shmay

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Definitions

  • v. To bustle, be busy.

Example Sentences

  • "I was in Jerusalem [last] week for three days just to ’shmay’ around, and if an object becomes available within the United States, I’m the first one to get on a plane and go take a look." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • שמײַען shmayen

      • Who Uses This

      • 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

      shmei, shmai, shmey, schmay, schmei, schmey, schmai

Notes

  • Particularly common on the East Coast of the United States, also among young Jews.

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