khmalye

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Definitions

  • n. An excessively strong or undeserved slap or punch.

Example Sentences

  • “Did he give me a khmalye!” (NJY)

  • "When I grew up the term khmalye was a form of physical violence on a
    person. A knip was a pinch, a frask was a forehand blow to the face, a
    patsh was a smack of any small sort, and a khmalye was best described as an
    uppercut." (source)

  • "Mr. Portnoy also lists many more terms one could use, such as a knak (a crack, a blow with the knuckles); a knal (a lash like that of a whip); a trask (a good box); a khmalye (a thrashing); a bentsh in kop (literally, a 'blessing on the head'), that is, a smash on the head with a piece of wood, and so on." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • כמאַליע khmalie

      • Who Uses This

      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).

      Alternative Spellings

      chmalye, khmalie, chmalie, chmallyeh, chmalyeh, chmallye, chmalye, khmallyeh, khmallye, khmalyeh, khmalye, khamalye, khamalya, khamalia, khamalie, chamaliya, chamalia, chamalie, chmalia, chmaliye, chmaliya

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