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A LIST OF YIDDISH-ISMS
Apr. 6th, 2019 03:03 amHeyo, my lovelies! Welcome to my first post.
I'm compiling this partly for me and partly because it may be a good resource for fic writers who may have Jewish characters/set their fic in or around NYC. I'm not Jewish and I didn't grow up around Yiddish (though I found a surprising amount of crossover in terms between these and some I heard from my Swedish/Minnesotan grandmother, who swears her grandma was Jewish or something idek), so I put my sources at the bottom. I also learned a few from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and my internship supervisor, who's from Staten Island and sometimes sounded like an old Seinfeld episode.
SPOILER ALERT: I love Yiddish, guys. Please comment if you find some good ones and I'll try to keep the list updated as I find more relevant words.
Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4
I'm compiling this partly for me and partly because it may be a good resource for fic writers who may have Jewish characters/set their fic in or around NYC. I'm not Jewish and I didn't grow up around Yiddish (though I found a surprising amount of crossover in terms between these and some I heard from my Swedish/Minnesotan grandmother, who swears her grandma was Jewish or something idek), so I put my sources at the bottom. I also learned a few from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and my internship supervisor, who's from Staten Island and sometimes sounded like an old Seinfeld episode.
- Ah dank/ah sheinem dank/ah groisen dank: thank you (literally 'a thanks', 'a nice thanks', and 'a big thanks')
- Alta kaka: Literally 'old shit'. Weirdly, not very derogatory in common usage, just typically used to refer to senior citizens.
- Antshuldikt mir/antshuldig: excuse me
- Baleboste: A good homemaker, a woman who’s in charge of her home and will make sure you remember it.
- Bissel/bisl: a little bit
- Bitte: technically German for 'please', but used in Yiddish as well (my supervisor said this constantly and was confused when I replied in German). Apparently used instead of this by more grounded Yiddish speakers is 'zei azoy gut' which means 'be so good'
- Bubbe/bobe: Grandmother--bobeshi is the more affectionate form. Bubele is affectionate too, though some weren't sure it was yiddish (it's definitely the one I recognize most, but I'm not sure that counts for much).
- Bupkes/bubkes/bobkes: impolite word, means 'goat shit/horse shit'. It’s often used by American Jews for 'trivial, worthless, useless, a ridiculously small amount', less than nothing. e.g. "After all the work I did, I got bupkes!"
- Choshuv: important or notable (hebrew word); an honored guest is 'choshuve gast', honored guests plural is 'choshuve gest'
- Chutzpah/khutspe: Nerve, extreme arrogance, brazen presumption. In English, chutzpah often connotes courage or confidence, but among Yiddish speakers, it is not a compliment. This was the most surprising one for me, since my grandma used to use it as a positive compliment all the time growing up. I assume it's kind of like 'nerve' as in 'she has some nerve', e.g. "That kid has some chutzpah to think he can waltz in here and expect service right away"
- Fakakta: fucked up. Goes very well with the modifier 'all', e.g. "the Senate's filibustering procedure is all fakakta"
- Feh!: an expression of disgust or disapproval, representative of the sound of spitting. I've not yet used it in a fic because for some reason it feels like a stereotype to me--probably just means I need more research?? more research is always the answer
- Fershnicket: drunk off your ass. Like, Purim-level drunk. During Purim (Jewish holiday celebrating Esther) you're encouraged to drink so much that you can't tell the difference between a man and a woman.
- Gezunt zolstu zein: the rough equivalent of "don’t ever change, kid, you're amazing!” (literally 'healthy you should be'). Could also use 'laing zolstu leben' which literally means 'long should you live'. Live Long and Prosper vibes, anyone? *vulcan salute*
- Gezunterheit: can be used in a lot of ways (literally 'with health'), on its own it expresses that you have no objection to something. Humorously like 'it's your funeral'--"Sure, ski that black diamond with your hands tied behind your back gezunterheit, but don't come complaining to me when you fall" or more earnestly "You can come over and use my pool anytime gezunterheit". 'Ess gezunterheit' is like bon appetit, 'shlof gezunterheit' wishes someone a good sleep, 'trog gezunterheit' is for when someone gets new clothes (wishing them to 'wear it in good health'). For travel, there is 'gei gezunterheit' for short trips, 'for gezunterheit' for longer journeys, and 'kum gezunterheit' to wish them to return home healthy.
- Glitch/glitsh: Verb, not just a noun. Literally "slip" or "skate" or "nosedive" which was the origin of the common American usage as a minor problem or error.
- Gornisht: a word like bupkes but not as rude, and implies a stronger sense of nothing; used in phrases such as 'gornisht helfn' ('beyond help').
- Goy: a non-Jew, a Gentile. The plural is 'goyim' and the non-Jewish world is 'the goyim'. Adjective use is 'goyish', e.g. "It's goyish to put mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich."
- Kibbitz/kibets: related to 'kibbutz' (Hebrew for 'collective'). Can also mean verbal joking, which after all is a collective activity. It didn’t originally mean giving unwanted advice about someone else’s game--that’s apparently an American innovation.
- Klutz/klots: a dense, clumsy or awkward person (literally 'a block of wood'). Similar to shlemiel.
- Kosher: Something that’s acceptable to Orthodox Jews, especially food. Other Jews may also eat kosher on some level, like during certain times of the year/holidays. Food that Orthodox Jews don’t eat is called 'traif'. I've heard it used in response to something that seems suspicious or shady too, e.g. "That doesn't sound kosher"
- Kvetsh/kvetch: to complain/a complainer. Literally this means, something pressing/squeezing, like a too-small shoe, and so is used on some Yiddish websites where it might say 'click here'.
- Mamme: mother, with mammele being the more affectionate form (like 'mommy' or 'mami'). Mammele can also be used to refer to a very obedient female child.
- Maven/mayven: an expert, often used sarcastically
- Mazel tov/mazltof: a congratulation for what just happened. Literally 'good constellation' meaning 'good luck', but despite that, it's not a hopeful wish for what might happen in the future. When someone gets married or has a child, this is what you say to them. It can also be used sarcastically to mean 'it’s about time', e.g. "Mazel tov on the new place! It’s about time you stopped sponging off your parents."
- Mentsh: an honorable, decent person, an authentic person, a person who helps you when you need help. Can be a man, woman or child, e.g. "Thanks so much for picking my kid up for me, you're a mentsh!"
- Mishegas: insanity or craziness. A meshugener is a crazy person. Can be used as an insult, e.g. "Does it hurt to be a meshugener?"
- Mishpocheh/mishpokhe/mishpucha: means family, in a colloquial sense, e.g. "Relax, you’re mishpocheh. I’ll sell it to you at wholesale."
- Nisht du kein farvos: used in response to a thank you (literally 'there is no why'), as a humble denial that there's any reason for the thanks, much like 'de nada' in Spanish. Tzu gezunt is also said (see below)
- Nosh/nash: to nibble; a light snack, but you won’t be light if you don’t stop noshing. Can also describe plagiarism, though not always in a bad sense; you know, picking up little pieces for yourself.
- Nu/nu?: a general word that calls for a reply. Like 'So?' 'Huh?' 'Well?' 'What’s up?' or 'Hello?'
- Oy vey: the classic exclamation of dismay, grief, or exasperation, best translated as 'UGH.' The phrase 'oy vey iz mir' means 'Oh, woe is me'. 'Oy gevalt!' is like oy vey, but expresses fear, shock, or amazement in a more intense way--has the feeling of a four-letter word.
- Pisher: can refer to someone who is inexperienced or unimportant (literally 'bed-wetter'). Often preceded by the word 'little', e.g. "If those little pishers think they can get away with hurting my son, they've got another thing coming."
- Plotz/plots: To become so overwrought that you are going to figuratively explode. Oddly, this can be used both as a positive ("If I laugh any harder I'll plotz"--that is, collapse) and as a negative ("If these grandkids don't stop running around and shut the hell up I'm going to plotz"). Also used like 'don't have a cow!' e.g. "Don't plotz, it's just a boy in a skirt."
- Schlock: cheaply made crap, made with shoddy inferior workmanship, e.g. "I don’t know why I bought this schlocky souvenir."
- Shalom: means 'deep peace', and is used as the common greeting
- Sheifale: an endearing term for your nearest and dearest, especially children, implying they are soft/cuddly/gentle (literally 'lamb')
- Shep Naches: to derive pleasure from something. I've heard this literally means 'to shit joy'. Idek guys.
- Shikse: a non-Jewish woman, all too often used derogatorily. It has the connotation of 'young and beautiful' so referring to a man’s Gentile wife or girlfriend as a shiksa implies that his primary attraction was her good looks. A shagetz/shaygets is a non-Jewish boy, and has the connotation of a someone who is unruly, even violent.
- Shlep: to drag, traditionally something you don’t really need; to carry unwillingly. When people "shlep around" they are dragging themselves, perhaps slouchingly. e.g. "Why am I the one who ends up shlepping this heavy suitcase when I begged you to leave it at home?"
- Shlemiel: a clumsy, inept person, similar to a klutz. The kind of person who always spills his soup.
- Shlimazel: Someone with constant bad luck. When the shlemiel spills his soup, he probably spills it on the shlimazel. (Fans of 'Laverne and Shirley' remember these two words from the Yiddish-American hopscotch chant that opened each show.)
- Shmaltzy: Excessively sentimental, gushing, flattering, over-the-top, corny. From shmaltz, which is chicken fat/grease.
- Shmegegge: a jerk.
- Shmendrick: a weak or stupid person. Generally, this term is used to belittle someone for being physically small.
- Shmooze: Chat, make small talk, converse about nothing in particular. Someone would schmooze with people they want to impress.
- Shmuck: impolite word, someone who's made a fool of themselves. Also, refers to the penis (hence the impoliteness). Other penis words that are insults include 'shlong', 'shvantz', 'petzl', 'putz', and 'shmeckel'. This is basically like the english way of calling someone a douchebag/dick/asshole.
- Shmutz/shmuts: Dirt – a little dirt, not serious grime. If a little boy has shmutz on his face, and he likely will, his mother will quickly wipe it off. It can also mean dirty language. It’s not nice to talk shmutz about shmutz.
- Schmitzig: a thingamabob or a doodad (it's a derivative word of shmutz but holds none of that word's meaning)
- Shtick: Something you’re known for doing, an entertainer’s routine, an actor’s bit, stage business; a gimmick often done to draw attention to yourself.
- Shtup: to fuck, have sex with. Curse word.
- Spiel: a long, involved sales pitch. From the German word for 'play', as in the dramatic performance. e.g. "I had to listen to his whole spiel before I found out what he really wanted."
- Svitz (svitzing/to svitz): sweating, usually profusely, e.g. "Jeez, I'm svitzing all over the place like a big bear."
- Tatte: father, with tattele being the more affectionate form (like 'daddy' or 'papi'). Tattele can also be used to refer to a very obedient male child.
- Tchatchke/tchashke: Knick-knack, little toy, collectible or giftware. My grandma and mom use this word a lot too, though we always spelled it tchotchke. Like shiksa, if this is used to refer to a man's new wife/girlfriend, it's derogatory. Grr.
- Tsuris/tsores: Serious troubles, not minor annoyances. Like plagues of lice, gnats, flies, locusts, hail, death.
- Tuches/tuchis/tokhis: rear end, ass. Ruder connotation than modern American use gives it. Was the origin of the American slang word 'tush'.
- Tzu gezunt: Yiddish response for a sneeze--not the German gesundheit, though in culturally mixed neighborhoods I could see that sneaking in (literally 'to health')
- Verklempt: to get choked up
- Vos hertz zich: a common Yiddish phrase to ask someone how they are, or 'what's up?' (literally 'what's being heard'). Also used is 'vos tut zich' ('what's happening?') and 'vee geit es' ('how's it going?')
- Yasher koach: a term of congratulation and encouragement for a job well done (translated 'more power to you')
- Yente: Female busybody or gossip, she-devil. Because of the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof being named Yente, people mistakenly think it means matchmaker.
- Yiddisher kop: a smart person (literally 'jewish head')
- Zeeskeit: a term of endearment (literally 'sweetness'). You can use it exactly as you’d use “sweetie” or “honey” in English
- Zei gezunt: a common way to say goodbye (literally 'be healthy'). Plural is 'zeit gezunt' and adding 'un shtark' ('and strong') like 'zei gezunt un shtark' emphasizes the feeling.
SPOILER ALERT: I love Yiddish, guys. Please comment if you find some good ones and I'll try to keep the list updated as I find more relevant words.
Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4
