Deriving its name from the linguistic term double negative, a double schmegative is a rhetorical device formed by following any word with a rhyming word in which the first consonant or consonant blend of the word is replaced with schm. The effect is to deride or dismiss the usage of the word or the idea that the word conveys.
For example, if a stadium employee were asked to show his ticket, the double schmegative response might be, “Ticket, schmicket - I work here!”
The exact origins of the double schmegative are not known; however, it is most likely the product of American urban immigrant culture, most notably east-coast Jewish culture. The use of “schm” is reminiscent of Yiddish phonetic style (e.g., schmendrick, schlemiel, schmuck, etc.), and its use is common among Jewish people, as well as among people of all ethnicities living in America’s northeast.
In 2003, actress Fran Drescher published her second book, Cancer Schmancer about her successful battle with uterine cancer. Since then, Drescher has founded the Cancer Schmancer Movement and a foundation of the same name.
In the 1993 episode of Seinfeld (The Implant), Jerry’s best friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander), while attending a funeral, responds to the kind words of the priest about the comfort George has given his (hope-to-be) his girlfriend, Betsy, by saying, “Oh - comfort, schmomfort. Listen, Father, can I ask you a question . . .?”