List of English words of Yiddish origin

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This is a list of English language words of Yiddish language origin, many of which have entered the language by way of American English or Cockney. Spelling of some of these words may be variable (for example, schlep is also seen as shlep, schnoz as shnozz, and so on). Many of these words are more common in the entertainment industry, via vaudeville, the Catskills/Borscht Belt, and Hollywood. Others are more regionally oriented, e.g. in the New York City metropolitan area.

It is worth noting that some of these words are in fact of Hebrew origin, and others are of Slavic (e.g., Polish or Ukrainian) origin, but have entered the English language via their Yiddish forms. Since Yiddish is closely related to modern German, many native Yiddish words have close German cognates; in a few cases it is difficult to tell whether English borrowed a particular word from Yiddish or from German.

It should also be noted that many of these words are used in English differently than in Yiddish. For example "Chutzpah" is usually used in Yiddish with a negative connotation meaning improper audacity, while in English it has a more positive meaning. "Shlep" in Yiddish is usually used for carrying (or dragging) something else, while in English it is used more commonly for dragging the self. "Glitch" simply means "slip" in Yiddish.

A list of English words of Yiddish origin is found below. Except as noted, all words listed can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, or the current Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

bagel : a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough (from בײגל beygl)
blintz : a sweet cheese-filled crepe (from Yiddish בלינצע blintse)
bris : the circumcision of a male child. (from Hebrew brith 'covenant')
boychik : boy, young man. (English boy + Yiddish diminutive suffix -tshik)
bubkes (also spelled "bupkis") : emphatically nothing, as in He isn't worth bubkes (literally 'goat droppings')
chazerai : junk, garbage, junk food (in Yiddish, khazerai 'filth', from khazer 'pig', from Hebrew ḥazzir)
chutzpah : ballsiness, guts, daring, audacity, effrontery (Yiddish חוצפּה khutspe, from Hebrew)
dybbuk : the malevolent spirit of a dead person which enters and controls a living body until exorcised (from Hebrew דיבוק dibbuk, that which clings)
dreck : (vulgar) worthless material, especially merchandise; "crap" (cf. German Dreck 'dirt')
feygele : (pejorative) homosexual (literally 'little bird') (cf. German Vogel 'bird')
fress : to eat, especially with enthusiasm or in large quantities (Yiddish fresn, cf. German fressen)
frimmer : (British English slang) a Hasidic Jew (from Yiddish frum 'religious' cf. German fromm)
ganef or gonif : thief, scoundrel, rascal (Yiddish גנבֿ ganef 'thief', from Hebrew gannav).
gelt : money; chocolate coins eaten on Hanukkah (געלט gelt 'money', cf. German Geld)
gevalt : interjection of shock, dismay, or alarm (from Yiddish gvald 'emergency', cf. Gewalt 'force, violence')
glitch : a minor malfunction (possibly from Yiddish glitsh)
golem : a man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster (from Hebrew גולם gõlem, but influenced in pronunciation by Yiddish goylem)
goy : a gentile, someone not of the Jewish faith or people (Yiddish גוי, plural גוים goyim; from Hebrew גוים goyim meaning 'nations [usually other than Israel]', plural of גוי goy 'nation')
haimish (also heimish) : home-like, friendly, folksy (cf. German heimisch)
kibitz : to offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, gossip (Yiddish קיבעצן kibetsn)
klutz : clumsy person (from Yiddish קלאָץ klots 'wooden beam', cf. German Klotz)
kosher : conforming to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from Hebrew כּשר kašer)
kvell : feel delighted and proud (Yiddish קװעלן kveln)
kvetch : to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains (from Yiddish קװעטשן kvetshn 'press, squeeze', cf. German quetschen)
latke : potato pancake, especially during Hanukkah (from Yiddish, from either Ukrainian or Russian)
l'chaim : "cheers!", used as a toast (from either Yiddish lekhaim, or Hebrew ləḥayyim 'to life!')
Litvak : a Lithuanian Jew
lox : smoked salmon (from Yiddish לאַקס laks 'salmon'; cf. German Lachs 'salmon')
macher : big shot, important person (Yiddish מאַכער makher, literally 'maker' from מאַכן makhn 'make', cf. German Macher)
mamzer : bastard (from Yiddish or Hebrew ממזר)
maven : expert (from Yiddish מבֿין meyvn, from Hebrew meveen 'one who understands')
mazel : luck (Yiddish מזל mazl, from Hebrew מזל mazzãl 'luck, planet', cf. German Massel)
Mazel tov : congratulations! (Yiddish מזל־טובֿ‏ mazl-tov, from Hebrew mazzãl ṭõv: mazzãl 'luck' + ṭõv 'good')
megillah : a tediously detailed discourse (from Yiddish מגילה megile 'lengthy document, scroll [esp. the Book of Esther]', from Hebrew מגילה məgillã 'scroll')
mensch : an upright man; a decent human being (from Yiddish מענטש mentsh 'person', cf. German Mensch)
meshuga, also meshugge, meshugah, meshuggah : crazy (Yiddish משוגע meshuge, from Hebrew məšugga‘)
meshugas : madness, nonsense, irrational idiosyncrasy (Yiddish משוגעת meshugas, from Hebrew məšugga‘ath, a form of the above)
meshuggener : a crazy person (Yiddish משוגענער meshugener, a derivative of the above משוגע meshuge)
minyan : the quorum of ten adult (i.e., 13 or older) Jews (among the Orthodox, males) who are necessary for the holding of a public worship service (Yiddish מנין minyen, from Hebrew מנין minyãn)
mishpocha : extended family (Yiddish משפּחה mishpokhe, from Hebrew משפּחה mišpãḥã)
mohel : a religious circumciser (when pronounced "moyl" in English, Yiddish מוהל moyl, from Hebrew מוהל mõhẽl)
naches : pride, esp. in the achievements of one's children (Yiddish נחת nakhes, from Hebrew נחת naḥath 'contentment')
narrischkeit : foolishness, nonsense (Yiddish narishkayt, from nar 'fool', cf. German Narrheit)
nebbish : an insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity (from Yiddish nebekh 'poor thing!' [interjection])
noodge : to pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest or whiner (from Yiddish נודיען nudyen, from Polish or Russian)
nosh : snack (noun or verb) (Yiddish נאַשן nashn, cf. German naschen)
nosherei : snack food (Yiddish nasheray 'tidbit', from the above nashn, cf. German Nascherei)
nu : multipurpose interjection often analogous to "well?" or "so?" (Yiddish נו nu, perhaps akin to Russian "ну")
nudnik : a pest, "pain in the neck"; a bore (Yiddish נודניק nudnik, from the above נודיען nudyen)
oy : interjection of surprise, dismay, or grief (Yiddish אױ oy)
oy vey : interjection of grief, pain, or horror (Yiddish אױ װײ oy vey 'oh, pain!')
pareve : containing neither meat nor dairy products (from Yiddish (פּאַרעװ(ע parev(e))
pisher : a nobody, an inexperienced person (Yiddish פּישער pisher, from פּישן pishn 'piss')
potch : slap, smack (Yiddish פּאטשן patshn)
plotz : to burst, as from strong emotion (from Yiddish פּלאַצן platsn 'crack', cf. German platzen)
putz : an idiot, a jerk; a penis (from Yiddish פּאָץ pots)
schlemiel : an inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt (Yiddish shlemil)
schlep : to drag or haul (an object); to make a tedious journey (from Yiddish שלעפּן shlepn; cf. German schleppen)
schlimazel : a chronically unlucky person (שלימזל shlimazl, from Middle High German slim 'crooked' and Hebrew מזל mazzãl 'luck') <ref>The difference between a schlemiel and a schlimazel is described through the aphorism, "The schlemiel spills his soup on the schlimazel." Also, the words schlemiel and schlimazel appear prominently in the Laverne and Shirley theme song.</ref>

In June 2004, Yiddish shlimazl was one of the ten non-English words that were voted Words hardest to translate by a British translation company.

schlock : something cheap, shoddy, or inferior (perhaps from Yiddish shlak 'a stroke')
schlong : (vulgar) penis (from Yiddish שלאַנג shlang 'snake'; cf. German Schlange)
schlub: a clumsy, stupid, or unattractive person (Yiddish zhlob 'hick', perhaps from Polish żłób)
schmaltz : melted chicken fat; excessive sentimentality (from Yiddish שמאַלץ shmalts 'fat'; cf. German Schmalz)
schmeer also schmear : noun or verb: spread (e.g., cream cheese on a bagel); bribe (from Yiddish שמיר shmir 'smear'; cf. German schmieren)
schmatte : a rag (from Yiddish שמאַטע shmate, from Polish szmata)
schmendrik : a foolish or contemptible person (from a character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden)
schmo : a stupid person. (an alteration of schmuck; see below)
schmooze : to converse informally, make small talk or chat (from Yiddish שמועסן shmuesn 'converse'; cf. German schmusen).

The word has been somewhat popularised by Sir Alan Sugar (a Jew himself) on the BBC TV series The Apprentice.

schmuck : a contemptible or foolish person; a jerk; literally means 'penis' (from Yiddish שמאָק shmok 'penis')
schmutter : clothing; rubbish (from Yiddish Yiddish שמאַטע shmate 'rag', as above)
schmutz - dirt (from Yiddish שמוץ shmuts or German Schmutz 'dirt')
schnook : an easily imposed-upon or cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person (perhaps from Yiddish שנוק shnuk 'snout')
schnorrer : beggar (Yiddish שנאָרער shnorer)
schnoz or schnozz also schnozzle : a nose, especially a large nose (perhaps from Yiddish שנויץ shnoits 'snout', cf. German Schnauze)
shvartze(r) : (derogatory) black person (from inflected forms of Yiddish שװאַרץ shvarts 'black'; cf. German schwarz)
Shabbos or Shabbes : Shabbat (Yiddish Shabes, from Hebrew Šabbãth)
shammes : the beadle or sexton of a synagogue (Yiddish shames, from Hebrew שמש šammãš 'attendant'), possibly contributory to the American slang word "shamus," for a policeman, by way of the Irish "Seamus"
shamus: a detective (possibly from shammes)
shegetz : (derogratory) a young non-Jewish male (Yiddish שגץ or שײגעץ sheygets, from Hebrew šeqeṣ 'blemish')
shicker' or shickered : drunk (adjective or noun) (Yiddish shiker 'drunk', from Hebrew šikkõr)
shiksa : (often derogatory) a young non-Jewish woman (Yiddish שיקסע shikse, a derivative of the above שײגעץ sheygets)
shtetl : a small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe (Yiddish שטעטל shtetl 'town', diminutive of שטאָט shtot 'city')
shtick : comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature (from Yiddish שטיק 'piece'; cf. German Stück)
spiel : a sales pitch or speech intended to persuade (from Yiddish שפּיל shpil 'play' or German Spiel 'play').
tchotchke or tsatske : knickknack, trinket, curio (from Yiddish טשאַטשקע tshatshke)
tref or trayf : not kosher (Yiddish treyf, from Hebrew ṭərẽfã 'carrion')
tsimmes : a sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do (Yiddish צימעס tsimes)
tsuris : troubles (from Yiddish צרות tsores)
tuchus : buttocks, rear end (from Yiddish תּחת tokhes, from Hebrew תחת taḥath 'underneath')
tummler : an entertainer or master of ceremonies, especially one who encourages audience interaction (from Yiddish tumler, from tumlen 'make a racket'; cf. German reflexive verb (sich) tummeln 'to move around')
tush : butt, rear end (from tuchus)
yarmulke : round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jews (etymology unclear)
Yekke : (mildly derogatory) a German Jew (Yiddish יעקע Yeke)
yenta : a talkative woman; a gossip; a scold (from Yiddish יענטע, from a given name)
Yiddish : the Yiddish language (from Yiddish Yidish 'Jewish')
yontef also yom tov : a Jewish holiday on which work is forbidden, eg. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach (from Yiddish יום- טובֿ yontef 'holiday', from Hebrew יום טוב yōm ṭōv 'good day')
zaftig : plump, chubby, full-figured (from Yiddish zaftik 'juicy'; cf. German saftig)