sheygets

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Pronunciations

sheygets (SHEY-gitz) listen

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Definitions

  • n. "1. A non-Jewish boy. 2. An impudent youth or man. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jew. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)

Example Sentences

  • "Sure, he's a sheygets, but such a nice man."

  • "The kid who went off the derech is such a shkutz."

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Yiddish שײגעץ sheygets, from Hebrew שקץ shekets 'abomination'; Yiddish plural שקאָצים shkotsim

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

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

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      shkatz, shcutz, shkutz, shkotzim, shkotsim, shegetz, shaygetz, shaygets, shkuts, shcuts, shkats, sheigetz, sheigets, sheygetz

Notes

  • Plural shkotsim.

    See also shiksa.

    Pronunciation in Yiddish may be influenced by Judeo-French.

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