http://wordie.org/words/svengali Comments for the word 'Svengali' http://wordie.org http://wordie.org/words/svengali#comments A character from George du Maurier's 1894 novel <i>Trilby</i> who controls the tone-deaf eponymous heroine's singing voice by means of hypnosis, enabling her to become an international diva. This character's name has become a byword for someone who exerts a controlling influence over another, usually for a sinister purpose. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:05:52 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/svengali#comments