noodge

Alternative Spellings

nudzh, nudge

Definitions

• verb: bore, pester, nag
• noun: pest, whiner

Example Sentences

• "I am so annoyed by her, what a noodge!"

Languages of Origin

Yiddish, English

Etymology

likely from Yiddish נודיען nudyen 'to bore, pester', נודניק nudnik 'bore, pest', influenced by English "nudge"

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]).

Notes

American English "nudge" is a verb and noun that rhymes with "fudge" and means "prod, coax, approach." It does not seem to be influenced by Yiddish. Jewish English "noodge" has the vowel of "hood". Leo Rosten explains the difference: "Where a nudge is open, a nudzh is surreptitious, a kick under the table... A nudzh is also a Yinglish synonym for nudnik." See also Philologos: https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/2017/05/of-noodge-and-nudge-of-slob-and-schlub/