This is a list of words that have entered the English language from the
Yiddish language, many of them by way of
American English. There are differing approaches to the
romanization of
Yiddish orthography (which uses the
Hebrew alphabet); thus, the spelling of some of the words in this list may be variable (for example, shlep is a variant of schlep, and shnozz, schnoz).
Background
Yiddish is a
Germanic language, originally spoken by
Jews in
Central and later
Eastern Europe, written in the Hebrew alphabet, and containing a substantial substratum of
Hebrew words as well as numerous loans from
Slavic languages.[1] For that reason, some of the words listed originated in Hebrew or Slavic languages, but have entered English via Yiddish.
Yiddish is closely related to modern German, and many Yiddish words have German
cognates; in some cases it is difficult to tell whether a particular word was borrowed from Yiddish or from German. Yiddish is written in the Hebrew alphabet, and Yiddish words may be
transliterated into
Latin spelling in a variety of ways; the transliterated spelling of Yiddish words and the conventional spelling of German are usually different, but the pronunciations are frequently the same (e.g., שוואַרץ, shvarts in Yiddish is pronounced the same way as schwarz in German).
Many of these words have slightly different meanings and usage in English from the Yiddish originals. For example, chutzpah usually has a negative connotation in Yiddish, meaning improper audacity, while in English it is more positive. In Yiddish, שלעפּ, shlep is usually a
transitive verb for carrying (or dragging) something else, while the English word, schlep, is also used as an
intransitive verb, for dragging oneself, and as a
noun for an insignificant person or hanger-on. In Yiddish, גליטש, glitsh means 'slip', while in English, glitch means malfunction.
List of words
This section has an unclear
citation style. The reason given is: External links do not belong in body text; also, Bartleby/AHD links are broken. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of
citation and
footnoting.(March 2017) (
Learn how and when to remove this message)
These English words of Yiddish origin, except as noted, are in the online editions of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (AHD), or the Merriam-Webster dictionary (MW). The parentheses-enclosed information at the end of each word's entry starts with the original Yiddish term in
Hebrew script, the
Latin scripttransliteration, and the literal English translation (if different from the English definition given earlier). This may be followed by additional relevant languages (mostly Hebrew and German). One or more dictionary references appear at the end.
alter kacker or alte kacker (Yid. אַלטער קאַקער): literally "old crapper". Sometimes abbreviated as AK or A.K. (
[1]); equivalent to English "old fart".[2]
B
Bagel: A ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling or steaming, and then baking, the dough (from
Yiddish: בײגל,
romanized: beygl, from Old High German boug with diminutive -el suffix; OED,
MW).
Balabusta, balabosta, balebosta (Yid. בעל־הביתטע): a Jewish mistress of the house; usually applied with positive connotations
MW).
Blintz: A sweet cheese-filled crepe (בלינצע, blintse, from
Belarusian: блінцы,
romanized: blincy,
lit. 'pancakes' (plural);
AHD).
Bris: The circumcision of a male child. (ברית, bris, from
Hebrew: ברית,
romanized: brith,
lit. 'covenant'; OED,
MW)
broigus (Yid. ברוגז broygez): (n) a bitter feud of anger; (adj.) angry, irritated; from Hebrew ברוגז (berogez, "angry") (
OED)
Boychik: Boy, young man. (English boy + Eastern Yiddish: טשיק, -chik, diminutive suffix (from
Slavic);
AHD)
bubbeleh (Yid. באָבעלע): a term of endearment; esp. for a young boy-child or elderly relative (
OED)
Bupkis (also Bupkes, Bupkus, Bubkis, Bubkes): Emphatically nothing, as in 'He isn't worth bupkis' (באָבקעס, bobkes; of uncertain origin (OED); perhaps originally meaning '[goat] droppings', from a word meaning 'beans', of Slavic origin)[3] (
MW, OED)
C
cholent, cholnt, tcholent, etc. (Yid. טשאָלנט tsholnt): traditional slow-simmering
Sabbath stew prepared overnight (
OED,
AHD,
MW)
Daven: To recite Jewish liturgical prayers (דאַוונען, davnen;
AHD)
Dreck, drek: Worthless, distasteful, or nonsensical material (דרעק, drek, from Middle High
German: drec,
lit. 'rubbish'; cognate with German: Dreck, 'dirt, filth';
AHD,
MW)
Dybbuk: The
malevolent spirit of a dead person that enters and controls a living body until exorcised (דבּוק, dibbuk, 'a latching-onto';
AHD)
Fleishig: Made with meat (פֿליישיק, fleyshik, 'meaty', from fleysh, 'meat'; cf. German: fleischig, 'meaty';
MW)
frum (Yid. פֿרום): adjective; religious, observant of Judaism laws (cf. German "Fromm" = pious) (
OED)
G
Ganef or Gonif: A thief, scoundrel, rascal (גנבֿ, ganev/ganef, 'thief', from Hebrew: גנב, gannav;
AHD)
Gelt/ɡɛlt/: Money in general; also the
chocolate coins given to children on
Hanukkah (געלט, gelt, 'money'; cognate with German: Geld, 'money'; related to 'gold';
AHD)
Glitch: A minor malfunction (גליטש, glitsh, from גליטשן, glitshn, 'slide'; cf. German: glitschen, 'slither';
AHD)
Golem: A man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster (גלם, goylem, from Hebrew: גלם, gōlem; OED,
MW)
Goy: A
gentile, term for someone not of the Jewish faith or people (גוי; plural גויים or גוים, goyim; from Hebrew: גויים or גוים, goyim, 'nations', plural of גוי, goy, 'nation';
AHD)
Kibitz/ˈkɪbɪts/: To offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, hence a kibitzer, gossip (קיבעצן, kibetsn; cf. German: kiebitzen, may be related to German: Kiebitz, '
lapwing'; OED,
MW)
Klezmer, instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe (
OED)
Klutz: A clumsy person (קלאָץ, klots, 'wooden beam'; cf. German: Klotz, 'block'; OED,
MW)
Knish/kəˈnɪʃ/: A doughy snack stuffed with potato, meat, or cheese (קניש, from
Polish: knysz;
MW,
AHD)
Kosher: Correct according to Jewish law, normally used in reference to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from כּשר, kašer/kasher;
AHD)
Kvell: To express great pleasure combined with pride (קװעלן, kveln, from an old Germanic word; cognate with German: quellen, 'swell'; OED,
MW)
Kvetch/kəˈvɛtʃ/: to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains (קװעטשן, kvetshn, 'press/squeeze'; cognate with German: quetschen, 'squeeze'; OED,
MW)[4] There is also a connection[vague] to the Hebrew and Aramaic
radix "k.w.z",[clarification needed] meaning "squeeze".[5]
Mazel tov, also Mazal tov: Congratulations! (מזל־טובֿ, mazl-tov, from Hebrew מזל טוב, mazzāl ṭōv: מזל, mazzāl, 'fortune' or 'luck' + טוב, ṭōv, 'good'; OED,
MW:Hebrew)
Megillah: A tediously detailed discourse (מגלה, megile, 'lengthy document, scroll [esp. the
Book of Esther]', from מגלה, məgillā, 'scroll'; OED,
MW). Usually used in American English as "the whole Megillah" meaning an overly extended explanation or story.[6]
Mensch: An upright person; a decent human being (מענטש, mentsh, 'person'; cognate with German: Mensch, 'human'; OED,
MW)
Meshuga, also Meshugge, Meshugah, Meshuggah/məˈʃʊɡə/: Crazy (משגע, meshuge, from Hebrew: משוגע, m'shuga'; OED,
MW). Also used as the nouns meshuggener and meshuggeneh for a crazy man and woman, respectively.
Meshugaas, also Mishegaas or Mishegoss/mɪʃəˈɡɑːs/: Crazy or senseless activity or behavior; craziness (משוגעת, meshugaas, from Hebrew: משוגעת, məšugga‘ath, a form of the above; OED,
AHD)
Milchig: made with milk (מילכיק, milkhik, 'milky', from מילך, milkh, 'milk'; cf. German: milchig;
MW)
Minyan: The quorum of ten adult (i.e.,
age 13 or older) Jews that is necessary for the holding of a public worship service; in
Orthodox Judaism ten adult males are required, while in
Conservative and
Reform Judaism ten adults of either sex are required. (מנין, minyen, from Hebrew: מנין, minyān; OED)
Mishpocha/mɪʃˈpɒxə/: relative or extended family member (משפּחה, mishpokhe, from Hebrew: משפּחה, mišpāḥā; OED)
N
Naches/ˈnɑːxəs/: The feeling of pride and/or gratification in 1: the achievements of another; 2. one's own doing good by helping someone or some organization (נחת, nakhes, from Hebrew: נחת, naḥath, 'contentment'; OED)
Nebbish, also Nebbich: An insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity (from interjection נעבעך, nebekh, 'poor thing!', perhaps from Czech nebohý or other Slavic source; OED,
MW)
Noodge, also Nudzh: To pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest, whiner, or anxious person (נודיען, nudyen, from Polish nudzić 'to bore' or Russian nudit' 'to wear out'; OED)
Plotz: To burst from strong emotion; often used humorously to express minor shock or disappointment (פּלאַצן, platsn, 'crack'; cf. German: platzen; OED)
Putz: (vulgar) A penis, term used as an insult (פּאָץ, pots;
AHD). Also an insignificant person, incompetent, or loser. As a verb, to idle, bodge, goof off.
S
Schav: A chilled soup made of
sorrel. (שטשאַוו, shtshav, from Polish: szczaw;
AHD)
Schlemiel/ʃləˈmiːl/: An inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt (שלעמיל, shlemil or שלימיל, shlimil, probably from the Hebrew name Shelumiel; OED) The word is widely recognized[citation needed] from its inclusion in the
Yiddish-American
hopscotch chant "...schlemiel, schlimazel..." from the opening sequence of the American sitcom Laverne & Shirley.
Schlep: To drag or haul (an object); to walk, esp. to make a tedious journey (שלעפּן, shlepn; cf. German: schleppen; OED,
MW). Also a
noun, a lackey, hanger-on, or loser.
Schlimazel also Schlemazl: A chronically unlucky person (שלימזל, shlimazl, from [
Middle Dutch: slimp, 'crooked/bad' or
Middle High German: slimp, 'awry' or schlimm, 'poor/lacking'] + Hebrew: מזל, mazzāl, 'luck'; cf. German: Schlamassel; OED). The difference between a schlemiel and a schlimazel is described through the
aphorism, "The schlemiel spills his soup on the schlimazel."
Schlock: something cheap, shoddy, or inferior (perhaps from שלאַק, shlak, 'a stroke'; cf. German: Schlag; OED,
MW)
Schmatte: A rag (שמאַטע, shmate, from Polish: szmata; OED)
Schmeer also schmear: from Polish 'smarowac' to smear, to spread, coll. to bribe; (noun or verb) Spread (e.g.,
cream cheese on a bagel); bribe (שמיר, shmir, 'smear'; cf. German: schmieren; OED,
MW)
Schmo: A stupid person (akin to schmuck according to
AHD, but disputed by OED)
Schmooze: To converse informally, make small talk or chat (שמועסן, shmuesn, 'converse', from Hebrew: שמועות, shəmūʿōth, 'reports/gossip'; OED,
MW). To persuade in insincere or oily fashion; to "lay it on thick". Noun: schmoozer, abbr. schmooze.
Schmuck: (vulgar) A contemptible or foolish person; a jerk; (שמאָק, shmok, 'penis', probably from
Old Polishsmok, 'grass snake, dragon';
MW,
EO)
Schmutz/ʃmʊts/: Dirt (שמוץ, shmuts or German: Schmutz; OED)
Schnook: An easily imposed-upon or easily cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person, a cute or mischievous person or child (perhaps from שנוק, shnuk, 'snout'; cf. Northern German: Schnucke, 'sheep'; OED)
Schnorrer: beggar, esp. "one who wheedles others into supplying his wants" (שנאָרער, shnorer; cf. German: Schnorrer; OED,
MW)
Schnoz or Schnozz also Schnozzle: A nose, especially a large nose (perhaps from שנויץ, shnoyts, 'snout'; cf. German: Schnauze; OED,
MW)
Schvartze: (offensive) A Black person (from שוואַרץ, shvarts, 'black'; cf. German: schwarz; OED)
Shammes or Shamash/ˈʃɑːməs/: The caretaker of a synagogue; also, the ninth candle of the Hanukkah menorah, used to light the others (שמשׂ, shames, from Hebrew: שמש, šammāš, 'attendant'; OED,
MW)
Shamus: a detective (possibly שאַמעס, shammes or the Irish name Seamus; OED, Macquarie)
Shegetz: (derogatory) a young non-Jewish man (שגץ or שײגעץ, sheygets, from Hebrew: שקץ, shekets, 'abomination';
AHD)
Shemozzle: (slang) Quarrel, brawl (perhaps related to schlimazel, q.v.; OED). This word is commonly used in Ireland to describe confused situations during the Irish sport of
hurling, e.g. "There was a shemozzle near the goalmouth". In particular, it was a
catchphrase of 1940s–1980s television commentator
Michael O'Hehir.[7]
Shikker, Shicker, Shickered: Drunk (adjective or noun) (שכּור, shiker, from Hebrew: שיכור, shikor; OED)
Shiksa or Shikse/ˈʃɪksə/: (often derogatory) A young non-Jewish woman (שיקסע, shikse, a derivative of sheygets, from Polish: siksa;
AHD)
Shmendrik or Shmendrick: A foolish or contemptible person (from a character in an operetta by
Abraham Goldfaden; OED)
Shtetl: A small town with a large Jewish population in pre-
Holocaust Eastern Europe (שטעטל, shtetl, 'town', diminutive of שטאָט, shtot, 'city'; cf. German: Städtl, South German / Austrian colloquial diminutive of Stadt, 'city';
AHD)
Shtibl: A small synagogue or place of prayer (שטיבל, shtibl, 'little room'; cf. German: Stüberl; OED)
Shtick: Comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature or business (שטיק, shtik, 'piece'; cf. German: Stück, 'piece';
AHD)
Tuchus[9] (also tuches, tuchis,[9]tukus, tuchas, or tukhus) /ˈtʊxəs/: The buttocks, bottom, rear end (תחת, tokhes, from Hebrew: תחת, taḥath, 'underneath'; OED).
Tummler: An entertainer or master of ceremonies, especially one who encourages audience interaction (טומלער, tumler, from טומלען, tumlen, 'make a racket'; cf. German: (sich) tummeln, 'go among people' or 'cavort'; OED,
MW)
Tush (also Tushy): The buttocks, bottom, rear end (תּחת, tokes; cf.
tuchus; OED,
MW)
Tzimmes: A sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do (צימעס, tsimes; OED,
MW)
V
Vigorish (also contraction Vig): That portion of the gambling winnings held by the bookmaker as payment for services (וויגריש, vigrish,[citation needed] from Russian: выигрыш, vyigrysh, 'winnings'; OED,
AHD)
Verklempt: Choked with emotion (פֿאַרקלעמט, farklemt, 'depressed/grieving', originally 'pressed, gripped'; cf. German: verklemmt meaning 'uptight'
MW)
Y
Yarmulke: A round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jewish men (יאַרמלקע, yarmlke, possibly from Polish: jarmułka and Ukrainian: ярмулка, yarmulka, 'skullcap', possibly from
Turkish: yağmurluk,
lit. 'raincoat/oilskin'; see
yarmulke; OED,
MW)
Yekke: (mildly derogatory) A German Jew; its most common usage derives from the
British Mandate period to describe
Fifth Aliyah German Jews, who were perceived to be more formal in dress and manners. (יעקע, yeke, 'jacket'; cf. German: Jacke; OED)
Yenta (variants:
yente,
yentl): A talkative woman; a gossip; a scold (יענטע, yente, from a given name; OED,
MW)
Yiddish: The Yiddish language (ייִדיש, Yidish, 'Jewish'; cf. German: jüdisch;
AHD)
Yontef also Yom Tov: A
Jewish holiday on which work is forbidden, e.g.
Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur,
Pesach (יום- טובֿ, yontef, 'holiday', from Hebrew: יום טוב, yōm ṭōv, 'good day'; OED)
Yutz: A fool (יאָנץ, yonts, perhaps derived from putz;
NPD,
AHD)
Z
Zaftig, also Zaftik/ˈzɑːftɪk/: Pleasingly plump, buxom, full-figured, as a woman (זאַפֿטיק, zaftik, 'juicy'; cf. German: saftig, 'juicy'; OED,
MW)
^
abJeffrey Goldberg,
"Words That The New York Times Will Not Print", The Atlantic, 2010-06-09. "'Joe Lieberman is too polite to complain, but the Gore questions are getting to be a pain in the tuchis.' ... Though Leibovich's copy editors allowed tuchus to be spelled incorrectly, the Washington Post is obviously more tolerant of Jewish flamboyance ..."
This is a list of words that have entered the English language from the
Yiddish language, many of them by way of
American English. There are differing approaches to the
romanization of
Yiddish orthography (which uses the
Hebrew alphabet); thus, the spelling of some of the words in this list may be variable (for example, shlep is a variant of schlep, and shnozz, schnoz).
Background
Yiddish is a
Germanic language, originally spoken by
Jews in
Central and later
Eastern Europe, written in the Hebrew alphabet, and containing a substantial substratum of
Hebrew words as well as numerous loans from
Slavic languages.[1] For that reason, some of the words listed originated in Hebrew or Slavic languages, but have entered English via Yiddish.
Yiddish is closely related to modern German, and many Yiddish words have German
cognates; in some cases it is difficult to tell whether a particular word was borrowed from Yiddish or from German. Yiddish is written in the Hebrew alphabet, and Yiddish words may be
transliterated into
Latin spelling in a variety of ways; the transliterated spelling of Yiddish words and the conventional spelling of German are usually different, but the pronunciations are frequently the same (e.g., שוואַרץ, shvarts in Yiddish is pronounced the same way as schwarz in German).
Many of these words have slightly different meanings and usage in English from the Yiddish originals. For example, chutzpah usually has a negative connotation in Yiddish, meaning improper audacity, while in English it is more positive. In Yiddish, שלעפּ, shlep is usually a
transitive verb for carrying (or dragging) something else, while the English word, schlep, is also used as an
intransitive verb, for dragging oneself, and as a
noun for an insignificant person or hanger-on. In Yiddish, גליטש, glitsh means 'slip', while in English, glitch means malfunction.
List of words
This section has an unclear
citation style. The reason given is: External links do not belong in body text; also, Bartleby/AHD links are broken. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of
citation and
footnoting.(March 2017) (
Learn how and when to remove this message)
These English words of Yiddish origin, except as noted, are in the online editions of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (AHD), or the Merriam-Webster dictionary (MW). The parentheses-enclosed information at the end of each word's entry starts with the original Yiddish term in
Hebrew script, the
Latin scripttransliteration, and the literal English translation (if different from the English definition given earlier). This may be followed by additional relevant languages (mostly Hebrew and German). One or more dictionary references appear at the end.
alter kacker or alte kacker (Yid. אַלטער קאַקער): literally "old crapper". Sometimes abbreviated as AK or A.K. (
[1]); equivalent to English "old fart".[2]
B
Bagel: A ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling or steaming, and then baking, the dough (from
Yiddish: בײגל,
romanized: beygl, from Old High German boug with diminutive -el suffix; OED,
MW).
Balabusta, balabosta, balebosta (Yid. בעל־הביתטע): a Jewish mistress of the house; usually applied with positive connotations
MW).
Blintz: A sweet cheese-filled crepe (בלינצע, blintse, from
Belarusian: блінцы,
romanized: blincy,
lit. 'pancakes' (plural);
AHD).
Bris: The circumcision of a male child. (ברית, bris, from
Hebrew: ברית,
romanized: brith,
lit. 'covenant'; OED,
MW)
broigus (Yid. ברוגז broygez): (n) a bitter feud of anger; (adj.) angry, irritated; from Hebrew ברוגז (berogez, "angry") (
OED)
Boychik: Boy, young man. (English boy + Eastern Yiddish: טשיק, -chik, diminutive suffix (from
Slavic);
AHD)
bubbeleh (Yid. באָבעלע): a term of endearment; esp. for a young boy-child or elderly relative (
OED)
Bupkis (also Bupkes, Bupkus, Bubkis, Bubkes): Emphatically nothing, as in 'He isn't worth bupkis' (באָבקעס, bobkes; of uncertain origin (OED); perhaps originally meaning '[goat] droppings', from a word meaning 'beans', of Slavic origin)[3] (
MW, OED)
C
cholent, cholnt, tcholent, etc. (Yid. טשאָלנט tsholnt): traditional slow-simmering
Sabbath stew prepared overnight (
OED,
AHD,
MW)
Daven: To recite Jewish liturgical prayers (דאַוונען, davnen;
AHD)
Dreck, drek: Worthless, distasteful, or nonsensical material (דרעק, drek, from Middle High
German: drec,
lit. 'rubbish'; cognate with German: Dreck, 'dirt, filth';
AHD,
MW)
Dybbuk: The
malevolent spirit of a dead person that enters and controls a living body until exorcised (דבּוק, dibbuk, 'a latching-onto';
AHD)
Fleishig: Made with meat (פֿליישיק, fleyshik, 'meaty', from fleysh, 'meat'; cf. German: fleischig, 'meaty';
MW)
frum (Yid. פֿרום): adjective; religious, observant of Judaism laws (cf. German "Fromm" = pious) (
OED)
G
Ganef or Gonif: A thief, scoundrel, rascal (גנבֿ, ganev/ganef, 'thief', from Hebrew: גנב, gannav;
AHD)
Gelt/ɡɛlt/: Money in general; also the
chocolate coins given to children on
Hanukkah (געלט, gelt, 'money'; cognate with German: Geld, 'money'; related to 'gold';
AHD)
Glitch: A minor malfunction (גליטש, glitsh, from גליטשן, glitshn, 'slide'; cf. German: glitschen, 'slither';
AHD)
Golem: A man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster (גלם, goylem, from Hebrew: גלם, gōlem; OED,
MW)
Goy: A
gentile, term for someone not of the Jewish faith or people (גוי; plural גויים or גוים, goyim; from Hebrew: גויים or גוים, goyim, 'nations', plural of גוי, goy, 'nation';
AHD)
Kibitz/ˈkɪbɪts/: To offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, hence a kibitzer, gossip (קיבעצן, kibetsn; cf. German: kiebitzen, may be related to German: Kiebitz, '
lapwing'; OED,
MW)
Klezmer, instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe (
OED)
Klutz: A clumsy person (קלאָץ, klots, 'wooden beam'; cf. German: Klotz, 'block'; OED,
MW)
Knish/kəˈnɪʃ/: A doughy snack stuffed with potato, meat, or cheese (קניש, from
Polish: knysz;
MW,
AHD)
Kosher: Correct according to Jewish law, normally used in reference to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from כּשר, kašer/kasher;
AHD)
Kvell: To express great pleasure combined with pride (קװעלן, kveln, from an old Germanic word; cognate with German: quellen, 'swell'; OED,
MW)
Kvetch/kəˈvɛtʃ/: to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains (קװעטשן, kvetshn, 'press/squeeze'; cognate with German: quetschen, 'squeeze'; OED,
MW)[4] There is also a connection[vague] to the Hebrew and Aramaic
radix "k.w.z",[clarification needed] meaning "squeeze".[5]
Mazel tov, also Mazal tov: Congratulations! (מזל־טובֿ, mazl-tov, from Hebrew מזל טוב, mazzāl ṭōv: מזל, mazzāl, 'fortune' or 'luck' + טוב, ṭōv, 'good'; OED,
MW:Hebrew)
Megillah: A tediously detailed discourse (מגלה, megile, 'lengthy document, scroll [esp. the
Book of Esther]', from מגלה, məgillā, 'scroll'; OED,
MW). Usually used in American English as "the whole Megillah" meaning an overly extended explanation or story.[6]
Mensch: An upright person; a decent human being (מענטש, mentsh, 'person'; cognate with German: Mensch, 'human'; OED,
MW)
Meshuga, also Meshugge, Meshugah, Meshuggah/məˈʃʊɡə/: Crazy (משגע, meshuge, from Hebrew: משוגע, m'shuga'; OED,
MW). Also used as the nouns meshuggener and meshuggeneh for a crazy man and woman, respectively.
Meshugaas, also Mishegaas or Mishegoss/mɪʃəˈɡɑːs/: Crazy or senseless activity or behavior; craziness (משוגעת, meshugaas, from Hebrew: משוגעת, məšugga‘ath, a form of the above; OED,
AHD)
Milchig: made with milk (מילכיק, milkhik, 'milky', from מילך, milkh, 'milk'; cf. German: milchig;
MW)
Minyan: The quorum of ten adult (i.e.,
age 13 or older) Jews that is necessary for the holding of a public worship service; in
Orthodox Judaism ten adult males are required, while in
Conservative and
Reform Judaism ten adults of either sex are required. (מנין, minyen, from Hebrew: מנין, minyān; OED)
Mishpocha/mɪʃˈpɒxə/: relative or extended family member (משפּחה, mishpokhe, from Hebrew: משפּחה, mišpāḥā; OED)
N
Naches/ˈnɑːxəs/: The feeling of pride and/or gratification in 1: the achievements of another; 2. one's own doing good by helping someone or some organization (נחת, nakhes, from Hebrew: נחת, naḥath, 'contentment'; OED)
Nebbish, also Nebbich: An insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity (from interjection נעבעך, nebekh, 'poor thing!', perhaps from Czech nebohý or other Slavic source; OED,
MW)
Noodge, also Nudzh: To pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest, whiner, or anxious person (נודיען, nudyen, from Polish nudzić 'to bore' or Russian nudit' 'to wear out'; OED)
Plotz: To burst from strong emotion; often used humorously to express minor shock or disappointment (פּלאַצן, platsn, 'crack'; cf. German: platzen; OED)
Putz: (vulgar) A penis, term used as an insult (פּאָץ, pots;
AHD). Also an insignificant person, incompetent, or loser. As a verb, to idle, bodge, goof off.
S
Schav: A chilled soup made of
sorrel. (שטשאַוו, shtshav, from Polish: szczaw;
AHD)
Schlemiel/ʃləˈmiːl/: An inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt (שלעמיל, shlemil or שלימיל, shlimil, probably from the Hebrew name Shelumiel; OED) The word is widely recognized[citation needed] from its inclusion in the
Yiddish-American
hopscotch chant "...schlemiel, schlimazel..." from the opening sequence of the American sitcom Laverne & Shirley.
Schlep: To drag or haul (an object); to walk, esp. to make a tedious journey (שלעפּן, shlepn; cf. German: schleppen; OED,
MW). Also a
noun, a lackey, hanger-on, or loser.
Schlimazel also Schlemazl: A chronically unlucky person (שלימזל, shlimazl, from [
Middle Dutch: slimp, 'crooked/bad' or
Middle High German: slimp, 'awry' or schlimm, 'poor/lacking'] + Hebrew: מזל, mazzāl, 'luck'; cf. German: Schlamassel; OED). The difference between a schlemiel and a schlimazel is described through the
aphorism, "The schlemiel spills his soup on the schlimazel."
Schlock: something cheap, shoddy, or inferior (perhaps from שלאַק, shlak, 'a stroke'; cf. German: Schlag; OED,
MW)
Schmatte: A rag (שמאַטע, shmate, from Polish: szmata; OED)
Schmeer also schmear: from Polish 'smarowac' to smear, to spread, coll. to bribe; (noun or verb) Spread (e.g.,
cream cheese on a bagel); bribe (שמיר, shmir, 'smear'; cf. German: schmieren; OED,
MW)
Schmo: A stupid person (akin to schmuck according to
AHD, but disputed by OED)
Schmooze: To converse informally, make small talk or chat (שמועסן, shmuesn, 'converse', from Hebrew: שמועות, shəmūʿōth, 'reports/gossip'; OED,
MW). To persuade in insincere or oily fashion; to "lay it on thick". Noun: schmoozer, abbr. schmooze.
Schmuck: (vulgar) A contemptible or foolish person; a jerk; (שמאָק, shmok, 'penis', probably from
Old Polishsmok, 'grass snake, dragon';
MW,
EO)
Schmutz/ʃmʊts/: Dirt (שמוץ, shmuts or German: Schmutz; OED)
Schnook: An easily imposed-upon or easily cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person, a cute or mischievous person or child (perhaps from שנוק, shnuk, 'snout'; cf. Northern German: Schnucke, 'sheep'; OED)
Schnorrer: beggar, esp. "one who wheedles others into supplying his wants" (שנאָרער, shnorer; cf. German: Schnorrer; OED,
MW)
Schnoz or Schnozz also Schnozzle: A nose, especially a large nose (perhaps from שנויץ, shnoyts, 'snout'; cf. German: Schnauze; OED,
MW)
Schvartze: (offensive) A Black person (from שוואַרץ, shvarts, 'black'; cf. German: schwarz; OED)
Shammes or Shamash/ˈʃɑːməs/: The caretaker of a synagogue; also, the ninth candle of the Hanukkah menorah, used to light the others (שמשׂ, shames, from Hebrew: שמש, šammāš, 'attendant'; OED,
MW)
Shamus: a detective (possibly שאַמעס, shammes or the Irish name Seamus; OED, Macquarie)
Shegetz: (derogatory) a young non-Jewish man (שגץ or שײגעץ, sheygets, from Hebrew: שקץ, shekets, 'abomination';
AHD)
Shemozzle: (slang) Quarrel, brawl (perhaps related to schlimazel, q.v.; OED). This word is commonly used in Ireland to describe confused situations during the Irish sport of
hurling, e.g. "There was a shemozzle near the goalmouth". In particular, it was a
catchphrase of 1940s–1980s television commentator
Michael O'Hehir.[7]
Shikker, Shicker, Shickered: Drunk (adjective or noun) (שכּור, shiker, from Hebrew: שיכור, shikor; OED)
Shiksa or Shikse/ˈʃɪksə/: (often derogatory) A young non-Jewish woman (שיקסע, shikse, a derivative of sheygets, from Polish: siksa;
AHD)
Shmendrik or Shmendrick: A foolish or contemptible person (from a character in an operetta by
Abraham Goldfaden; OED)
Shtetl: A small town with a large Jewish population in pre-
Holocaust Eastern Europe (שטעטל, shtetl, 'town', diminutive of שטאָט, shtot, 'city'; cf. German: Städtl, South German / Austrian colloquial diminutive of Stadt, 'city';
AHD)
Shtibl: A small synagogue or place of prayer (שטיבל, shtibl, 'little room'; cf. German: Stüberl; OED)
Shtick: Comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature or business (שטיק, shtik, 'piece'; cf. German: Stück, 'piece';
AHD)
Tuchus[9] (also tuches, tuchis,[9]tukus, tuchas, or tukhus) /ˈtʊxəs/: The buttocks, bottom, rear end (תחת, tokhes, from Hebrew: תחת, taḥath, 'underneath'; OED).
Tummler: An entertainer or master of ceremonies, especially one who encourages audience interaction (טומלער, tumler, from טומלען, tumlen, 'make a racket'; cf. German: (sich) tummeln, 'go among people' or 'cavort'; OED,
MW)
Tush (also Tushy): The buttocks, bottom, rear end (תּחת, tokes; cf.
tuchus; OED,
MW)
Tzimmes: A sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do (צימעס, tsimes; OED,
MW)
V
Vigorish (also contraction Vig): That portion of the gambling winnings held by the bookmaker as payment for services (וויגריש, vigrish,[citation needed] from Russian: выигрыш, vyigrysh, 'winnings'; OED,
AHD)
Verklempt: Choked with emotion (פֿאַרקלעמט, farklemt, 'depressed/grieving', originally 'pressed, gripped'; cf. German: verklemmt meaning 'uptight'
MW)
Y
Yarmulke: A round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jewish men (יאַרמלקע, yarmlke, possibly from Polish: jarmułka and Ukrainian: ярмулка, yarmulka, 'skullcap', possibly from
Turkish: yağmurluk,
lit. 'raincoat/oilskin'; see
yarmulke; OED,
MW)
Yekke: (mildly derogatory) A German Jew; its most common usage derives from the
British Mandate period to describe
Fifth Aliyah German Jews, who were perceived to be more formal in dress and manners. (יעקע, yeke, 'jacket'; cf. German: Jacke; OED)
Yenta (variants:
yente,
yentl): A talkative woman; a gossip; a scold (יענטע, yente, from a given name; OED,
MW)
Yiddish: The Yiddish language (ייִדיש, Yidish, 'Jewish'; cf. German: jüdisch;
AHD)
Yontef also Yom Tov: A
Jewish holiday on which work is forbidden, e.g.
Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur,
Pesach (יום- טובֿ, yontef, 'holiday', from Hebrew: יום טוב, yōm ṭōv, 'good day'; OED)
Yutz: A fool (יאָנץ, yonts, perhaps derived from putz;
NPD,
AHD)
Z
Zaftig, also Zaftik/ˈzɑːftɪk/: Pleasingly plump, buxom, full-figured, as a woman (זאַפֿטיק, zaftik, 'juicy'; cf. German: saftig, 'juicy'; OED,
MW)
^
abJeffrey Goldberg,
"Words That The New York Times Will Not Print", The Atlantic, 2010-06-09. "'Joe Lieberman is too polite to complain, but the Gore questions are getting to be a pain in the tuchis.' ... Though Leibovich's copy editors allowed tuchus to be spelled incorrectly, the Washington Post is obviously more tolerant of Jewish flamboyance ..."