shmuck

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Pronunciations

shmuck (SHMUHK) listen

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Definitions

  • n. An annoying, irritating person.

  • n. (obscene) A penis.

  • n. A detestable person.

Example Sentences

  • "That guy is such a shmuck--I wish he would just leave."

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • שמאָק shmok '(vulgar) penis, prick; fool, jackass'

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      shmok, schmock, schmuck, shmuk

Notes

  • See also shmeckel, schmo, and shmecky.
    See also shmendrik, which is generally used to refer to a hapless, unintentional jerk, rather than someone who is deliberately or stubbornly so.

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