Yiddish words used in the English language include both words that have beenassimilated intoEnglish – used by bothYiddish and English speakers – and many that have not. An English sentence that uses either may be described by some asYinglish,[1] though the second meaning of the term refers to the distinctive way certainJews in English-speaking countries add many Yiddish words into their conversation, beyond commonYiddish words and phrases that entered English vocabulary.[citation needed]
Many of these words have not been assimilated into English and are unlikely to be understood by English speakers who do not have substantial Yiddish knowledge.Leo Rosten's bookThe Joys of Yiddish[2] explains these words (and many more) in detail.
Yinglish words (also referred to colloquially asHebronics) areneologisms created by speakers ofYiddish inEnglish-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country.Leo Rosten's bookThe Joys of Yiddish[3] uses the wordsYinglish andAmeridish to describe new words, or new meanings of existing Yiddish words, created by English-speaking persons with some knowledge of Yiddish. Rosten defines "Yinglish" as "Yiddish words that are used in colloquial English" (such askibitzer)[4] and Ameridish as words coined by Jews in the United States;[5] his use, however, is sometimes inconsistent. According to his definition on page x,alrightnik is an Ameridish word; however, on page 12 it is identified as Yinglish.
While "Yinglish" is generally restricted in definition to the adaptation of Yiddish lemmas to English grammar by Jews, its usage is not explicitly restricted to Jews. This is especially true in areas where Jews are highly concentrated, but in constant interaction with theirGentile fellows, esp. in the larger urban areas of North America. In such circumstances, it would not be unusual to hear, for example, a Gentile griping about having "shlepped" a package across town.[6]
The portmanteau wordYinglish is first recorded in 1942.[7] Similar colloquial portmanteau words for Yiddish influenced English include:Yidlish (recorded from 1967),Yiddiglish (1980), andYenglish (2000).[7] A number of other terms have been promulgated, such asEngdish andEngliddish, but these have not enjoyed widespread adoption.[8]
As with Yiddish, Yinglish has no set transliteration standard; as the primary speakers of Yinglish are, by definition, Anglophones (whether first-language or not), Yinglish used in running speech tends to be transliterated using an English-based orthography. This, however, varies, sometimes in the same sentence. For instance, the wordפֿאַרקאַקטע may be spelledfarkakte,ferkockte,verkackte, among others. In its roots, though, Yiddish (whether used as English slang or not) descended from mediaeval High German; although mediaeval German suffered from the same vagaries in spelling, it later became standardised in Modern High German.[citation needed] This list shall use the same conventions as Modern High German, with the exception of certain words, the spellings of which have been standardised. Furthermore, common nouns shall be left lowercase, as in English.
Yinglish was formerly assigned theISO 639-3 codeyib, but it was retired on July 18, 2007, on the grounds that it is entirely intelligible with English.[9][10]
aidim (Yid.איידעם): son-in-law, from middle-high-Germaneidam
a schande (Yid.אַ שאַנדע): a disgrace; one who brings embarrassment through mere association, cf. Germaneine Schande, translated "a disgrace", meaning "such a shame"
a schande far di goyim (Yid.אַ שאַנדע פֿאַר די גוים): "A disgrace before (in front of) the Gentiles", used as a Jewish insult against Jews who are perceived tofurther antisemitic stereotypes. Also spelled in varied phonetic and Germanic ways as "a shanda fur di goyim", "a schande fur die goyim", and so forth. Sometimes partially mistranslated as "a shande for the goyim", thoughfar [sic] here means before and not for.[11]
abi gezunt! (Yid.אַבי געזונט): the first word is Slavic: compare Ukrainianaby (аби), Belarusianaby (абы) and Polishoby, both meaning "if only", "hopefully". The second word is Germanic, cognate to High Germangesund. The phrase thus means "As long as you're healthy!"; often used as an ironic punchline to a joke
abi me lebt (Yid.אַבי מע לעבט):abi from Slavic, as in the previous entry;me lebt cognate to the German,man lebt, meaning "At least I'm alive"
billig orbillik (Yid.ביליק): cheap, shoddy (said of merchandise); common expression "Billig is Teir" (cheap is expensive). As the Germanbillig, "cheap".
bissel (Yid.ביסל): a small amount, "a pinch of" something (cf.Austrian/Bavarianbissl, a dialectal variant of the more standard Germanbisschen, "a little bit")
bentsch/bentsching (Yid.בֶּענְטְשֶׁן): to bless, blessing; commonly referred to sayingBirkat Hamazon (grace after meals) or when lightingshabbat candles (bentsch-light), from Latin, "benedicere", (to bless).[13]
bentcher a booklet with Birkat Hamazon and other prayers and songs associated with meal.[13]
bubbameisse (Yid.בובמייסס) Old wives' tale, cock and bull story (often attributed by erroneous folk etymology to combination ofbubbe, "grandmother", andmeisse, "tale", but in fact derives from "Bove-meisse", from the "Bove Bukh", the "Book of Bove", the chivalric adventures of fictitious knightSir Bevys ("Bove") of Hampton, first published in Yiddish in 1541 and continually republished until 1910.
emes (Yid.אמת): the truth. From Hebrewאמתemet, "truth".
eppes (Yid.עפּעס) a little, not much, something. Probably fromOld High Germaneddeshwaz, with the eventual /-tw-/ assimilating into /-p-/. Compare modern Swiss German and Bavarian dialects which have a rough equivalent
ess (Yid.עס;"Iss!" German imperative for "Eat!"): to eat, especially used in the imperative:Ess! Ess!
fachnyok (Yid.פֿכניאָק): negative term meaning very religious, often used to connote someone holier-than-thou. Can be shortened to "chenyok", or used as a noun ("don't be such a chenyok") or an adjective ("you're so chnyokish"). Possibly derived from Russianхныка (khnyka).[15][16]
farblunjet (Yid.פֿאַרבלאָנדזשעט): confused, perplexed, totally lost
feygele orfaygeleh (Yid.פֿייגעלע): (pejorative)homosexual (literally 'little bird', fromOld High Germanfogal; cf. modern GermanVögele, also possible cf. German wordFeigling, meaning 'coward'), could be used for anyone slightly effeminate, "Ugh, that, Moishele washes his hands, what a faygel." Often used as a disparaging term for a homosexual male.
fress (Yid.פֿרעסן): to eat, especially with enthusiasm (Germanfressen = "to eat like an animal, in an untidy way")
frimmer (Yid.פֿרומר): (British Englishslang): aHasidic Jew (from Yiddish "frum", religious; also cf. German "Frommer" = pious person)
gantz;gantze (Yid.גאַנץ): all, the whole of ("the ganze mischpache" = the whole family, etc., cf. Germanganz = "whole, all")
gei gesund (Yid.גיי געזונטgey gezunt): (from German) go in health; used as a goodbye. Repeated in reply. Usually neutral, but can be used sarcastically to mean "good riddance".
gei avek (Yid.גיי אַוועק): go away, from German.
gei shlofen (Yid.גיי שלופֿן): (from GermanGeh schlafen) go [to] sleep.
gehivays (Yid.גיי ווייס): literally "go know", as in "go figure". ("Last week she said she hated his guts and now she's engaged to him. Geh vays.")
genug (from Germangenug; Yiddishגענוג): enough
geschmad, geschmadde (Yid.געשמד, from Hebrewמשמדmeshumad, "destroyed"): adjective meaning "(a Jew who) converted to Christianity".
gewalt (Yid.געוואלד; from GermanGewalt, violence): equivalent to "oi, weh" or "good grief!" Literally "violence".
glück (Yid.גליק, German): a piece of good luck
gonef orgonif (Yid.גנבֿ, alsoganiv): thief (Hebrewגנבganav. This can be used as a somewhat generic insult, implying a "lowlife"): the word has also been adopted from Yiddish into German asGanove, also a thief (often figurative)
gornisht (Yid.גאָרנישט, from Germangar nichts = nothing at all): nothing, not a bit, for naught
goyisher mazel (Yid.גוייִשר מזל): good luck (lit. "Gentile luck").Mazel is from Hebrewמזלmazzal, referring to luck or fate.
graube (Yid.גרויב): (from Germangrobe, rough) coarsely or crudely made.
hegdesch (Yid.העגדעש): pigpen, often used to describe a mess (as in "your room is a hegdesch")
hock (Yid.האַק): Bother, pester (as in the character Major Hochstetter fromHogan's Heroes; a hockstetter being someone who constantly bothers you); a contraction of the idiomHakn a tshaynik (literally "to knock ateakettle"; Yiddish:האַקן אַ טשײַניק), from the old time pre-whistle teakettles whose tops clank against the rim as the pressure pushed them up and down. Oftenpartially translated in informal speech, as in, "Don't hock my tshaynik about it!" ("Don't pester me about it!")[17][18]
hocker (Yid.האַקר): botherer, pesterer (see above)
keppe (Yid.קאָפּ): head (e.g. "I needed that like a loch in keppe", i.e. a hole in my head); German "Kopf", coll. "Kopp": "head"; German "Loch": "hole".
keyn ayn horeh (Yid.קיינ יינ-אָרע; also pronounced:kin ahurrah): lit., "Noevil eye!"; Germankein: none; Hebrewעיןayn—eye,הרעharrah—bad, evil; anapotropaic formula spoken to avert the curse of jealousy after something or someone has been praised
khaloymes (Yid.כאָלעם): dreams, fantasies; used in the sense of "wild dreams" or "wishful thinking", as in "Ah, boy, that's just khaloymes, it'll never come true." From the Hebrewחלוםkhalom (dream), pl.khalomot.
kife orkyfe (Yid.קייפ): enjoyment. From Arabo-Persiankeyf 'opiate; intoxication; pleasure, enjoyment'.
klop (Yid.קלאַפּ): a loud bang or wallop (Germanklopfen = "to knock")
klumnik (Yid.קלומניק): empty person, a good-for-nothing (From Hebrewכלוםklum, nothing.)
krankhayt (Yid.קראַנקהייַט): a sickness (GermanKrankheit)
maiseh (Yid.מעשׂה): lit. "deed, occurrence", a story or vignette about a person or event, (Heb.ma'aseh (same meaning as in Yiddish, though infrequently used). A small problem that blew up into a big story would be called a "ganze maiseh". Also famous in the phrase a "bubbe maiseh", the equivalent of the English idiom "an old wives' tale".
mamish (Yid.ממש): really, very (an expression of emphasis) From the Hebrew ממש (mamash), "substantially"
maydl (Yid.מײדל): Girl, young woman, from AustrianMaedel. "That's a shayne (pretty) Maydl."
mazel (from Hebrewמזלmazal): luck (literally,constellation of stars)
mechaye (Yid.מחיה): a source of pleasure (from the Hebrewחיים "chayim", meaning "life")
mechutanista (f),mechutan (m),mechutanim (pl),Machtainista (f):[22]kinship term for one's child's female or male parent-in-law (Yid.מעחוטאַניסטאַ, from Hebrewמחותןmekhután, "belonging to the groom").
meh,mnyeh: an expression of indifference or boredom
meiven (a variant ofmaven): expert (from Yiddishמבֿיןmeyvn, from Hebrewmevin 'one who understands')
pulke (Yid.פולקע): thigh, particularly fat ones on babies. From Russianпол (pol), "half".
punkt farkert (Yid.פונקט פארקערט) : just the opposite, total disagreement. German:punkt verkehrt; lit "point/precisely false/backward" = wrong.
pupik (Yid.פּופּיק): the navel; belly button (Polishpępek, navel) (used by American comedianMoe Howard in the short subject filmYou Nazty Spy! from 1940)
schicker (Yid.שיכורshikhur) orschickered: drunk, intoxicated (from the Hebrewשיכורshikor: drunk, cf. German [coll.]angeschickert "soused, tipsy")
schissel orshisl (Yid.שיסל): bowl, especially a large mixing bowl (from GermanSchüssel, bowl)
schlepper: bum (Yiddishשלעפּרshlepr and Germanschleppen)
schmeckle (Yid.שמעקל): a little penis, often ascribed to a baby boy. Diminutive ofשמאָקshmok, "penis".
schrai (Yid.שרײ): a shriek or wail, sometimes used to connote exaggerated hysterics. ("When I told her I'd be ten minutes late, she let out such a shrai!") (cf. GermanSchrei)
schtick'l: a little piece of something, usually food. Dim. of stick, from GermanStückchen. In "delis", salami ends were sold from a plate on the counter labeled "A nickel a schtickel"
schtupp,schtuff: (vulgar) to have sex with, screw (from Yiddishשטופּןshtupn 'push, poke'; similar to 'stuff'); to fill, as in to fill someone's pocket with money. ("Schtupp him $50.") Frequently used in the former context byTriumph the Insult Comic Dog. In German 'stopfen' means to (overly) fill or to stuff something.
schverr (Yid.שװער): father-in-law (GermanSchwager, obsolete form "Schwäher")
Shabbos goy: A non-Jew who performs labour forbidden on the JewishSabbath for observant Jews; sometimes used (by implication) for someone who "does the dirty work" for another person. (from YiddishשבתShabbos,Sabbath andגױgoy, a non-Jew)
shep naches (Yid.שעפּ נחת): take pride. Sometimes shortened to "shep". ("Your son got into medical school? You must be shepping.") Fromשעפּן (shepn), "derive", from Old High Germanscaphan; and Hebrewנחתnachat, "contentment".
sheyne meydel (Yid.שײנע מײדל): a beautiful girl (cf. Germanschönes Mädel)
Shiva (Yid.שבעהshive): The mourning of seven days after one dies by his family. From Hebrewשבעהshiv'a, "seven".
shmegege (Yid.שמעגעגע): a stupid person, a truly unlucky one; has been said to be the one who cleans up the soup the shlemiel spilled on the shlimazel.
shpilkes (Yid.שפּילקעס): nervous energy; to be feeling "antsy", to be "sitting on pins and needles". Cf. Polishszpilka, "pin"
shtark (Yid.שטאַרק),shtarker: strong, brave (Germanstark), zealously religious
shtick: comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature (from Yiddishשטיקshtik, 'a piece of something': cf. GermanStück, "piece").
shtotty (Yid.שטאָטי): fancy or elegant; may sometimes be pejorative ("She thinks she's so shtotty with that new dress of hers.")
shtuch (Yid.שטוך): to put someone down, often facetiously ("I shtuched him out." Can be used as a noun to refer to a clever put-down or rejoinder ("When I told my father that my stupidity must be hereditary, it was such a good shtuch!")
shtick dreck (Yid.שטיק דרעק): literally "a piece of dirt" (see Dreck), but usually applied to a person who is hated because of the antisocial things he has done: "He's a real shtuck dreck." Possibly shtick dreck: a piece of crap. Cf. GermanStück Dreck.
shtuss (Yid.שטות): nonsense, foolishness (from Hebrew שטותshetut, pl.shetuyot); also the name of a card game. In German, 'Stuss' means nonsense.
shvartze orshvartzer: (שװאַרצער):Black person (either neutral or possibly derogatory depending on context) (fromשװאַרץshvarts "black", Germanschwarz)
takeh (Yid.טאַקע): really, totally. "This is takeh a problem!" From Russian/Ukrainianтаки (taki), "still, after all, in spite of".
tchepen sikh (Yid.טשעפּענ זיךtshepen zikh): to bother someone incessantly ("Stop tcheppening me!") or to playfully banter with someone ("We spent the entire date tcheppening each other about what bad taste the other one had.") From Polishczepiać sie, "cling to, find fault with".[23]
tornig (Yid.טורניג): a disobedient nephew
tsim gezunt (Yid.צים געזונט): to [your] health! Used as a response to a sneeze; from Germangesund, "healthy")
Tsekruchen (adj.): to be bent over, to be dejected. "Don't be sotsekruchen all the time, lighten up a bit"
verblandzhet (Yid.פֿאַרבלאָנדזשעט;far- cf. Germanver- and Polishbłądzić = "to stray around"): lost, bewildered, confused, mixed-up (appropriately, there are several variant spellings)
verfrumt (Yid.פֿאַרפֿרומט): negative term for someone very religious or pious. "She came back from seminary and became all farfrumt." From Old High Germanfruma, cognate to Germanfromm.
vershimmelt (Yid.פֿאַרשימלטfarshmilt): shook up, rattled, in a state of nerves. "She wasn't hurt in the accident, but she was pretty farshimmelt". (cf. Germanverschimmelt = mouldy)
verkakte (Yid.פֿאַרקאַקטע): an adjective, meaning 'screwed up' or 'a bad idea'; literally, 'crapped' or 'becrapped', cf. German "verkackte(r)"
vershtuft (Yid.פֿאַרשטופֿטfarshtuft): (pejorative) pregnant, recently had sex, constipated. (stuffed) (cf. German "verstopft"= blocked)
wilde chaya (Yid.װילדע חיהvilde chaye): impolite or undisciplined child, literally, wild beast. From Old High Germanwildi and Hebrewחייה (ḥaye, "animal").
boychick,boychikel,boychiklekh – young boy, kiddo, handsome[30]
bulbenik (Ameridish) – an actor who muffs his lines, frombilbul – mixup (alternative theory –bulba, literallypotato, figurativelyerror)[31]
bummerkeh (Ameridish) – a female bum
chutzpah (Ameridish) – audacity
cockamamy false, ersatz, crazy (of an idea), artificial, jury-rigged (prob. from Eng. "decalcomania", a "decal", a sticker, a cheap process for transferring images from paper to glass.) In the Bronx, in the first half of the 20th century, a "cockamamie" was a washable temporary "tattoo" distributed in bubblegum packets.
donstairsikeh,donstairsiker – female, male living downstairs
dresske – bargain-basement dress
fin – five, orfive-dollar bill, shortened form of Yiddishפינףfinif (five)
kosher – Yinglish, not in its religious or Yiddish meanings, but only in five slang senses: authentic, trustworthy, legitimate, fair, and approved by a higher source. Its pronunciation, as "kōsher", is another distinguishing factor, as in true Yiddish it is pronounced "kūsher" or "kösher"
mensch – a person of uncommon maturity and decency
nextdoorekeh,nextdooreker – female, male living next door
opstairsikeh,opstairsiker (Ameridish) – female, male living upstairs
