tic
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tic
An involuntary, quick, and repeated muscle movement or vocalization that is often caused by nervousness.
Er hat einen leichten Tic und zuckt manchmal mit dem Augenlid.
He has a slight tic and sometimes his eyelid twitches.
'Der Tic' (the tic) refers to an involuntary muscle movement or a quirk. It is not the English word 'tick', which refers to the sound of a clock, a check mark, or an insect ('die Zecke' — tick).
Sein nervöser Tic ist, ständig mit dem Fuß zu wippen.
His nervous tic is constantly bouncing his foot.
The most common way to talk about a tic is the phrase 'einen Tic haben' (to have a tic/quirk). This construction works for both meanings of the word.
Meine Kollegin hat den Tic, jeden Stift nach Farbe zu sortieren.
My colleague has the quirk of sorting every pen by color.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the fact that it refers to a deliberate but strange action, not an uncontrollable muscle twitch. It is often described as a personal peculiarity.
Es ist ein Tic von meinem Opa, vor dem Essen immer an seinem Glas zu riechen.
It's a quirk of my grandpa's to always smell his glass before eating.
To describe a strange habit, the structure 'Es ist ein Tic von [person in the dative], dass ...' (It is a quirk of [person]'s that ...) is often used.
Es ist ein Tic von ihr, dass sie ihre Bücher immer nach der Größe ordnet.
It's a quirk of hers that she always arranges her books by size.
quirk / tic
'der Tick' and 'der Tic' can mean the same thing in certain senses. Both can describe a quick, involuntary movement or vocalization. In this more medical sense, it is often spelled 'Tic'. In everyday language, 'Tick' is also often used for a strange habit or quirk. 'Tic' can also have this figurative meaning, but it is less common in everyday use. The words are easy to confuse because they sound almost the same and overlap strongly. As a simple guide: for involuntary movements, 'Tic' is very appropriate; for small, quirky habits, 'Tick' sounds more natural in everyday language.
Bei Stress wird Max' Tic stärker, und sein Auge zuckt öfter.
When Max is stressed, his tic gets stronger, and his eye twitches more often.
Alina hat den Tick, ihre Bücher immer nach Farben zu ordnen.
Alina has the quirk of always arranging her books by color.