Jewish English Lexicon

abi gezunt

"As long as you're healthy [you can be happy]."

aderaba

certainly, by all means; I certainly don't object

on the contrary

aroisgevorfene gelt

"a waste of money"; lit., thrown out money.

azoy

So, thus

Is that so? Really?

So-so

balaboosta

1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker

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.

boychick

"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)

boydem

attic

broiges

a dispute (n)

angry, annoyed (adj.)

bubbale

sweetie, darling [term of endearment]

bubbe

grandmother

bubbe meise

"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition

"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)

bulvan

loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)

chrein

horseradish

chutzpahdik

impertinent

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)

einikel

grandchild

ess

Eat

farbissiner

n. sourpuss, mean person

adj. embittered, sullen, mean

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

farmisht

mixed up, confused, crazy

frosk

a slap

gantseh

entire, complete

geferlech

Dangerous, terrible

gelt

Money (slang usage)

"The foil wrapped chocolate coins that are a traditional Hanukkah treat for children." (JPS)

genug

enough

geshmak

delicious, delightful

gevald

an interjection of alarm

gey avek

"Go away!"

gezunt

n. health

adj. healthy

gorgel

neck, throat (generally of poultry)

goyish

"in the manner or style of a non-Jewish person" (JPS), especially something WASPy or "white bread"

gurnisht

"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)

Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik

Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me

Stop annoying me

Don't bother me

handl

to bargain, do business

hazarai

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

treyf (non-kosher) food

junk food

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)

kichel

small cookie or biscuit

cookies (plural)

kishka

"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)

kochleffel

A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.

kreplach

(meat-) stuffed dumplings usually served in soup; Jewish wontons

kuntz

strategy (Weiser)

peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)

feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity

kvater

one of the people honored to hold the baby at a circumcision ceremony; godfather

kvell

feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)

kvetch

"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)

l'hachis

spitefully; deliberately; literally "in order to anger"

leibedik

lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt

ligner

liar

linker

leftist, socialist, secularist

lokshen

noodles

luftmensch

"an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income" (Merriam-Webster)

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.

mechuteneste

the mother of one's child's spouse

mieskeit

someone/something ugly

ugliness

naches

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

nebbish

noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)

noch

still, yet, moreover

nosherai

snacks

okh un vey

"a pity on him"

an unenviable position

ongepotchket

overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly

oysgeputst

dressed-up, decked out in finery (Steinmetz), overembellished.

patshke

"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)

pekel

little bundle

pintele yid

"essential Jewishness"

pisk

mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.

(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)

Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)

pitseleh

little one, dear

prost

coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common

pushke

"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)

schlimazel

Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

schmegege

"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).

"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)

"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)

"Further; next." (Steinmetz)