Usually when we learn a few words of our grandparents’ native language, they are swear words….and I do remember those, or at least one of them. But what I remember most is my maternal grandmother, Ethel (actually Etta), calling me Shayna Punim, which means pretty face — or Shayna Maidel, which means pretty girl. That was far better than how my mother described my looks when I was a vulnerable teenager (“you are average looking”). This might help explain why my maternal grandmother was my very favorite person in the whole world and is my guardian angel.
Most of us are familiar with many words that come directly from the Yiddish — chutzpah, for example. Oh! You want to know that swear word that my maternal grandfather used to say, don’t you? He was another of my favorite people! Momzer, which technically means a bastard, but in slang terms — well, I guess it still means a bastard in a more metaphorical sense.
Here is a list of other common (and not so common) words from the Yiddish: (This is by no means an exhaustive list.)
Balabusta – Jewish mistress of the house, usually meant in a positive way
Blintz – A sweet, cheese filled crepe-like dish
Bris – A circumcision
Boychik – A boy or young man
Bubbeh or bubbe – Grandmother or elderly women. EXCUSE ME???? I am my granddaughter’s bubbe! And I love the name!
Bubbeleh – Term of endearment, especially for a young child or elderly relative
Bupkis – Nothing, for example, “that is worth bupkis.”
Chutzpah – Nerve, balls
Dreck – Worthless or distasteful material, junk, filth
Fleishig – Made with meat or poultry, usually used to denote a class of kosher products
Gonif – Oh, I heard this “bad” word too,as a child! Thief, scoundrel, rascal
Gelt – Money in general and also the chocolate coins given to children at Chanukah
Golem – A man-made humanoid, Frankenstein monster (not to be confused with Gollum?)
Goy – Someone who is not Jewish. Plural is goyim.
Haimish – Friendly, folksy. I heard it used to describe a nice person.
Knish – A baked snack usually filled with potato (yummy too)
Kasha – Porridge or grains
Kibitz – Offer unwanted advice (for example, to someone playing cards), or to converse idly
Kishke – A kind of sausage stuffed with finely chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, spices, etc., rather than meat; in the plural kishkes informally means abdomen. I always thought there was some animal stomach involved somewhere in there.
Klezmer – Instrumental music tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. It is somewhat popular in the United States.
Klutz – A clumsy person
Kugel – A casserole or pudding made from egg noodles or potatoes. I have my grandmother’s recipe with raisins, pineapples, egg noodles, and cottage cheese, with a crusty top. Very yummy!
Kvell – To express great pleasure combined with pride.
Kvetch – To habitually complain, or a person who habitually complains.
Latkes – Potato pancakes
Lox – Cured or smoked salmon
Momzer or Mamzer – Bastard
Maven – Expert, aficionado
Mazel tov – Congratulations
Megillah – An overly detailed story. For example, “You don’t have to tell me the whole megillah!”
Mensch – A decent human being
Meshuga, Meshugge, Meshugah, Meshuggah – Oh, I heard this one a lot!!!!!! Crazy. Also used as the nouns meshuggener and meshuggeneh for a crazy man and woman, respectively.
Meshugaas, also Mishegaas or Mishegoss – Crazy or senseless activity or behavior; craziness (Yes, I heard this one a lot too.)
Milchig – Made with milk or dairy products. Usually, it is used to denote a class of kosher products. And if you are kosher you cannot mix it with fleishig .
Minyan – The quorum of ten adult Jews that is necessary for the holding of a public worship service. An adult is anyone 13 or over.
Naches- The feeling of pride or gratification in 1: the achievements of another; 2. one’s own doing good by helping someone or some organization
Nebbish, also Nebbich – An insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity
Noodge or Nudzh – To pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest, whiner, or anxious person. Or a child nagging a mother!
Nosh – Snack (noun or verb)
Nu? – A multipurpose interjection analogous to “well?”, “so?”, or “so what?” My grandmother used this one quite a bit. I always thought it was spelled “new,” for “what’s new?”
Nudnik – A pest, pain in the neck (the u is pronounced like the oo in good.)
Oy, Oy vey – Interjections of grief, pain, or horror
Pareve – Containing neither meat nor dairy products. Usually it is used to denote a class of kosher products.
Pisher – A nobody, an inexperienced person. Oh, yes, I heard this one!
Plotz – To burst from strong emotion, often used humorously to express minor shock or disappointment
Punim – The face
Putz – A vulgar term for penis, used as an insult; a fool, an insignificant person or loser
Schlemiel – An inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt. Remember Laverne and Shirley?
Schlep – To drag or haul (an object)
Schlimazel or Schlemazel – A chronically unlucky person
Schlock – Something cheap, shoddy, or inferior
Schlong -Vulgar word for penis. Every language has those!
Schmaltz – Melted chicken fat; and metaphorically, excessive sentimentality
Schmatte – A rag (pronounced shmutty or shmutta)
Schmear, Shmear – Smear, spread, for example on a bagel
Schmo – A stupid person
Schmooze – To converse informally, make small talk or chat
Schmuck – A contemptible or foolish person; a jerk
Schmutz – Dirt, for example, “What is that schmutz on your shirt?”
Schnorrer – Beggar, especially one who wheedles others into supplying their wants
Schnoz or Schnozz or Schnozzle – A nose, especially a large one
Shabbos, Shabbas, Shabbes – Shabbat, the Sabbath
Shegetz – Derogatory word for a young non-Jewish man
Shiksa or Shikse – (often derogatory) A young non-Jewish woman
Shtick: Comic theme – a defining habit or distinguishing feature
Shtup – Vulgar slang for sexual intercourse
Shul – A synagogue
Shvitz – To sweat
Spiel or Shpiel – A sales pitch or speech intended to persuade
Tchotchke – A knickknack, trinket, curio
Tref or Trayf or Traif – Not kosher
Tsuris – Troubles, grief
Tuchus or tush or tushy – The buttocks, bottom, rear end
Tzimmes – A sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do
Verklempt – Choked up with emotion
Yarmulke – A round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jewish men
Yenta – A talkative woman; a gossip
Yontef – A Jewish holiday on which work is forbidden, for example, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach
Zaftig or Zaftik – Pleasingly plump, buxom, full-figured, as a woman
Zayde – Grandfather, old man, often a term of respect or endearment and often married to bubbe!
GOOD GRIEF!!! I just remembered I was supposed to do Part III of “Looking Back” this week (California and Beyond) – Oh, well, you needed a break from my memories, anyway. Watch for it next week….
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