שטעטלעך

שטעטלעך 

Jesus the URL is going to look crazy on this one.  Yiddish is the secret language of comedy.  Therefore I’ll put that on my big huge ball of notes of the things I want to learn.

A shtetl (Yiddish: שטעטל, diminutive form of Yiddish shtot שטאָט, "town", pronounced very similarly to the South German diminutive "Städtle", "little town") was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Central and Eastern Europe. Shtetls (Yiddish plural: שטעטלעך, shtetlekh) were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia, and Romania. A larger city, like Lemberg or Czernowitz, was called a shtot (Yiddish: שטאָט); a smaller village was called a dorf (Yiddish: דאָרף).

The concept of shtetl culture is used as a metaphor for the traditional way of life of 19th-century Eastern European Jews. Shtetls are portrayed as pious communities following Orthodox Judaism, socially stable and unchanging despite outside influence or attacks. The Holocaust resulted in the disappearance of the vast majority of shtetls, through both extermination and mass exodus to the United States and what became Israel.

I am not Jewish but my favorite physicists are.

A good starting place is Yiddish that has worked its way into the English language.

• bagel : a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough (from בײגל beygl) (OED, MW)
• blintz : a sweet cheese-filled crepe (Yiddish בלינצע blintse) (AHD)
• bris : the circumcision of a male child. (from Hebrew brith ‘covenant’) (OED, MW)
• boychick : boy, young man. (English boy + Eastern Yiddish -chik, diminutive suffix (from Slavic)) (AHD)
• bubkes (also spelled "bupkis") : emphatically nothing, as in He isn’t worth bubkes (literally ‘goat droppings’, possibly of Slavic origin; cf. Polish bób ‘bean’) (MW)
• chutzpah : guts, daring, audacity, effrontery (Yiddish חוצפּה khutspe, from Hebrew) (AHD)
• dreck : (vulgar) worthless material, especially merchandise; "crap" (Yiddish ‫דרעק ‬ drek or German Dreck) (OED, MW)
• dybbuk : the malevolent spirit of a dead person which enters and controls a living body until exorcised (from Hebrew דיבוק dibbuk, that which clings) (AHD)
• fleishig : made with meat (Yiddish ‫פֿליישיק ‬ fleyshik ‘meaty’, from fleysh ‘meat’, cf. German Fleisch) (MW)
• ganef or gonif : thief, scoundrel, rascal (Yiddish גנבֿ ganef ‘thief’, from Hebrew gannav). (AHD)
• gelt : money; chocolate coins eaten on Hanukkah (געלט gelt ‘money’, cf. German Geld) (AHD)
• glitch : a minor malfunction (possibly from Yiddish glitsh, from glitshn ‘slide’, cf. German glitschen ‘slither’) (AHD)
• golem : a man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster (from Hebrew גולם gōlem, but influenced in pronunciation by Yiddish goylem) (OED, MW)
• 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’) (AHD)
• haimish (also heimish) : home-like, friendly, folksy (Yiddish ‫הײמיש ‬ heymish, cf. German heimisch) (AHD)
• huck; sometimes "hock", "huk", "hak". etc.: to bother incessantly, or nag; from hakn a tshaynik. Frequently used by characters intended to represent residents of New York City, even if not Jewish, in movies and television shows such as Law & Order.^[2]
• kibitz : to offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, hence a kibbitzer, gossip (Yiddish קיבעצן kibetsn; cf. German kiebitzen, related to Kiebitz ‘lapwing‘) (OED, MW)
• klutz : clumsy person (from Yiddish קלאָץ klots ‘wooden beam’, cf. German Klotz) (OED, MW)
• kosher : conforming to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from Hebrew כּשר kašer) (AHD)
• kvell : to feel delighted and proud to the point of tears (Yiddish קװעלן kveln, from an old Germanic word akin to German quellen ‘well up’) (OED, MW)
• kvetch : to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains (from Yiddish קװעטשן kvetshn ‘press, squeeze’, cf. German quetschen ‘squeeze’) (OED, MW)
• latke : potato pancake, especially during Hanukkah (from Yiddish‫לאַטקע ‬, from either Ukrainian or Russian) (AHD)
• Litvak : a Lithuanian Jew (OED)
• lox : smoked salmon (from Yiddish לאַקס laks ‘salmon’; cf. German Lachs) (OED, MW)
• macher : big shot, important person (Yiddish מאַכער makher, literally ‘maker’ from מאַכן makhn ‘make’, cf. German Macher) (OED)
• mamzer : bastard (from Yiddish or Hebrew ממזר) (OED)
• maven : expert (from Yiddish מבֿין meyvn, from Hebrew mevin ‘one who understands’) (OED, MW)
• mazel : luck (Yiddish מזל mazl, from Hebrew מזל mazzāl ‘luck, planet’) (OED)
• Mazal Tov : congratulations! (Yiddish מזל־טובֿ‏ mazl-tov, from Hebrew mazzāl ṭōv: mazzāl ‘fortune’ + ṭōv ‘good’) (OED, MW:Hebrew)
• megillah : a tediously detailed discourse (from Yiddish מגילה megile ‘lengthy document, scroll [esp. the Book of Esther]’, from Hebrew מגילה mÉ™gillā ‘scroll’) (OED, MW)
• mensch : an upright man; a decent human being (from Yiddish מענטש mentsh ‘person’, cf. German Mensch) (OED, MW)
• meshuga, also meshugge, meshugah, meshuggah: crazy (Yiddish משוגע meshuge, from Hebrew mÉ™šugga‘) (OED, MW)
• meshugas : madness, nonsense, irrational idiosyncrasy (Yiddish משוגעת meshugas, from Hebrew mÉ™šugga‘ath, a form of the above) (OED)
• meshuggener : a crazy person (Yiddish משוגענער meshugener, a derivative of the above משוגע meshuge) (OED)
• milchig : made with milk (Yiddish milkhik milky, from milkh milk, cf. German milchig) (MW)
• minyan : the quorum of ten adult (i.e., 13 or older) Jews who are necessary for the holding of a public worship service (Yiddish מנין minyen, from Hebrew מנין minyān) (OED, MW:Hebrew)
• mishpocha : extended family (Yiddish משפּחה mishpokhe, from Hebrew משפּחה mišpāḥā) (OED)
• naches : feeling of pride in 1: the achievements of one’s children; 2. one’s own doing good by helping someone or some organization (Yiddish נחת nakhes, from Hebrew נחת naḥath ‘contentment’) (OED)
• narrischkeit : foolishness, nonsense (Yiddish נאַרישקייט, from nar ‘fool’, cf. German närrisch ‘foolish’) (OED)
• nebbish : an insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity (from Yiddish interjection nebekh ‘poor thing!’, from Czech nebohý) (OED, MW)
• noodge : to pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest or whiner (from Yiddish נודיען nudyen, from Polish or Russian) (OED)
• nosh : snack (noun or verb) (Yiddish נאַשן nashn, cf. German naschen) (OED, MW)
• nu : multipurpose interjection often analogous to "well?" or "so?" (Yiddish נו nu, perhaps akin to Russian "ну"; probably not related to German dialect expression nu [short for nun=now], which might be used in the same way) (OED)
• nudnik : a pest, "pain in the neck"; a bore (Yiddish נודניק nudnik, from the above נודיען nudyen; cf. Polish nudne, ‘boring’) (OED, MW)
• oy or oy vey : interjection of grief, pain, or horror (Yiddish אוי וויי oy vey ‘oh, pain!’ or "oh, woe"; cf. German oh weh) (OED)
• pareve : containing neither meat nor dairy products (from Yiddish (פּאַרעוו(×¢ parev(e)) (OED, MW)
• pisher : a nobody, an inexperienced person (Yiddish פּישער pisher, from פּישן pishn ‘piss’, cf. German pissen or dialectal German pischen) (OED)
• potch : spank, slap, smack (Yiddish פּאטשן patshn; cf. German patschen ‘slap’) (OED)
• plotz : to burst, as from strong emotion (from Yiddish פּלאַצן platsn ‘crack’, cf. German platzen) (OED)
• putz : an idiot, a jerk; a penis (from Yiddish פּאָץ pots) (AHD)
• schlemiel : an inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt (Yiddish shlemil) (OED, MW)
• schlep : to drag or haul (an object); to make a tedious journey (from Yiddish שלעפּן shlepn; cf. German schleppen) (OED, MW)
• schlimazel : a chronically unlucky person (שלימזל shlimazl, from Middle High German slim ‘crooked’ and Hebrew מזל mazzāl ‘luck’) (OED) ^[3]. 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. ^[4]
• schlock : something cheap, shoddy, or inferior (perhaps from Yiddish shlak ‘a stroke’, cf. German Schlag) (OED, MW)
• schlong : (vulgar) penis (from Yiddish שלאַנג shlang ‘snake’; cf. German Schlange) (OED)
• schlub: a clumsy, stupid, or unattractive person (Yiddish ‫זשלאָב ‬ zhlob ‘hick’, perhaps from Polish żłób) (OED, MW)
• schmaltz : melted chicken fat; excessive sentimentality (from Yiddish שמאַלץ shmalts or German Schmalz) (OED, MW)
• schmatte : a rag (from Yiddish שמאַטע shmate, from Polish szmata) (OED)
• schmeer also schmear : noun or verb: spread (e.g., cream cheese on a bagel); bribe (from Yiddish שמיר shmir ‘smear’; cf. German schmieren) (OED, MW)
• shmendrik : a foolish or contemptible person (from a character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden) (OED)
• schmo : a stupid person. (an alteration of schmuck; see below) (OED)
• schmooze : to converse informally, make small talk or chat (from Yiddish שמועסן shmuesn ‘converse’, from Hebrew shÉ™mūʿōth ‘reports, gossip’) (OED, MW)
• schmuck : a contemptible or foolish person; a jerk; literally means ‘penis’ (from Yiddish שמאָק shmok ‘penis’) (AHD)
• schmutter : clothing; rubbish (from Yiddish שמאַטע shmate ‘rag’, as above) (OED)
• schmutz – dirt (from Yiddish שמוץ shmuts or German Schmutz ‘dirt’) (OED)
• schnook : an easily imposed-upon or cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person (perhaps from Yiddish שנוק shnuk ‘snout’; cf. Northern German Schnucke ‘sheep’) (OED)
• schnorrer : beggar (Yiddish שנאָרער shnorer, cf. German schnorren ‘to beg or steal (usu. a small item of a consumable good) of a friend’^[5]) (OED, MW)
• schnoz or schnozz also schnozzle : a nose, especially a large nose (perhaps from Yiddish שנויץ shnoits ‘snout’, cf. German Schnauze) (OED, MW)
• schvartze : term used to denote black people; can be used derogatorily. (from Yiddish שוואַרץ shvarts ‘black’; cf. German schwarz). (OED)
• Shabbos or Shabbes : Shabbat (Yiddish Shabes, from Hebrew Šabbāth) (AHD)
• shammes or shamash: the beadle or sexton of a synagogue; also, the 9th candle of the Hanukkah menorah, used to light the others (Yiddish shames, from Hebrew שמש šammāš ‘attendant’) (OED, MW)
• shamus: a detective (possibly from shammes, or possibly from the Irish name Seamus) (OED)
• shegetz : (derogatory) a young non-Jewish male (Yiddish שגץ or שײגעץ sheygets, from Hebrew šeqeá¹£ ‘blemish’) (AHD)
• shemozzle (slang) quarrel, brawl (perhaps related to schlimazel, q.v.) (OED). This word is commonly used in Ireland to describe confused situations during the Irish sport of hurling, e.g. ‘There was a shemozzle near the goalmouth’. In particular, it was a favourite phrase of t.v. commentator Miceal O’Hehir who commentated on hurling from the 1940s to the 1980s.
• shicker or shickered : drunk (adjective or noun) (Yiddish shiker ‘drunk’, from Hebrew šikkōr) (OED)
• shiksa or shikse : (often derogatory) a young non-Jewish woman (Yiddish שיקסע shikse, a derivative of the above שײגעץ sheygets) (AHD)
• shtetl : a small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe (Yiddish שטעטל shtetl ‘town’, diminutive of שטאָט shtot ‘city’; cf. German Städtl, South German colloquial diminutive of Stadt, city) (AHD)
• shtick : comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature (from Yiddish שטיק ‘piece’; cf. German Stück ‘piece’) (AHD)
• spiel or shpiel : a sales pitch or speech intended to persuade (from Yiddish שפּיל shpil ‘play’ or German Spiel ‘play’) (AHD)
• tchotchke: knickknack, trinket, curio (from Yiddish טשאַטשקע tshatshke, from obsolete Polish czaczko) (OED, MW)
• tref or trayf or traif : not kosher (Yiddish treyf, from Hebrew á¹­É™rÄ“fā ‘carrion’) (AHD)
• tzimmes : a sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do (Yiddish צימעס tsimes) (OED, MW)
• tsuris : troubles (from Yiddish צרות tsores) (AHD)
• tuchus : buttocks, rear end (from Yiddish תּחת tokhes, from Hebrew תחת taḥath ‘underneath’) (OED)
• tummler : an entertainer or master of ceremonies, especially one who encourages audience interaction (from Yiddish tumler, from tumlen ‘make a racket’; cf. German (sich) tummeln ‘go among people, cavort’) (OED, MW)
• tush (also tushy) : butt, rear end (from tuchus) (OED, MW)
• yarmulke : round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jews (from Yiddish yarmulke, from Polish jarmuÅ‚ka, ultimate etymology unclear, possibly Turkish) (OED, MW, AHD)
• Yekke : (mildly derogatory) a German Jew (Yiddish יעקע Yeke) (OED)
• yenta : a talkative woman; a gossip; a scold (from Yiddish יענטע, from a given name) (OED, MW)
• Yiddish : the Yiddish language (from Yiddish Yidish ‘Jewish’, cf. German jüdisch) (AHD)
• 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’) (OED)
• yutz: a stupid, clueless person ([1] [2])
• zaftig : plump, chubby, full-figured, as a woman (from Yiddish zaftik ‘juicy’; cf. German saftig ‘juicy’)