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List of English words of Yiddish origin

This is a list of English language words of Yiddish language origin, many of which have entered the language by way of American English. Spelling of some of these words may be variable (sch or sh, for example).

• A shandeh - a shameful person; one who brings embarassment through mere association
• "A shandeh far di goyim" - "A shame in front of the goyim," the scathing criticism of Judge Julius Hoffman by Abbie Hoffman during the trial of the Chicago Eight
• Ai-ai-ai (sometimes spelled "ai-yi-yi") (אײַ־אײַ־אײַ)
• Abi gezunt! - "As long as you're healthy!"; often used as an ironic punchline to a joke
• Alaichem shalom - "To you be peace" (the polite response to a greeting of, "Shalom")
• Alter kacher (or alter kocker) - a lecherous old man; an old fart
• Bagel (בײגל beygl) - a hard ring-shaped bread roll
• Bisel - a small amount, "a pinch of" something
• Blintz - a sweet cheese-filled crepe (from Yiddish בלינצע blintse)
• Bris - the circumcision of a male child
• Bubkes (also spelled "bupkis") - nothing, as in He isn't worth bubkes (from Yiddish bopkes 'little beans')
• Chutzpah - audacity, effrontery (from Yiddish חוצפּה khutspe)
• Dybbuk - the malevolent spirit of a dead person which enters and controls a living pbody until exorcised (from Hebrew dibbuk that which clings)
• Dreck - worthless, especially of merchandise
• Ess - to eat, especially in the imperative: Ess! Ess!
• Farblondzhet - lost, bewildered, confused, mixed-up (appropriately, there are several variant spellings)
• Fress - to eat, especially with enthusiasm
• Gelt - money; lit. "gold"
• Genug (גענוג) - (enough)
• Glick - a piece of good luck
• Gonef - thief (from Yiddish גנבֿ ganef, from Hebrew ganab)
• Gornisht - nothing, not a bit, for naught
• Goy - Gentile (from Yiddish גוי goy, plural גוים goyim, from Hebrew goyim meaning 'nations', i.e., the nations outside of Israel)
• Haimish (also hamish) - home-like, friendly, folksy
• Ipish - a bad odor
• Kadoches - a fever; frequently occurs in oaths of ill-will (e.g., "I'll give him a kadoches is what I'll give him!)
• Kain ein horeh - lit., "No evil eye!" spoken to avert a curse after something or someone has been praised
• Kibbitz - 1. to observe an event and offer unwanted advice, for example, to the players of a game; 2. to chat informally (from Yiddish kibitsen)
• Kibbitzer - a meddlesome spectator; a busy-body
• Kibosh - to stop something, perhaps by pointing out a problem
• Klop - a loud bang or wallop
• Klutz - clumsy person (perhaps from Yiddish קלאָץ klots 'wooden beam')
• Kosher (כּשר) - fit, proper, conforming to Jewish dietary laws. Slang: appropriate, legitimate.
• Krank-heit - a sickness
• Kvell (קװעל) - beam/ be proud
• Kvetch - complain (from Yiddish קװעטשן kvetshn 'press, squeeze')
• Litvak - lit., Lithuanian; by inference, a shrewd or sceptical person
• Lox - smoked salmon (from Yiddish לאַקס laks 'salmon')
• Macher (מאַכער maxer) - big shot, important person (e.g. within an organization)
• Maven - expert (from Yiddish מבֿין meyvn, from Hebrew mevin 'one who understands')
• Mazel (מזל mazl) - luck
• Mazel tov! (מזל־טובֿ!‏ mazl tov) - congratulations! (literally, 'good luck', from Hebrew)
• Megillah - a long, boring document or discourse (from Yiddish מגילה megile, from Hebrew megillah 'scroll')
• Mensch - an upright man; a decent human being (from Yiddish מענטש mentsh 'person')
• Meshuga (משוגען meşugn) - crazy
• Minyan - the quorum of ten Jewish males who are necessary for the holding of a public worship service; they must be bar-mitzvah, i.e. at least 13 years of age and circumcised
• Mishegoss - insane situation, irrationality (from Yiddish meshugas, from meshuge 'crazy')
• Mishmosh - hodgepodge (from Yiddish מישמאַש mishmash)
• Mishpucha - family (from Yiddish משפּחה mishpokhe)
• Mo'el
• Nachas (נחת) - pride (usage: I have nachas from you)
• Nosh - snack (from Yiddish נאַשן nashn)
• Nosherie - snack food
• Nu - multipurpose interjection whose meaning is derived from context and tone; of such variable meaning that it has been suggested that the French word nuance is derived in part from "shades of meaning of the word 'nu'"
• Nudnik (נודניק) - pest, "pain in the neck", originally from Polish ("nuda" in Polish means "boredom")
• Oy vey (אױ װײ) - (Oh no! (literally, 'Oh, pain!')
• Oy gevalt (אױ גװאַלד) - Oh no! (from Yiddish gvald 'emergency')
• Ph. G. - "Papa has gelt," derogatory term for a professional student who is supported by family members
• Phooey! (also fooey and pfui) - expression of utter contempt or complete disbelief
• Pisher - a male infant; a little squirt; a nobody
• Plotz - to burst, as from strong emotion: "I was so angry, I thought I'd plotz!" (from Yiddish פּלאַצן platsn 'to crack')
• Punim - the face (frequently confused for pupik)
• Pupik - the navel (frequently confused for punim)
• Putz - unclean penis; stupid 'dirty' person (from Yiddish פּאָץ pots)
• Schlock - A poorly made product or poorly done work, usually quickly thrown together for the appearance of having been done properly; "this writing is schlock." Something shoddy or inferior. Also the making of such work; "I'm just going to schlock it."
• Sheygetz (שגץ، שײגעץ) - Gentile male (plural שקצים shkotsim)
• Schmaltz - excessive sentimentality
• Schmo - a stupid person
• Shabbes goy - a Gentile who performs labour forbidden on the Sabbath for observant Jews; sometimes used (by implication) for someone who "does the dirty work" for another person (from Yiddish Shabbes, Sabbath + goy, a non-Jew)
• Shaineh maidel - a beautiful girl
• Shammes - a beadle or sexton for a synagogue, possibly contributory to the American slang word "shamus," for a policeman, by way of the Irish "Seamus" (from Yiddish shames, an attendant)
• Shiksa (שיקסע) - young Gentile woman, generally used derisively
• Shiksl - Gentile girl
• Shlemiel - an inept, clumsy person
• Shlemazl - unlucky person (from Yiddish שלימזל shlimazl, from German schlimm 'bad' and Yiddish mazl 'luck'). The difference between a shlemiel and a schlemazl is described through the aphorism, "A shlemiel is somebody who often spills his soup; a shlemazl is the person the soup lands on."
• Shlep (שלעפּן şlepm) - (to drag (an object))
• Shlong - penis (from Yiddish שלאַנג shlang 'snake')
• Shmatte - an old rag. Used literally: I spilled the coffee, bring me a shmatte, quick! Used figuratively (usu. derisively): That fancy dress she spent half her husband's money on just looked like a shmatte to me.
• Shmeer (שמיר) - (to spread, e.g. the cream cheese on your bagel)
• Shmuck - penis; a jerk, an unpleasant person (from Yiddish שמאָק shmok)
• Shnorrer (שנאָרער) - (beggar or person always asking others for services)
• Shtark, shtarker -- strong, brave
• Shnoz - nose (possibly from Yiddish shnoits 'snout')
• Shtick - comic theme (from Yiddish שטיק shtik 'piece, whims')
• Shpiel - a lengthy talk (from Yiddish שפּיל shpil 'play')
• Shtick - a defining habit or distinguishing feature
• Shtum - quiet (from Yiddish שטום shtum 'mute')
• Shtup - to have sex, screw (from Yiddish שטופּן shtupn 'push, poke')
• Shvartzer (שװאַרצער) - Black person (derog.) (from Yiddish שװאַרץ shvarts 'black'); by inference, "the maid"
• "Svet gornisht helfen" - "It won't help a bit," punchline of joke about a cross-wielding maiden who confronts a Jewish vampire
• Tchotchke - cheap, showy trinkets
• Tochis, Tush - rear end (from Yiddish תּחת tokhes)
• Traif (or trayf) - forbidden, non-Kosher foods; anything forbidden
• Tsaddik - Pious, righteous person; one of the ten legendary saints for whose sake G-d does not destroy the world
• Tsuris - troubles (from Yiddish צרות tsores)
• Verklempt - chocked with emotion
• Yenta - a talkative woman; a gossip; a blabbermouth; a scold
• Yichus - pedigree, family background
• Yiddisher kop - intelligence (lit. "Jewish head")
• Yiddisher mazel - bad luck (lit. "Jewish luck)

See also: Lists of English words of international origin, List of English words of Hebrew origin