Ultimate Yiddish Words

Yiddish is an unbelievable language. It has been a language of the Jewish people for about 1000 years. Unfortunately since WWI and WWII and our integration into American society, the language has been slowly disappearing with only few grandparents from the old country who are still alive today speaking it. It will soon be an extinct language after the last generation of European Jews die out. However, all is not lost Yiddish has influenced American culture and language and especially our Jewish culture. Many words from the Yiddish language have been adopted by Americans and are now fluently used in western American language by Jews and non-Jews alike. Here is a list of words, which I like to call the “Ultimate Yiddish Words”.
This list is not in any order:


1. Shtick- one’s theme usually comical, someone’s act (That’s his shtick)
2. Shpeil- a story or a play (That’s my shpeil)
3. Shlep- to carry with difficulty or annoyance (I don’t want to shlep all those bags to the airport), or (Its such a shlep)
4. Shlump- a discombobulated person, who’s clothing is usually wrinkled, shirt is half tucked, yarmulke is falling off the side of his head, and who’s very disorganized. Usually also heavy (Look at that shlump)
5. Meshugana- crazy (What are you? meshugana?)
6. Oy vey/Oy gevalt- oh god (What? we lost the baseball game! Oy vey)
7. Kinderlach- children (oy, look at the cute kinderlach)
8. Nebuch- a helpless, hopeless, incompetent person (He’s a nebuch)
9. Gut vucht- have a good week. Usually said after the Sabbath. (Hello Shlomo, Gut vucht!)
10. Gezuntite- god bless you. Said after someone sneezes. (hachoooo,…. Gezuntite)
11. Shluf- nap, sleep (I’m tired, I’m going to take a shluf)
12. Kvell- to beam with pride/pleasure. (Oy, I’m kvelling)
13. Veshtunkin- smells, foul odor (your veshtunkina)
14. Shmutz- dirt (you have some shmutz on your face)
15. Gezunte hey- so be it, whatever (If that’s what he wants to do, gezunte hey)
16. Tsai gezunt- synonym for Gezunte hey
17. Kainehara- good for you, god bless you (he’s 95 years old and his mind is still sharp, kainehara)
18. Shmuck- idiot, negative word to describe someone (you stupid shmuck!!)
19. Yuntiff- holiday (Good Yuntiff)
20. Yasher koach- good job, usually said to someone after he lead the prayer service (Yasher koach Mr. Hurowitz!!)
21. Mishpaca- Family (I have such a big Mishpacha)
22. Shvartza- black person (he’s a shvartza)
23. Nudge- annoying, pest (stop being such a nudge)
24. Kvetch- to complain (stop being such a kvetch)
25. Shnoz- nose, usually referring to a big one (look at the size of that shnoz!)
26. Rachmanus- pitty (have some rachmanus on him)
27. Mamish- really (this is mamish amazing)
28. Chutzpa- nerve (what a chutzpa he is to not bring a gift!)
29. Nachus- joy, pleasure (you should bring lots of nachus to your entire family)
30. Hoodlum- street punks (a bunch of hoodlums were chasing me down the block)
31. Tsarus- grief, hardship (we should hear of no more tsarus)
32. Yenta- female gossiper (don’t tell Fannie, shes such a yente)
33. Schnur- begger, moocher/freeloder (the schnurs are now collecting)
34. Schtickle- a alittle bit (“Suzy, give me schtickle of fluoride”-Tim Watley (SEINFELD)
35. Shvitz- sweat (I’m schvitzing over hear)
36. Bissel- a little, very similar to schtickle (give me a bissel of matzo ball soup)
37. Bubbe,Zaide,Mami,Tati- Grandma, grandpa, mother, father
38. Goy- non-jew (hes a goy)
39. Klutz- clumsy, Steve Erkle (don’t let him carry the glass, hes a clutz)
40. Mentch- good boy, well behaved, good manners (what a mentch)
41. Schmooze- talk (moishe is such a schmoozer, he can talk for hours)
42. Shikse- non jewish woman (what!? He’s marrying a shikse?)
43. Chachke- a souveneir, goody, usually crap (I bought a few chatchkes from my trip)
44. Tuchus- butt (look at the size of that tuchus!)
45. Shiduch- blind date, dating match (that’s a very good shidduch)
46. Nosh- to snack, eat (I’m going to nosh on some chips)
47. Faigela- gay (he’s such a faigela)
48. Shmendrick- fool, jerk (you stupid shmendrick)
49. Macher- big shot (you know Bernie? He’s a real big macher in the company)
50. Shmekle- penis (nobody wants to see your shmekle)
51. Shtup- either to tip with money, or to have sex with (shtup him $20 and he’ll let you in)
52. Sheitle- wig (oh my, that’s a beautiful sheitle your wearing)
53. Frum- religious (the mendelson’s are a frum family
54. Shtark- very religious (eitan is a very shtark boy)
55. Bubkes- nothing usually describing money (I don’t want that job, it pays bubkes)
56. Vus Machten- whats new? (nu vus machten?)
57. Faklempt- emotionally choked up, overwhelmed ("Talk amoungst yourselves, I'm alittle faklempt") -Coffee Talk (SNL)
58. Shmatah- dirty rag which is used to clean (wash it off with a shmata)
59. Bubba Maisa- bullshit, not true (that story is such a bubba maisa)
60. Frabrengen- celebration, party with songs and joy (lets frabrengen!!)
61. Shvach- so so, not good (the party was very shvach)
62. Heimish- old school, homelike, warm (the food is very heimish)
63. Laibadik- lively (everyone was so laibadik)

64. Shvitz- to sweat (that boy is shvitzing from playing sports)