English Reference

Word

kramer

Phoneticskramer

/ˈkɹeɪmɝ/

Definition

v. to enter a room or a house very suddenly and with a lot of energy, often without knocking.

v. To enter a space with a sudden, high-energy, and physically dramatic motion. This intransitive verb is an eponym based on the character Cosmo Kramer's signature entrance style in the television show Seinfeld.

Examples

“He likes to kramer into the office every morning.”

“The audience cheered every time the character would kramer through the door without knocking.”

“While the script called for a subtle entrance, the actor chose to kramer into the scene, immediately shifting the energy of the entire performance with his frantic physical presence.”

Examples

simple

“He likes to kramer into the office every morning.”

contextual

“The audience cheered every time the character would kramer through the door without knocking.”

complex

“While the script called for a subtle entrance, the actor chose to kramer into the scene, immediately shifting the energy of the entire performance with his frantic physical presence.”

Usage

The verb is intransitive and usually takes the preposition 'into' or 'in'.

Teaching tip

This is a cultural reference to the 1990s sitcom Seinfeld. While recognizable to many native speakers, it is very informal and best used when joking with friends who know the show.

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch Kramer and German Krämer.

In reference to the televion sitcom Seinfeld, where the character Cosmo Kramer often suddenly enters unannounced.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synonyms

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Frequent
Updated
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Slang, Informal, American English

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