yok

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Definitions

  • n. Rowdy non-Jewish hooligan (derogatory).

Example Sentences

  • "Friday night is yoks' night out"

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish
  • English

Etymology

  • Etymology unclear. Possibly from Yiddish יאָק '(dialectal) ninny, fool', more likely from Yiddish גוי "goy" said backwards (on Cockney slang-forming basis of "yob," a hooligan, from "boy") and with final devoicing. Another possibility is from the British city of York, the location of a massacre of Jews in 1190.

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements

      Regions

      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      yock

Notes

  • Diminutive forms also exist in British Jewish-English, namely "yeykl" (for a male) and "yeyklte" (for a female), which make use of Yiddish suffixes.

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