Yiddishisms

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Aliya    means    Pilgrimage to Israel

Alter Cocker    means    An Old and Complaining Person, an Old Fart

Ay-yay-yay    means    A Joyous or at Times Sarcastic, Exclamation

Balabusta    means    The Wife of an Important Person or a Bossy Woman

Bei Mir Bist Du Shayn    means    To Me You're Beautiful

Berryer    means    A Woman With Excellent Homemaking Skills Considered a compliment in the pre-feminist era

A Bi Gezunt    means    So Long As You're Healthy The expression means don't worry so much about a problem, whatever it is - you've still got your health

Bissel    means    A Little

Bobbemyseh    means    Old Wives Tales, Nonsense

Boychik    means    Little Boy

Broche    means    A Prayer

Bubbala    means    Darling A term of endearment

Bubbe    means    Grandmother

Bupkes    means    Something Worthless or Absurd

Chalutz    means    Pioneer

Chaver    means    Friend

Chazen    means    Cantor

Chazerai    means    Junk Food

Chuppa    means    Wedding Canopy

Chutzpah    means    Audacity, Nerve

Coalus    means    Exile

Dreck    means    Excrement; Dung Can refer to the ugliness of objects or people

Ess    means    Eat

Farbissen    means    An Unpleasant Person

Farpitzs    means    All Dressed up

Faygala    means    A Male Homosexual Literally 'little bird'

Ferblunjit    means    Lost, Mixed up

Ferdrayt    means    Dizzy, Confused

Fermisht    means    All Shook up As in an acute disturbance

Fershlugina    means    Beaten Up, Messed up

Fershtay?    means    Do You Understand

Fershtinkiner    means    A Stinker, a Louse

Fertummelt    means    Befuddled, Confused

Fress    means    To Eat Like an Animal

Gavalt    means    A Cry of Fear or a Cry for Help Oy Gevalt is often used as expression meaning "oh how terrible."

Gay Avek    means    Go Away, Get out of Here

Gay Ga Zinta Hate    means    Go in Good Health Often said in parting but can be spoken with irony to mean go do your own thing

Gay Kahn Afn Yam    means    Go Defecate in the Ocean

Gay Schluffen    means    Go to Sleep

Gelt    means    Money

Geshrei    means    A Scream

Gonif    means    A Thief, a Tricky Clever Person

Grepse    means    To Belch

Grieven    means    Fried Chicken Fat

Groysse Metzuh    means    Big Deal Thinks better of themself then they really are

Hok a Chainik    means    To Talk Too Much, to Talk Nonsense

Kishka    means    Guts or Intestines in Intestine Casing

Koogl    means    A Pudding Made With the Noodle & Raisins or Potato and Onions

Kreplach    means    Dumplings Filled With Meat

Kvetch    means    To Annoy or to Be an Annoying Person, to Complain

Loch in Kop    means    A Hole in the Head As in You could use that like a "loch in kop"

Lox    means    Smoked Salmon

Luftmensh    means    A Dreamer, Someone Whose Head is in the Clouds

Luzzem    means    Leave Him Be, Let Her or Him Alone

Macher    means    An Ambitious Person; a Schemer With Many Plans

Mach Shnel    means    Hurry up

Maven    means    An Expert

Mazel    means    Luck

Meeskeit    means    Ugliness or Ugly Person

Megillah    means    Long, Complicated and Boring

Mensch    means    Honorable or Decent Person

Meshugge or Meshuggina    means    Crazy Refers to a more chronic disturbance

Mikva    means    Ritual Bath for Jewish Women

Mishagoss    means    Craziness

Mishling    means    Someone of Mixed Parentage

Mishpocha    means    Family Usually an extended family

Momzer    means    An Untrustworthy Person

Moyl    means    The Man Who Circumcises Baby Boys at a Briss

Nach a Mool    means    And So on

Nafka    means    A Whore

Nakhes    means    Pleasure

Nar    means    A Fool

Nariskeit    means    Foolishness

Nebech    means    Poor One, Loser, Pitiful Specimen

Noch Nisht    means    Not Yet

Noodge    means    To Bother, to Push

Nudnik    means    A Pest

Ongepotchket    means    Messed Up, Slapped Together Without Form

Oy Vey    means    "oh, How Terrible Things Are"

Oy-yoy-yoy    means    An Exclamation of Sorrow and Lamentation

Pesach    means    Passover

Pisher    means    A Bed-wetter, a Young Inexperienced Person

Pitseleh    means    A Little Baby

Plotz    means    To Burst, to Explode

Pogrom    means    A Massacre of Jews

Potchka    means    To Fool Around; to Be Busy Without a Clear Goal

Pulkes    means    Thighs

Pupik    means    Belly Button

Rachmones    means    Compassion

Sachel    means    Common Sense

Saykhel    means    Common Sense

Schlock    means    Cheap Merchandise

Shadkhen    means    A Professional Matchmaker

Shanda    means    A Shame, a Scandal

Shande    means    Shame

Shaygets    means    A Gentile Boy and Man Also means a clever lad or rascal

Shayner    means    Pretty, Wholesomely Attractive

Shiksa    means    A Gentile Girl or Woman

Shlemiel    means    A Dummy; Someone Who is Taken Advantage of

Shlimazl    means    A Chronically Unlucky Person, a Born Loser

Shmatta    means    A Rag

Shmeer    means    To Spread As in to "shmeer" Butter on Bread. Can Also Mean to Bribe and Can Refer to the "whole Package" As in I'll Accept the Whole Shmeer

Shmegegge    means    A Petty Person, an Untalented Person

Shmendrick    means    A Weak and Thin Pipsqueak

Shmooze    means    Chitchat

Shmutzik    means    Dirt

Shnoz    means    Nose, Big Nose

Shochet    means    Authorized Kosher Butcher

Shpritz    means    To Spray, to Squirt

Shtetl    means    Village

Shtunk    means    A Stinker, a Nasty Person or a Scandalous Mess

Shul    means    Synagogue

Shvitz    means    To Sweat

Tsedrayt    means    Confused, Mixed up

Tsetummelt    means    Confused, Bewildered

Tsimmes    means    A Disk of Mixed Fruit and Vegetables

Tsoriss    means    Suffering, Woes

Tuches    means    Backside

Tummel    means    Noise, Commotion

Ungabluzum    means    To Look As if One is Going to Cry

Ver Clempt    means    All Choked up

Vu Den    means    What Next?

Vus Machs Da    means    What's Happening? What's Up?

Yahrzeit    means    Anniversary of a Death (light a Candle)

Yenta    means    A Busybody Usually refers to an older woman

Zaftig    means    Pleasantly Plump

Zeit Gezunt    means    Be Well

Zetz    means    A Strong Blow or Punch

Zeyde    means    Grandfather or Old Man

Zhlub    means    An Insensitive Ill-mannered Person

Zie Ga Zink    means    Wishing Someone Good Health

Facts contributed by:

Diana

maralyn