Gimmick or gimac, either way it’s spelled, a gimmick is a gadget or idea that gives you an advantage.
The second spelling is an anagram of magic.
The word comes from the language of professional magicians and means a small, secret device, like a mirror or sliding panel, that makes an illusion possible.
Carnival barkers picked up gimac in the 1920s as a reference to a hidden control over their wheels of chance that ensured the wheel would stop when the barkers wanted it to stop.
Today, a gimmick is most often used in advertising or selling, but it’s still part of an illusion.
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