GAMBIT

noun Etymology: Italian gambetto, literally, act of tripping someone, from gamba leg, from Late Latin gamba, camba, from Greek kampē bend; probably akin to Gothic hamfs maimed, Lithuanian kampas corner Date: 1656 a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position, 2. a. a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point, topic , a calculated move ; stratagem