Showing 191 of 191 words, page 1 of 1
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a nechtiker tog
1. an impossible occurrence 2. Not on your life! 3. Whom is he trying to kid? 4. forget about it!
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abi gezunt
"As long as you're healthy [you can be happy]."
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aleichem sholom
Peace be upon you. Response to "sholom aleichem"
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alte bubby
old woman, great-grandmother
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alte kaker
elderly person, old-timer [literally "old shitter"] "A crotchety, fussy, ineffectual old man." (Rosten)
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aroisgevorfene gelt
"a waste of money"; lit., thrown out money.
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askan
Activist
A Jewish communal or social worker (Steinmetz)
A person who is influential in working for the community
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balaboosta
1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker
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belfer
assistant teacher of children in a Hebrew school or cheyder
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biz hundert un tsvantsik
[may you/he/she live] "until a hundred and twenty [years]" -- often used as a birthday wish for long life, or when mentioning a person who is getting on in years.
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borscht
"Borshtsh" is the Russian word for beet soup. Among Jews soup made from beets is considered Polish borshtsh, while Russian borshtsh is made from cabbage.
"An Eastern European soup traditionally made with beets." (JPS)
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boychick
"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)
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bris
circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.
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bubbale
sweetie, darling [term of endearment]
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bubbe
grandmother
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bubbe meise
"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition
"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)
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bulbenik
One who is inept, clumsy, all thumbs, who fouls things up (Rosten) An actor "who talks as though he has a potato in his mouth"—that is, an actor who "blows" his lines, mixes them up, commits embarrassing spoonerisms, a malaprop.
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bulvan
loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)
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cement mixer
non-Jewish woman
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chaleria
Plague or cholera (literal or metaphorical)
"wreck," in the phrase "nervous choleria." A person who behaves wildly or badly.
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chashuv
Important; of high status
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cheder
Hebrew and religious classes (often on Sundays) for elementary school children.
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Chelm
from Yiddish literature/folklore, "The 'legendary' town inhabited by befuddled, stupid, foolish, but endearing people." (JPS). Also a real town in Poland (Chełmno).
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chrein
horseradish
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chutzpahdik
impertinent
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da'as torah
Intuitive knowledge that comes from a lifetime of Torah study.
The authoritative wisdom of the tradition mediated by "gedolim" or great rabbis.
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dybbuk
a spirit, "often thought to be the soul of a dead person, that wanders the earth looking for a living body to inhabit" (JPS)
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einikel
grandchild
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farfel
a side dish including bits of noodle, often sauteed with vegetables and beef or chicken stock
noodle pellets
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farfufket
befuddled, taken aback, disoriented, confused
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farkakte
"lousy, messed up, ridiculous" (JPS) Shitty, full of crap.
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farmisht
mixed up, confused, crazy
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fartootst
"The state of being bewildered, disoriented, discombobulated; slightly more intense than tsedrayt." (Rosten)
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feigele
gay man
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flik
pluck feathers (e.g., from a chicken)
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fluden
log-shaped pastry stuffed with apricot preserves, chopped dates, walnuts, and raisins
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frei
(with the particle "out") to become non-religious, "go off the derekh"
free; liberal, non-religious, the opposite of frum
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gantseh
entire, complete
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geferlech
Dangerous, terrible
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gelt
Money (slang usage)
"The foil wrapped chocolate coins that are a traditional Hanukkah treat for children." (JPS)
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genug
enough
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geshmak
delicious, delightful
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Geshmir
The entirety, all.
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gevald
an interjection of alarm
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gey avek
"Go away!"
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gey schluffen
Go to sleep!
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gorgel
neck, throat (generally of poultry)
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goyish
"in the manner or style of a non-Jewish person" (JPS), especially something WASPy or "white bread"
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goyishe kop
Someone who fails to use his/her head; a dull mind. Someone who thinks like a non-Jew. Lit. "non-Jewish head."
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gribines
Deep-fried skin of chicken or goose, often prepared with onion and schmatlz. Also called cracklings.
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grizhidiker
nagging, annoying person
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gurnisht
"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)
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Gut Morgen
"Good morning!"
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Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik
Stop annoying me
Don't bother me
Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me
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hamentaschen
"Small, triangular-shaped cookies filled with fruit or jam that are eaten on Purim" (JPS)
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handl
to bargain, do business
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helzel
chicken neck, poultry neck, stuffed poultry neck, the skin around the chicken's neck which is then stuffed
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I wish you well to wear it
A saying uttered on seeing a friend or relative wearing a new garment or accessory. It is value-neutral, not implying that the garment is nice, just that it is new.
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Imfargin
Begrudge
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kaddishl
A son who will say kaddish for a parent (literally, "little kaddish").
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kalike
1. Cripple 2. Someone who is sickly 3. A clumsy person 4. A stupid ignorant man 5. An inept performer, a singer off-key, a pianist who hits the wrong notes, a waiter who spills the soup.
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kasha
buckwheat groats, commonly served with bowtie noodles ('kasha varnishkes'); porridge
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kasha varnishkes
kasha (buckwheat groats) with bowtie noodles
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Katschke
A Duck
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keinehora
"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)
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keppy
head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)
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khremzl
"A fried fritter or latke, made of matzah meal and eggs, that may be stuffed with ground meat, nuts, or fruit. An old-fashioned Pesach recipe." (JPS Dictionary)
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kimmel
"kimmel bread" is rye bread with caraway seeds on top
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kishka
"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)
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kishkas
Intestines, gut
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klafte
a naughty or nasty woman; a bitch
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knaidel
matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)
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kochleffel
A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.
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kreplach
(meat-) stuffed dumplings usually served in soup; Jewish wontons
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kugel
The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"
Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach
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kuntz
strategy (Weiser)
feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity
peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)
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kurveh
(profane) whore, slut, bitch
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kvater
one of the people honored to hold the baby at a circumcision ceremony; godfather
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kvell
feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)
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kvetch
"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)
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l'hachis
spitefully; deliberately; literally "in order to anger"
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landsman
Someone who comes from the same or nearby hometown, especially if one or both of you no longer lives there and all the more so if one or both now live far away from home, in which case an entire region (e.g., metro NY) or country e.g., Poland) may be the point of connection.
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lapa
An animal's paw, dirty hands, especially that of a child or a lascivious man.
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latka
"a potato pancake [fried in oil traditionally eaten on Chanukah]" (Rosten)
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leibedik
lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt
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lekvar
prune filling
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ligner
liar
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linker
leftist, socialist, secularist
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lobbus
a young mischievous person with a lot of chutzpah
a rascal, mischievous or cheeky child (usually a boy)
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lokshen
noodles
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luftmensch
"an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income" (Merriam-Webster)
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mayofes
a servile person (see note below)
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mazik
a mischievous person, often a child
(with verb "to be") to ruin partially; damage (Yeshivish usage)
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mechuten
In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).
the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.
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mechuteneste
the mother of one's child's spouse
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mish
verb. To mix; to eat at other families' houses during the week of Passover.
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naches
"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)
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narishkeit
"1. Foolishness 2. A triviality" (Rosten)
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nebbish
noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)
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nicht shabbos geret
Not to speak of on Shabbat (used when a subject is not suitable for the Holy Shabbat, primarily business and money manners, to indicate that one shouldn't discuss it). Usually followed by a short comment about the "forbidden" subject.
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Nisht do gedacht
Exclamation, It shouldn't happen.
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nishtikeit
a nobody
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no-goodnik
bad person, scoundrel (sometimes humorous or affectionate)
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noch
still, yet, moreover
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nosherai
snacks
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ongepotchket
overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly
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orel
A goy (contemptuous, pejorative).
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oy vey iz mir
woe is me
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oysgeputst
dressed-up, decked out in finery (Steinmetz), overembellished.
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pachech
a complainer
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patshke
"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)
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pekel
little bundle
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pintele yid
"essential Jewishness"
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pishachs
(vulgar) urine, piss
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pisher, little pisher
a diminutive that combines amusement, admiration and annoyance
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pisk
(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)
mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.
Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)
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Pitseleh
Little one, dear
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plotz
"1. To split, to burst, to explode. 2. " To be aggravated beyond bearing" (Rosten) [lit. "to explode"]
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prost
coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common
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pushke
"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)
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schlemozel
The constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings
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schlissel
key
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schmegege
"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)
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schnoder
"to pledge a donation" (Steinmetz).
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schnorrer
a begger, a parasite. "A moocher" (JPS)
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shaina maidel
pretty girl
well-behaved girl (female equivalent of mensch, which is sometimes used just for males but is often used for males and females)
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Shayach
Pertinent, relevant (Steinmetz).
1. Capable of being true or believable: Conceivable. / 2. Capable of being done: Surmountable / 3. Practical, reasonable, or possible: Feasible. (Weiser)
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shayna punim
pretty face
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sheymes
n., such content
adj., of or relating to printed material, such as a book or even an audio recording, that contains the name of God, and therefore must not be erased, put on the floor, etc., out of respect for the Divine Name
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shkotz
berating term for a mischievous Jewish boy
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Shleger
Bully, violent person
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shluffy
[to go] to sleep (child-directed speech)
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shlump
an unkempt person, a loser
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shmecky
child-appropriate word for penis
affectionate term used to describe a child, often connoting silly or slightly naughty behavior
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shnook
"An incompetent person who is deserving of pity but also likable" (JPS); "A customer easily persuaded, a sucker." (H.L. Mencken, American Language)
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shpatzir
literally 'to walk, take a stroll'; figuratively 'to delay, tarry, procrastinate'
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Shtati
Cool, modern, cosmopolitan.
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shtickle
designation of second-class status, when applied to rabbis or other professionals.
a small amount; a little; a bit of (a)
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shtunk
stinker, nasty person, smelly person, nickname for a smelly baby.
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spodik
fur hat, similar to but taller (more cylindrical) than a shtreimel, worn by certain Chassidic groups
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taka
(can also be used ironically)
Is that so? Really, actually, indeed, "in consideration of all the information available" (Weiser)
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tate
little boy; especially when using diminutive tatele / tattele / tattaleh / tattale / tateleh (in child-directed speech)
dad
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teiglach
a confection of dough balls dipped in honey/syrup and eaten at Rosh Hashanah
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truntor
old broken down car/ jalopy
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tsedreyt
mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around
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tsekrochen
slovenly, [feeling] feeble or fragile, usually owing to minor illness or a night of excess.
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tsemisht
mixed-up, confused
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tsu gezunt
a response after another person sneezes (analogous to "bless you")
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tuches afn tisch
lay your cards on the table [lit. "backside on the table"]
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vantz
bedbug
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varem
warm, kind-hearted, friendly
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verklempt
choked up; speechless; unable to express one's feelings/emotions overly emotional
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vos
what
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whole megillah
an expression of something done completely and/or taking a long time
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wimpel
a long, linen sash used as a binding for the Sefer Torah by Jews of German (Yekke) origin
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Yechinik
A Lubavicher (a Hasidic group, Chabad) who believes that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavicher rebbe, is the Moshiach.
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Yekke
A Jew who behaves according to the stereotype of Jews of German heritage: punctual and concerned with details.
A Jew of German heritage
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yold
fool, dupe
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yontif
a Jewish holiday, especially one on which work is prohibited (in contrast to chol hamoed)
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zaftig
pleasantly plump, buxom, lit. "juicy"
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zise
a sweet, good person
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Zulik
The boy is "wild" or "a wilde chaya"
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