kluger

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Pronunciations

kluger (KLUU-ger) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. Clever, wise

Example Sentences

  • "...Although if a Jew today were to say to a second Jew about a third Jew, 'He’s a clever yid,' there definitely would be something derogatory about it (the implication being that the third Jew’s cleverness is that of a 'yid' in the gentile sense, — that is, of someone who tries to haggle or outsmart), the sentence 'He’s a kluger yid' could be interpreted only as a genuine compliment." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Y קלוג klug 'intelligent, sharp'

      • Who Uses This

      • Chabad: Jews affiliated with the Chabad Lubavitch movement
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

      Alternative Spellings

      kliger, klug, kluger, klig

Notes

  • Should not be confused with klog, meaning 'curse'.

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