Svengali
noun

- a person who exercises a controlling influence on another, especially for a sinister purpose

The Oxford English Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "svengali" is an invented word, first used in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. The character of Svengali is a Jewish magician and musician who uses his powers of hypnosis and persuasion to control the life and career of the young, talented singer Trilby.

The word "svengali" is now commonly used to refer to any person who exerts a powerful and controlling influence over another, often for their own personal gain. The term is often used in a negative sense, to suggest that the Svengali figure is manipulative and exploitative.

The exact origin of the word "svengali" is unclear. Some sources suggest that it may be a combination of the Yiddish words for "magic" (shvester) and "master" (galii). Others believe that it may be a reference to the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Viotti, who was known for his hypnotic stage presence.

Whatever its origin, the word "svengali" has become firmly established in the English language, and it is a useful word for describing any person who exercises an undue or sinister influence over another.

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MODERN USAGE

Nowadays, the word "svengali" is not always applied exactly in line with the dictionary definition... it is often used more broadly to describe a person who has control over others, whether with evil intent or not.

- In close-up magic, a SVENGALI DECK (also known as a tapered deck, wizard deck, or stripper deck) allows the magician to control the main location of a card or group of cards easily within the pack. Even after being shuffled into the deck by a spectator, the magician can cut to a selected card or miraculously move a card to a specific location.

- In an Olivier Award–winning live show titled SVENGALI in 2012, the British mentalist Derren Brown used an automaton called Svengali on stage that he claimed was made in the late 1700s.

- In a court of law, a SVENGALI DEFENCE is a legal tactic that claims the defendant is a victim of a greater and more influential, criminal mastermind.

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