Showing 76 of 76 words, page 1 of 1
-
alte kaker
elderly person, old-timer [literally "old shitter"] "A crotchety, fussy, ineffectual old man." (Rosten)
-
arba kanfot
A tallit katan (see tzitzit)
-
arbes
Boiled chickpeas
-
askan
A person who is influential in working for the community
A Jewish communal or social worker (Steinmetz)
Activist
-
balaboosta
1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker
-
bencher
prayer booklet or card with the text of the blessings after meals, and often times including other meal-time blessings and songs
-
besamim
"Modern Israeli slang for illegal drugs" (JPS).
Spices
"Literally, 'spices.' It almost always refers to the spices in the spice box used for the Havdalah ceremony" (JPS).
-
bialy
A round, crusty chewy bread roll with an indented center well, the bialy is usually topped with toasted onions—and—at its most authentic—with poppy seeds. (JPS)
A flat breakfast roll, shaped like a round wading pool, sometimes sprinkled with onion. (Rosten)
-
bubbale
sweetie, darling [term of endearment]
-
bubbe
grandmother
-
bubbe meise
"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)
"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition
-
cheder
Hebrew and religious classes (often on Sundays) for elementary school children.
-
chrain
A spicy paste made from grated horseradish.
-
eyer kichlech
Egg cookies, usually in the shape of bow ties.
-
farchadat
"Dizzy, confused, dopey, 'punchy.'" (Rosten)
"Having a headache." (Rosten)
"Smitten, charmed, beguiled." (Rosten)
"Surprised, stunned, shocked." (Rosten)
"Confused, distracted, mixed up." (JPS)
"confused; dazed; stunned" (Steinmetz)
-
farfel
a side dish including bits of noodle, often sauteed with vegetables and beef or chicken stock
noodle pellets
-
farkakte
"lousy, messed up, ridiculous" (JPS) Shitty, full of crap.
-
farmisht
mixed up, confused, crazy
-
forshpil
An Ashkenazi custom of entertaining the bride on the Sabbath afternoon or evening preceding the wedding.
-
gevald
an interjection of alarm
-
gribines
Deep-fried skin of chicken or goose, often prepared with onion and schmatlz. Also called cracklings.
-
gut chodesh
"Good month!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Chodesh.
-
gut moed
"Good festival season!" Used by Ashkenazim on Chol Hamoed.
-
gut voch
"Good week!" Ashkenazi greeting at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
-
gut yontef
"Happy holiday!" Ashkenazi greeting used on any of the holidays, including Rosh Hashanahh and Yom Kippur.
-
gut yor
"Good year!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Hashanah.
-
hamentaschen
"Small, triangular-shaped cookies filled with fruit or jam that are eaten on Purim" (JPS)
-
holishkes
Sweet-and-sour cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and ground meat.
-
kasha
buckwheat groats, commonly served with bowtie noodles ('kasha varnishkes'); porridge
-
kasha varnishkes
kasha (buckwheat groats) with bowtie noodles
-
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)
-
keppy
head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)
-
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)
-
kishka
"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)
-
kishkas
Intestines, gut
-
knaidel
matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)
-
kugel
Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach
The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"
-
kvell
feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)
-
leibedik
lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt
-
lekech
"Honey cake, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah... made with honey, eggs, cinnamon, and, often, coffee" (JPS).
-
lokh in cup
"hole in the head" (Rosten)
-
mamaliga
A Romanian-Jewish dish of thick cornmeal mush.
-
mandelbrot
"Literally, 'almond bread.' A crunchy, dry cookie, similar to biscotti" (JPS).
-
mayofes
a servile person (see note below)
-
mazume
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
-
mechuten
the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.
In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).
-
naches
"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)
-
ongepotchket
overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated.
"Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)
-
oy vey iz mir
woe is me
-
patshke
"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)
-
petcha
Calves' foot jelly or jellied chicken served with garlic and spices as an appetizer.
-
pirog
(pl. pirogen, pirogn) A small dumpling filed with meat or vegetables.
-
pisk
(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)
Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)
mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.
-
pletzl
"A thin, flat, crisp roll, often garnished with poppy seeds or onion" (Rosten)
-
plotz
"1. To split, to burst, to explode. 2. " To be aggravated beyond bearing" (Rosten) [lit. "to explode"]
-
schav
A cold cream-of-sorrel soup.
-
schlimazel
Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings
-
schmegege
"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)
"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)
"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).
-
schnoder
"to pledge a donation" (Steinmetz).
-
shlump
an unkempt person, a loser
-
strudel
A pastry made by rolling up a thin sheet of dough with a fruit or cheese filling and baking it.
-
tatala
"'Little papa.' A term of endearment for a little boy. Old-fashioned usage." (Eisenberg)
-
tate
dad
-
teiglach
a confection of dough balls dipped in honey/syrup and eaten at Rosh Hashanah
-
tsedreyt
mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around
-
tsu gezunt
a response after another person sneezes (analogous to "bless you")
-
verklempt
overly emotional, choked up; speechless; unable to express one's feelings/emotions
-
zets
"A strong blow or punch" (Rosten)
"punch; bump; slam" (Steinmetz)
"A punch, a strong blow; a setback" (JPS)
- ← Prev
- Next →