List of English words of Yiddish origin


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 ; thus, the spelling of some of the words in this list may be variable.

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. 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.

List of words

These English words of Yiddish origin, except as noted, are in the online editions of the Oxford English Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, or the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The parentheses-enclosed information at the end of each word's entry starts with the original Yiddish term in Hebrew script, the Latin script transliteration, and the literal English translation. This may be followed by additional relevant languages. One or more dictionary references appear at the end.

A

  • alter kacker or alte kacker : literally "old crapper". Sometimes abbreviated as AK or A.K. ; equivalent to English "old fart".

    B

  • Bagel: A ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling or steaming, and then baking, the dough.
  • Balabusta, balabosta, balebosta.
  • Blintz: A sweet cheese-filled crepe.
  • Bris: The circumcision of a male child.
  • broigus : a bitter feud of anger; angry, irritated; from Hebrew ברוגז
  • Boychik: Boy, young man.
  • bubbeh, bubbe : grandmother; elderly woman
  • bubbeleh : a term of endearment; esp. for a young child or elderly relative
  • Bupkis : Emphatically nothing, as in 'He isn't worth bupkis'

    C

  • cholent, cholnt, tcholent, etc. : traditional slow-simmering Sabbath stew prepared overnight
  • Chutzpah : Nerve, gall, guts, balls, daring, self-confidence, audacity, effrontery

    D

  • Daven: To recite Jewish liturgical prayers
  • Dreck, drek: Worthless, distasteful, or nonsensical material
  • Dybbuk: The malevolent spirit of a dead person that enters and controls a living body until exorcised
  • Dreidel:, a four-sided spinning top

    F

  • Fleishig: Made with meat or poultry Usually it is used to denote a class of kosher products.
  • frum : adjective; religious, observant of Judaism laws

    G

  • Ganef or Gonif: A thief, scoundrel, rascal
  • Gelt : Money in general; also the chocolate coins given to children on Hanukkah
  • Glitch: A minor malfunction
  • Golem: A man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster
  • Goy: A gentile, term for someone not of the Jewish faith or people

    H

  • Haimish : Home-like, friendly, folksy.

    K

  • Kasha: buckwheat porridge or grains. Originally a Slavic term, it probably entered into English usage with Jewish emigrants, especially the form קאַשי kashi.
  • Kibitz : To offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, hence a kibitzer, gossip
  • Klezmer, instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe
  • Klutz: A clumsy person
  • Knish : A doughy snack stuffed with potato, meat, or cheese
  • Kosher: Correct according to Jewish law, normally used in reference to Jewish dietary laws; appropriate, legitimate
  • kishke : A kind of sausage stuffed with finely chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, spices, etc., rather than meat; in the plural kishkes, the abdomen
  • kugel : a casserole or pudding, usually made from egg noodles or potatoes
  • Kvell: To express great pleasure combined with pride
  • Kvetch : to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains There is also a connection to the Hebrew and Aramaic radix "k.w.z", meaning "squeeze".

    L

  • Latke : Potato pancake, especially during Hanukkah
  • Litvak: A Jew or a dialect of Yiddish used by Jews historically residing in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania
  • Lox: Cured salmon, sometimes referred to as Nova, often used loosely to refer to smoked salmon

    M

  • mama-loshen / mame-loshen / mame-loshn : one's first or native language, from Yiddish mama plus Hebrew לשון lashon, tongue or language; usually meaning "Yiddish"
  • Mamzer: Bastard
  • Maven: Expert, aficionado
  • Mazel tov, also Mazal tov: Congratulations!
  • Megillah: A tediously detailed discourse. Usually used in American English as "the whole Megillah" meaning an overly extended explanation or story.
  • Mensch: An upright person; a decent human being
  • Meshuga, also Meshugge, Meshugah, Meshuggah : 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
  • Milchig: made with milk or dairy products Usually it is used to denote a class of kosher products.
  • Minyan: The quorum of ten adult 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.
  • Mishpocha : relative or extended family member

    N

  • Naches : 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
  • Narrischkeit : Foolishness, nonsense
  • Nebbish, also Nebbich: An insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity
  • Noodge, also Nudzh: To pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest, whiner, or anxious person
  • Nosh: Snack
  • Nu: A multipurpose interjection analogous to "well?", "so?", or "so what?"
  • Nudnik: A pest, "pain in the neck"; a bore

    O

  • Oy, Oy vey: Interjections of grief, pain, or horror

    P

  • Pareve / parve : Containing neither meat nor dairy products Usually it is used to denote a class of kosher products.
  • Pisher: a nobody, an inexperienced person
  • Potch also Petch: Spank, slap, smack
  • Plotz: To burst from strong emotion; often used humorously to express minor shock or disappointment
  • punim: the face
  • Putz: A penis, term used as an insult. Also an insignificant person, incompetent, or loser. As a verb, to idle, bodge, goof off.

    S

  • Schav: Sorrel soup.
  • Schlemiel : An inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt The word is widely recognized 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 ; to walk, esp. to make a tedious journey. Also a noun, a lackey, hanger-on, or loser.
  • Schlimazel also Schlemazl: A chronically unlucky person. 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
  • Schlong: A penis
  • Schlub: A clumsy, stupid, or unattractive person
  • Schmaltz: Melted chicken fat; metaphorically, excessive sentimentality ; adjective: schmaltzy
  • Schmatte: A rag
  • Schmear, Shmear: Smear, spread ; colloq. bribe :. The idiom "the whole shmear" means "an entire set or group of related things".
  • Schmo: A stupid person
  • Schmooze: To converse informally, make small talk or chat. To persuade in insincere or oily fashion; to "lay it on thick". Noun: schmoozer, abbr. schmooze.
  • Schmuck: A contemptible or foolish person; a jerk;
  • Schmutter: Pieces of clothing; rubbish
  • Schmutz : Dirt
  • Schnook: An easily imposed-upon or easily cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person, a cute or mischievous person or child
  • Schnorrer: beggar, esp. "one who wheedles others into supplying his wants"
  • Schnoz or Schnozz also Schnozzle: A nose, especially a large nose
  • Schvartze: A Black person
  • Shabbos, Shabbas, Shabbes: Shabbat
  • Shammes or Shamash : The caretaker of a synagogue; also, the ninth candle of the Hanukkah menorah, used to light the others
  • Shamus: a detective
  • Shegetz: a young non-Jewish man
  • Shemozzle: Quarrel, brawl. 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.
  • Shikker, Shicker, Shickered: Drunk
  • Shiksa or Shikse : A young non-Jewish woman
  • Shmendrik or Shmendrick: A foolish or contemptible person
  • Shtetl: A small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe
  • Shtibl: A small synagogue or place of prayer
  • Shtick: Comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature or business
  • Shtum: Quiet, silent
  • Shtup: To have sexual intercourse
  • Shul: a synagogue
  • Shvitz: to sweat, a sauna or steam bath
  • Spiel or Shpiel: A sales pitch or speech intended to persuade