Pls explain verbal tic e.g. 'Michael Schmichael'

[ianzin]

First person makes reference to someone or something, e.g. “Michael”, second person intends to be disparaging and says “Aw, Michael Schmichael…”, usually with a dismissive pawing gesture.

This pattern, ’ repeat noun + ‘Sch’ prefix ’ …where does it come from? What does it mean, if anything? Why do people do it?

[MEBuckner]

The collision of English and Yiddish has given North America such expressions as Get lost, Scram!, I’m telling you, I need it like a hole in the head, Enjoy!, and Smart he isn’t, many of these expressions - and the sarcastic schm prefix: Oedipus-schmoedipus or actor-schmactor - first evolving in the burlesque theatres of the late nineteenth century. – from this page on Yiddish

schm- prefix substituted for the beginning of consonants of a specific word when forming a
reduplicative pair, and used to reject or deny the importance of that word: I can’t come I’m too old. Old, schmold! You can’t get out of it that easily. [originally US slang (1920s); from the beginning of many Yiddish words] – from the Macquarie Dictionary of Slang

Finally, here’s a linguistics discussion on “contrastive repetition” around the world.

[jaimest]

How would that work on a word that already begins with a “sch” or “schm” sound?

[ianzin]

Thanks for all your help, MEBuckner. I’ve been trying to get some info on this for a while… one post here and bingo! You come up with the goods. All hail the mighty power of the SDMB and its denizens.