What am I, Jewish? Jew, not a Jew?
Some most excellent Yiddish (or possibly Yinglish?) words to be employed in polite and not so polite conversation:
- beshert inevitable or preordained, specifically "appears to bear the fingerprints of divine providence"
- bubbeleh honey/dear/pet
- bupkiss nothing
- chotchkeh knick-knack
- chutzpah balls; insolence or cheek
- faklempt bummed out, bad mood; also choked up, emotional
- farkatke lousy, ridiculous
- goy non-Jew
- kvetch n. complainer, bitcher; v. complain, bitch
- mensch real man, a person of integrity and honour
- meshuggeneh mad or crazy
- mishigas craziness
- nebbish a man who walks into an empty room and it's still empty
- putz jerk or stupid ass
- schadchn matchmaker (female)
- schmuck dirty penis (so use this word with care...)
- schnorrer moocher, beggar
- shiksa goy female (and a goy male is a sheygets)
- shlemozzel uproar
- shlemiel clumsy person, pitiful bungler, fool
- shlep v. to drag or carry; n. long journey; n. stupid oaf
- shloompy frumpy or slovenly
- shmaltz extreme sentimentality
- shpilkes nerves, nervous energy
- shtick theatrical routine
- shtup shag or screw
- schvitz v. to sweat; n. sweat
- tuchus or tush bum
- verklempt choked with emotion
- veys mir oooooooooh my god (also oy vey, vey gevalt)
- yenta gossip; matchmaker
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Updated: 28 December 2019