shemekhoo

Edit

Pronunciations

shemekhooh (sheh-MEH-khoo) listen
shemekhoh (sheh-MEH-khoh) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • n. A nickname for Ashkenazim used by Ladino-speaking Sepharadim.

Example Sentences

  • "I never met him. He might be a Shemechoo."

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • מה שמך mah shemkha 'what is your name?' [see notes]

      • Who Uses This

      • Sephardim: Jews with Sephardi or Mizrahi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      shemehoh, schemechooh, shemechoo, shemechu, shemechuh, shemechooh, schemechoo, schemechu, shemecho, schemekho, shemekhoo

Notes

  • When Sephardic Jews arrived in Seattle, they couldn't speak Yiddish with the Ashkenazic Jews who were already there, so Hebrew was spoken. The Ashkenazic Jews would ask the Sephardic Jews in Hebrew מה שמך mah shemkha 'what is your name?' The Sephardic Jews picked up on the Ashkenazic pronunciation of the word 'shemkha' as 'shemekho' and would jokingly refer to Ashkenazi Jews as 'shemechoos'.

Edit     Something missing from this entry? Inaccurate? Feel free to suggest an edit.