schlemozel

Alternative Spellings

shlimazl, shlimazel, shlemazel, schlemasel, schlemosel, schlemazel

Definitions

• The constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

Example Sentences

• The schlemiel spilled the soup on the schlemazel

Languages of Origin

Yiddish

Etymology

שלימזל shlimazl

Who Uses This

Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)
Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).