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 Jewish communal or social worker (Steinmetz)

Activist

A person who is influential in working for the community

balaboosta

1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker

bashert

Predicate adj. "Predestined, fated" (JPS)

N. Predestined soul mate.

bencher

prayer booklet or card with the text of the blessings after meals, and often times including other meal-time blessings and songs

besamim

"Literally, 'spices.' It almost always refers to the spices in the spice box used for the Havdalah ceremony" (JPS).

"Modern Israeli slang for illegal drugs" (JPS).

Spices

bialy

A flat breakfast roll, shaped like a round wading pool, sometimes sprinkled with onion. (Rosten)

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)

broiges

angry, annoyed (adj.)

a dispute (n)

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

chacham

wise, learned person; genius

rabbi (Sephardi)

wiseguy

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

"confused; dazed; stunned" (Steinmetz)

"Dizzy, confused, dopey, 'punchy.'" (Rosten)

"Having a headache." (Rosten)

"Smitten, charmed, beguiled." (Rosten)

"Surprised, stunned, shocked." (Rosten)

"Confused, distracted, mixed up." (JPS)

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

gezunterheyt

lit., while in good health

"Fine, go ahead" (ironic).

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)

hazarai

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

treyf (non-kosher) food

junk food

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

The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"

Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach

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

"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)

"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).

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.

mutche

harass, torment, bother, annoy, nag

(obsolete) to struggle financially

naches

"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)

ongeblozzen

puffed-up; haughty; conceited

pouting (can have a sense of about to cry)

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).

schmonzes

small pieces of valueless decorative bric-a-brac

idle talk

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 punch, a strong blow; a setback" (JPS)

"A strong blow or punch" (Rosten)

"punch; bump; slam" (Steinmetz)