Yiddish Words Defined

Just as a person may become farblunget during the course of a trip, a soul may blondje in its life journey on earth.

If your daughter cooks the most delicious chicken soup and kneidelach, you can tell her, "that was mamash geshmak (tasty).”

It is perfectly normal to say, “Oy gevalt, my cake flopped again!” even though there is no violence and not much of an emergency.

When a person is beset by troubles you can say that they are af tsaros.

In the parlance of American entertainment, which was built on the foundation of Yiddish theater, schmaltz came to refer to drippy, over-the-top dramatization.

The balabusta can host 20 guests for Shabbat dinner in an immaculately clean home, while keeping her kids entertained and well-behaved.

Whenever you feel like life is spinning out of control and metaphoric shpilkes begin to appear on your seat, remember that G‑d is right there at your side.

Nothing is simple in Yiddish, and even the simplest vort takes on the most delightful meanings.

You can call your little niece a shayne punim, and also tell her that you miss her dearly and cannot wait to kiss her shayne punim on your next visit.

If your nephew has a geshmak in cooking, you can confidently tell him that the food he made was simply geshmak.

The shtiebel is a sort of synagogue, and it comes with its own color, character and cultural nuances.

Out of the churning depths of the balagan comes the serenity of Shabbat

Nachas, joy from our children and grandchildren, is among the sweetest pleasures a Jew can hope for.

In Yiddish, the word mach means both “do” and “make.”

Are you plotzing to know what this word means?

The kids, who are the guardians of our faith, are still delighted by the simple pleasure of a tchotchke.

One may refer to cohorts in shameful activity as shander bander.

The Yiddish word for “expert,” maven (or mayven), is derived from the Hebrew word mayvin (מבין), which means “understands.”

The mourners typically gather in a single home to observe shiva together.

It’s an ancient Jewish tradition, dating back to Abraham himself.

Anyone can be a shadchan. Just make the suggestion. Even if it does not work the first time, keep on trying.

“Please bentch me that I should ace this test.”

Despite the social challenges that a mamzer faces, he is recognized as a full member of the Jewish nation and able to achieve spiritual greatness.

You can also halt (hold) a shmues, or even chap (catch) a shmues with them.

Oy! That joke was schmutzik!

All humor aside, Jewish communities have historically done the honorable work of accommodating and supporting schnorrers with dignity.

“On Yom Kippur, the synagogue was so stuffy, I was schvitzing buckets.”

Served in chicken soup, matzo balls are dumplings made of matzo meal (ground matzo), egg, oil, water and flavoring

Klutz is Yiddish for “piece of wood,” and refers to a person who is clumsy.

Yahrzeit refers to the anniversary (on the Hebrew calendar) of the date of a person’s passing.

Treif is the Yiddish word that means “unkosher.”

The boring answer is that it is just the generic Slavic word for “skullcap,” which Eastern-European Jews borrowed from their non-Jewish neighbors

“Goniff” is Hebrew and Yiddish for “thief,” and has come to refer to anyone who is a swindler, a cheat or just plain dishonest.

Meshuga means “crazy” in Yiddish. A person who is meshuga is called a meshuganer.

Get schlepped in as we tackle this Yiddish word!

Both meanings of the Yiddish word chazer—“pig” and “review”—have their source in the Hebrew language.

Many see this word is a built-in insult. It’s really anything but.

This Yiddish word (of Polish provenance) has taken on meanings in various areas of Jewish life.

It's based on the Yiddish word heim, which means “home,” it describes things that are homey or familiar.

The beginnings of shtetl life go back hundreds of years, to before the 17th century.

The first is biblical hebrew, the second Aramaic

Consciously or sub-consciously, we all identify as "human." Does that inspire us to strive higher, to be a mentsch? Or does it allow us to relax our standards, recognizing that we're "only human"?

What exactly is “glatt”? Is it Yiddish for “super-kosher”? And how does one receive such a designation?

Jewish law does not allow one to cook or consume meat together with milk products. Parve food, however, may be eaten together with both meat and milk.

A blessing, a drink, an engagement party—it’s all that and more.

The word bupkis (more properly bobkes, באבקעס) means “nonsense” or “nothing.”

Mishmash is a Yiddish word that means “mixture” or “medley” or “jumble.” It comes from the Yiddish word mish, which means “mix.”

“When he told me that he adores gefilte fish, I knew that he was my bashert.”

It's been a long day and I'm hankering for a nosh.

Tachlis, I'm glad we're having this conversation!

Yenta is a Yiddish female name, derived from Yentel, which comes from the French word “gentille” (gentle). It has come to refer to a talkative and nosy woman and/or one who engages in matchmaking.

While the Yiddishe kop may figure out which line in the supermarket is shortest, the Gemara kop shops online (and collects points).