposite of jazz, hot, swing.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 258: It couldn’t have had more schmalz if I had dreamed it up myself.
1961		F. Kohner Gidget Goes Hawaiian 69: Real gooey and full of schmaltz.
1971		A. Buzo The Roy Murphy Show (1973) 122: Slop! Schmaltz! Syrup!
1980		A. Maupin More Tales of the City (1984) 63: Save the schmaltz for Thunder Thighs.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 53: Jack swept Karen onto the floor [...] Karen kept her eyes closed; Jack kept his open – the better to dig the shmaltz.
2000		Indep. Rev. 6 Jan. 13: Infested with a maudlin strain of schmaltz.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 160: It [i.e. a radio show] was schmaltz-fest.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 125: The world’s Monroe World is disingenuous schmaltz.

2. sentimental nonsense.

1942		W.R. Burnett Quick Brown Fox 240: ‘[Y]ou don’t mean to tell me you’re going to stand in my way when I’ve got a wonderful chance like this. [...] I’m a poor man, Mr. Hill, and you’re a rich man.’ ‘Don’t turn on the schmaltz, my friend,’ said Joe. [...] Everybody knows you’ve got plenty money’.
1947		S.J. Perelman ‘How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth’ in Keep It Crisp 140: Get in the groove, fatso. I don’t latch on to that long-hair schmaltz.
1960		Mad mag. Apr. 33: That’s how I make my share of the take / Writing schmaltz for the street of the ads.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 52: They never left off bunging me a load of old schmultz about how inspired they had become.
1963		in T.I. Rubin Sweet Daddy 34: You don’t dig this love schmaltz, do you?
1975		J. Ryan Remembering How We Stood 74: A myth that [...] is typical of the kind of smaltz that infests the more yellow journalism on such melancholy occasions.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 200: Schmaltz Flattery, insincere pleasantries, or ‘bull’ (Yiddish).
1988		M. Atwood Cat’s Eye (1989) 235: I have developed a searing contempt for gushiness and schmaltz.
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 156: That movie is so full of schmaltz.
[1995		R. Campbell Wizard of La-La Land (1999) 6: ‘You don’t have to drown me in chicken fat,’ Rialto said].
2000		Guardian Guide 26 Feb.–3 Mar. 77: Any schmaltz that does creep in is quickly forgiven.