Useful Yiddish Words for Psychology
Amy Herstein Gervasio, Ph.D. (agervasi@uwsp.edu)
Words you already know: klutz, schtick, spiel, bagel, toches (tush), kibitz
A- Abi gesunt: "as long as you're healthy" (gesunt= health; Gesuntheit = healthiness).
B- Bupkes: (lit.). beans. As in "He's full of bupkes"; "he knows from bupkes". Also foolish.
B- Bubeleh: (lit.) Little grandmother. Used as term of endearment. You can add "leh" to names: Ameleh.
C- Chutzpah: unmitigated gall. Sometimes used admiringly.
D- Drey kop: (don't.. with such a head) A not very bright person
E- Eppes: (lit.). "something". Used in expressions. "Eppes, he has a fever"
F- Feh!: Very versatile exclamation of disgust. Similar to OY! Often used when something smells bad.
F- Farblonjet: (lit.) to lose one's way. Often means totally messed up. Good word for describing visual neglect in people with right sided strokes.
F- Farkocht: (lit.). to cook. Boiling mad.
F- Farmisht: to be all confused (about APA style, for example)
G- Ganeff: (lit.) a thief. Lovable thief, foxy. Applies to many of our students requesting postponements on exams.
H- heymish: homey, family oriented, "They're heymishe people".
I- "I should worry".
J- Joe Shmoe. adding the Sh sounds to rhyme comes from Yiddish puns.
K- Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch. to complain and whine.
K- Kvell: praise brag (especially about your son, the doctor).
K- "Kam, mit tsores": "just barely do it, with difficulty" (getting a D in statistics).
L- Luftmensche: Head in the clouds.
M- Mensche: a real man, person of integrity.
M- Meshuggah: nutty and crazy (most of the cases in PSY351).
N- Nudnik: a real know-nothing and pest.
N- Nik: as a suffix: beatnik, refusnik
O- Oy: (Oh). Exclamation of world weariness. See "vey".
P- Pulkes: thighs. Usually heavy thighs.
R- Redt: to talk. "Talking to you is like talking to a dead bedbug".
S- Schemendrick, schemiel, schemazel (last one lit. "born under an unlucky star). Various kinds of nerds and lost souls.
S- Schmatte: "rag". what college students wear now that the grunge look is in.
S- Schnorrer: panhandler. Person receiving services when he might not need them.
S- Schlep: to carry around. Students schelp bottled water to class.
T- Tsores: "Trouble". "Don't give me such tsores"
U- Ungetpatshket: ornate and tacky and not put together very well. Like Christmas lights.
V- vey: "woe" As in "Oy vey is mir".
W- anything with a w is pronounced with a v.
X- no x's in Yiddish.
Y- Yenta: (lit) matchmaker. A gossip. Freud was a yenta.
Z- Zaftig: (lit.). juicy. Positive compliment for a Rubenesque, plump woman with no history of an eating disorder.