the.com/gimmick
A clever trick disguised as substance, hoping you won't notice the difference.
means A novel or eye-catching feature meant to attract attention or sell something, often shallow.
from American carnival slang from the 1920s, possibly an anagram of magic, naming the hidden gadget that secretly rigged a game wheel.
Rigged originsOriginally the concealed device cheating you at carnivals.
Magic theoryLikely scrambled letters of the word magic.
Now neutralMarketing softened it from con to mere hook.